City Springs Theatre Closes Out Inaugural Season With ‘Hairspray’
“Hairspray” follows Tracy Turnblad in her mission to dance in the TV program “The Corny Collins Show.”
Mason Wood
“Hairspray the Broadway Musical” takes place in 1962 Baltimore with the height of the civil rights movement and televisions appearing in everyone’s living room.
The show follows Tracy Turnblad. After years of yearning to be on a local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show,” she wins a reoccurring role on the show. She becomes an overnight sensation and pushes the boundaries of body positivity and racial integration.
The musical has gone from the silver screen, to the stage, and back again over the years. It was first created by John Waters in 1988 as a film, but became an eight-time Tony award winning hit on Broadway in 2002.
It was reinvented and adapted for film in 2007 with actors John Travolta and Queen Latifah. In 2016, True Colors Theater founder Kenny Leon directed “Hairspray Live!” for NBC. Actors Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth and Harvey Fierstein starred in that version.
This weekend, City Springs Theatre will conclude its inaugural season with “Hairspray” at the Byers Theatre at The Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. The show will run July 12 through July 21. City Lights host Lois Reitzes spoke with director Brandt Blocker and actor Greg London, who portrays Edna Turnblad, about the production.
“It’s a very uplifting and fun musical with lots of heart and an important story; one that is told in a way that doesn’t punch you in the face with an agenda. We’re entertaining you, while at the same time the audience realizes ‘Yes! We should be dancing together in harmony because it just makes sense,’” Blocker said.
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