3 - 18 July 2010
Musical

Hairspray is a delightful and popular musical that tells the story of Tracy Turnblad in Maryland USA, her dreams of stardom and her challenges against racial segregation in the early sixties. It is based on a cult 1988 comedy film classic which was adapted into a hugely successful stage show, winning eight Tony awards including Best Musical.  The songs include 1960s-style dance music and “downtown” rhythm and blues.

In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance programme based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show.  When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight.  She then launches a campaign to integrate the show.  Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s. 

This production, backed by Rainbow and with the co-sponsorship of the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre and PANSA, is the tenth annual Young Performers Project and follows successful productions of Curtain Up, One Voice, Grease, Oliver, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wiz, Annie, School of Rock SA and Big River.