Review by Austin Jay
HAIRSPRAY kicks off the anticipated 15th anniversary season of Broadway in Miami, running through January 2, 2022 at the Adrienne Arsht Center. The Tony Award-winning musical comedy opened to audience ovations December 28, with fans happily reveling back to the 1960’s era of big tunes, big dance floors – and big hair!
HAIRSPRAY is the story of 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960’s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world? Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the 60’s,” “Good Morning Baltimore,” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” HAIRSPRAY is “fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!” (The New York Times).
Tickets to HAIRSPRAYmay be purchased now at the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) 949-6722, or online at arshtcenter.org.
The HAIRSPRAY Cast is led by Andrew Levitt aka Nina West from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” with Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad and Toneisha Harris as Motormouth Maybelle
Broadway’s Tony Award- winning musical comedy phenomenon, is presented at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) from December 28, 2021 – January 2, 2022. The new touring production, helmed by Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell, will star Andrew Levitt aka Nina West (from “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) as Edna Turnblad, Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad and Toneisha Harris (from NBC’s “The Voice”) as Motormouth Maybelle with Billy Dawsonas Corny Collins, Will Savarese as Link Larkin, Emery Henderson as Penny Pingleton, Brandon G. Stalling as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Kaelee Albritton as Amber Von Tussle and Addison Garner as Velma Von Tussle.
This new touring production reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team, led by Director Jack O’Brien and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, to bring HAIRSPRAY to a new generation of theater audiences. HAIRSPRAY is based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, who served as a creative consultant on the musical comedy. It features a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan. HAIRSPRAYfeatures an original score by Academy Award-nominated Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The tour is produced by NETworks Presentations.
Additional creative team for HAIRSPRAYincludes Tour Director Matt Lenz, Tour Choreographer Michele Lynch, Set Designer David Rockwell, Lighting Designer Kenneth Posner, Tour Lighting Designer Paul Miller, Costume Designer William Ivey Long, Hair and Wig Designer Paul Huntley and Richard Mawbey, Sound Designer Shannon Slaton, Music Supervisor Lon Hoyt and Casting by Stewart/Whitley.
HAIRSPRAY premiered at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater in June 2002. The show was a smash hit when it transferred to Broadway, winning eight 2003 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and became the longest-running musical to play the Neil Simon Theater, running 2,642 performances from July 18, 2002, until January 4, 2009. It is the 22nd longest running show in Broadway history.
