Special to 1812Blockhouse
Rehearsals are well underway and live theatre is finally back at the Renaissance Theatre. The hit Broadway musical, Hairspray is set to delight audiences with unforgettable singing, dancing, and hilarious characters, July 31 and August 7 at 8:00 PM and August 1 and 8 at 2:30 PM, on the main stage at the Renaissance Theatre, 138 Park Avenue West in Mansfield.
It’s Baltimore 1962, and plus-sized teen, Tracy Turnblad, is delighted to find herself as the newest dance sensation on the local rock and roll dance program, The Corny Collins Show. But when Tracy discovers that the show is segregated, she finds herself on the front lines of the battle for equality and acceptance.
Leading the cast is Izzi Robles as Tracy Turnblad. A recent graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, Izzi most recently performed at the Ren as Anita in the Mansfield Symphony concert version of West Side Story.As Tracy’s larger-than-life mother, Edna, Robert Hardin-Leeth steps into the role made famous by Harvey Fierstein and Divine. A favorite with Columbus audiences, Mr. Leeth is better known as his alter ego, Stella, the 2018 Miss Comic winner, who has raised thousands of dollars for charity.
Sharing the spotlight with these talented performers is Mansfield’s legendary, Condrea Webber. The star of last season’s sold-out smash hit, At Last: An Evening with Etta James, Ms Webber takes the stage as the unstoppable Motormouth Maybelle.
Terrence Williams Jr. makes his first appearance at the Ren as the irrepressible Seaweed. A Florida native, Williams will graduate next year with a BFA degree in performing arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. A Renaissance veteran, Beau Roberts, returns to the role of Wilbur Turnblad, having played the same role in the Ren’s 2011 version of Hairspray. Other members of the cast include Akron’s Samantha Woodill as Penny, Ryan Shreve as Corny Collins, Otterbein University’s Daniel Keener as Link, Leah Gesouras as Prudy Pingleton, Kera Gardner as Little Inez, and Bob Gardner as Mr. Pinky.
The show also features not one, but two former Miss Ohio’s: 2018’s Matti-Lynn Chrisman and 2019/2020’s Caroline Grace Williams as the mother/daughter team of Velma and Amber Von Tussle.
Rounding out the cast are performers from all over the state of Ohio: Logan Kittaka, George Swarn, McKenna Stoffer, Justice Gardner, Ethan Chapman, Desi Hunt, Torre Webber, Jami Mayfield, Zakari Ramos, Jenna Krivosh, David Arvidson, BreeOnna Springer, Tonne Webber, Christopher Hartman, Kelly Sorgenfrei, Kristin Kaufman, Dee Jones, Gavin Hull, Emily Bare, Jake Sustersic, Zavier Alterio, Stephanie Hayslip, Grayden Pierce, Payne Schwartz and Cassandra Kurek.
Directed by Renaissance Artist Director, Michael Thomas, the creative team of Hairspray also includes Musical Director Kelly Knowlton, Choreographer Caroline Grace Williams, Technical Director/Sound & Lighting Designer Aaron James Nicolas, Set Designer Jason Kaufamn, Costume Designer Linda Turske, Production Manager Abe Swanger, and Assistant Tech. Director Nik Demers.
Hairspray: The Broadway Musical is brought to you by the Ren’s Broadway Series Presenter, Park National Bank in Mansfield. For tickets to Hairspray: The Broadway Musical, visit https://bit.ly/HairsprayPR
Source, Photos: Renaissance Performing Arts Association
