You may know about the musical HAIRSPRAY, you may have seen the fantastic movie, but until you’ve witnessed it live on stage, you haven’t lived the full Hairspray experience.
Okay, let’s get the complicated facts out of the way first.
Hairspray is a 2007 musical romantic comedy film based on the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John Waters’s 1988 comedy film of the same name. You still following?
John Waters was born in Baltimore, which is where the show is set in 1962.
Welcome to the 60s, where everyone’s grooving to a brand-new sound! Enter our vivacious heroine Tracy Turnblad, who has big hair, a big heart, and big dreams to dance her way onto national TV, and into the heart of teen idol Link Larkin. Along with her best friend Penny Pingleton Tracy frequently watches The Corny Collins Show, a local teen dance television programme. Tracy’s racial acceptance leads her to become an active supporter for integration on the show.
When Tracy becomes a local star, she is able to use her newfound fame to fight for liberation, tolerance, and interracial unity in Baltimore. But can she win equality – and Link’s heart – without denting her ‘do?
The songs may be fun and the dancing upbeat, but the undertones of the story are painfully true and powerful.
Enjoy the trailer – you know ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’.
As a musical, Hairspray has seen enormous success, picking up countless awards around the world, and making stars of those are a part of it. The show originally opened to rave reviews on Broadway in and subsequently won eight Tony Awards. The production opened in London at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2007 and won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Performance in a Supporting Role.
It’s recently finished a hugely successful run in London, with Michael Ball taking the role of Tracy’s Mother Edna. Now the show has a new cast, a new production, and is out on the road this year bringing it to the New Theatre in Cardiff next week.
BRENDA EDWARDS (X Factor) and NORMAN PACE (Hale & Pace) are starring in the show in the roles of Motormouth Maybelle and Wilbur Turnblad respectively.
Brenda said recently……..
“So the news is out and I’m really excited to be heading out on tour this year with @HairsprayUKTour its such an amazing feel good show and just what we need!”
The cast look like this……
- Tracy Turnblad – Katie Brace
- Motormouth Maybelle – Brenda Edwards
- Wilbur Turnblad – Norman Pace
- Edna Turnblad – Alex Bourne
- Velma – Rebecca Thornhill
- Corny Collins – Richard Meek
- Link Larkin– Ross Clifton
- Amber Von Tussle – Jessica Croll
- Penny Pingleton – Rebecca Jane Davies
- Little Inez – Charlotte St Croix
Completing the company are……..
Elizabeth Armstrong, Bernadette Bangura, Natalia Brown, Shaquille Brush, Liam Dean, Andrew Dillion, Amandla Elynah, Zoe Heighton, Ceris Hine, Paul Hutton, Jamie Jonathan, Hayley Johnston, Joshua Nkemdilim, Rosie O’Hare, Alexanda O’Reilly, Joshua Pearson, Joseph Poulton and Elliotte Williams-N’Dure.
Now we did say that Hairspray makes stars of all those who get covered in its awesomeness, and that’s exactly what’s happening to KATIE BRACE. This is her professional debut, and what a start it is, playing such an iconic character who dominates the stage for much of the show.
We put a call in to Katie before she took to the stage in Bromley to talk about the tour and the demanding role of Tracy. But first, we had to find out how she actually landed the part.
This fun-filled, feel good show is bursting with show-stopping numbers, dazzling costumes, and dizzying dance-routines that you can’t help but shimmy too!
Featuring some of musical theatre’s biggest and best hit songs, including Welcome To The 60s, You Can’t Stop The Beat, Good Morning Baltimore and so many more,
The Hairspray UK Tour is directed by Paul Kerryson, with choreography by Drew McOnie.
The international musical phenomenon returns to Cardiff! After breaking box office records and delighting audiences in the West-End, on Broadway and on the big screen since 1988, this smash hit musical-comedy has quite the legacy, and now it’s heading back out on tour around the UK and Ireland.
The international musical phenomenon returns to the New Theatre in Cardiff next week from Monday 14th (nice Valentine’s evening out) to Saturday 19th with 7:30pm performances each evening with a 2:30pm matinee on Thursday and Saturday. There’s a whole range of prices and concessions, but we suggest you get in quick as spaces are filling fast. For more details, go HERE.
