Attention all Loyal Patrons of Detroit Community Theater! The moment has arrived - our spring musical is on!
You don’t want to miss this amazing performance by the Park Players - featuring the most memorable show tunes in recent Broadway history. In addition to its irresistible be-bopping tunes, Hairspray is fun, wacky and witty - and at the same time addresses issues of prejudice and discrimination. The story follows the adventures of “pleasantly plump” teen Tracy Turnblad, as she bravely challenges the notions of 1962 Baltimore in her quest to become a dance sensation on The Corny Collins Show.
Hairspray the Musical (music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Witman and Shaiman) had an unusual path to Broadway, having first been a cult film in 1988 by John Waters. The Broadway musical hit the scene to wide appeal and critical acclaim in 2002. The songs are a delightful mix of 60s-style dance tunes and American R&B. The show had an impressive 7-year run, closing in 2009 after 2,500 performances. The show also toured the US and went on to entertain audiences in many foreign venues, where it even took Best New Musical at London’s Laurence Olivier Awards.
Coming full circle, it was adapted again into a movie in 2007, with John Travolta playing the part of Edna Turnblad, Tracy Turnblad’s mother (always traditionally played by a man in drag).