HAIRSPRAY
INFORMATION PACK
17 – 22 DECEMBER 2019 GREAT HALL AT THE LEYS
BOOK BYMARK O’DONNELLTHOMAS MEEHAN
MUSIC BYMARC SHAIMAN
LYRICS BYSCOTT WITTMANMARC SHAIMAN
BASED ON THE NEW LINE CINEMA FILM WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JOHN WATERS
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OFFICIAL OVERVIEWThe 1950s are out and change is in the air! Hairspray, winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best
Musical, is a family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance, and deliriously
tuneful songs.
It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire -- to
dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed
from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning
Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network, all
without denting her ‘do!
HAIRSPRAY CREATIVE TEAM Director
Holly Collas
Musical Director
James Harvey
Choreographer
Jo Rix
Assistant Producer
Anna Wills
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CTC’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert CTC’s Les Misérables School Edition
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DIRECTOR’S VISION Holly Collas, Director
Welcome to the 60s! Hairspray is one of those musicals you mention, and everyone thinks of
the bright colour bursts, the dancing and of course those gravity-defying hairdoos. However,
set in 1962, Baltimore is dealing with issues way bigger than Tracy Turnblad’s hair. At first
glance Hairspray oozes bubble-gum optimism but soon, issues of racial segregation and
injustice emerge. These very deep and real issues are hard to convey beneath the humour
and throwaway comments of the script, but highlighting the tensions is so important
and we will work hard to really bring this to the forefront of the show. The relationships
between Tracy, Seaweed, Penny and Motormouth Maybelle are what takes this journey from
separation, to full integration.
Meanwhile, Tracy, a refreshingly larger girl who is ridiculed by the “popular skinny” girls,
works hard to show that she can cause a stir and become just as “popular“, stealing the
heart of Link Larkin. In this day and age where we are influenced so much by what we see
in the media, it’s nice to step back to an era where you could just be “you” and stand up
for whatever you feel strongly about, without caring what other people think. Tracy does
everything in her power to bridge the many different gaps in the show and proves that
the good guy does win in the end. Even though she has a whole host of kooky friends and
family members to bounce off along the way, she is the true heart of the story. We are
looking into some really exciting set ideas to bring The Corny Collins Show to life and are
hoping to do some clever things using projections. High-energy dance numbers are a must
and we want the stage to pop with colourful costumes, exciting set pieces and obviously,
the hair. We are looking for a diverse cast full of heart, passion and truth, wanting to help us
bring 60s Baltimore to life.
At the end of the show, Motormouth Maybelle sings “yesterday is history and it’s never
coming back”. I’m looking forward to putting the power of these words onto the Cambridge
stage.
CTC’s Les Misérables School Edition
CAMBRIDGE THEATRE COMPANY Cambridge Theatre Company (CTC) was
founded in 2015 by Louis Ling. Our shows
encourage full community involvement and
offer a range of opportunities for performers,
both young and old, to participate in high
quality theatre. In the last 3 years, we have
produced over 13 musicals and plays in a
number of different venues in Cambridge
and we now perform to over 9000 people
each year. In 2018, Cambridge Theatre Trust
was formed, and we are proud to announce
that we were granted charitable status
in October 2018. This new phase in our
development will allow us to secure funding
in order to take us to the next level.
Cambridge Theatre Trust trading as Cambridge Theatre Company. Cambridge Theatre Trust is a registered charity in England & Wales (no 1180336).
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AUDITIONSSaturday 22 June
10am for 1st dance workshop or 1.30pm for
2nd dance workshop
Monday 24 June
7pm for 3rd dance workshop
Saturday 29 June
10am for 4th dance workshop or 1.30pm for
5th dance workshop
To request an audition slot, email us at
Mention your preferred audition session and
whether you wish to audition for a principal
or ensemble role.
AUDITION VENUE Audition venue to be confirmed in due course
FORMAT OF THE AUDITIONSThe auditions will start with an introduction
by the team. This will be followed by a
dance workshop led by Jo Rix and will last
no more than 30 minutes.
After that, in timed audition slots, there will
be individual singing and acting auditions
for all.
Please wear comfortable clothing for
the audition. If you have any questions
regarding the level of movement before
the audition please contact, Jo Rix, at
A full rehearsal schedule will be sent out
about 6 weeks before the first rehearsal. It’s
important to give us any dates for which
you will be unavailable. Please indicate
these on the audition form, which you’ll
hand in at your audition. This will assist us
with preparing the rehearsal schedule.
To request an audition slot, email us at
Mention your preferred audition session and
whether you wish to audition for a principal
or ensemble role.
CTC’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert
CTC’s Little Women
CTC’s West Side Story
CTC’s Peter Pan
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KEY DATESREHEARSAL SCHEDULETuesday and Friday rehearsals will run from 7:30pm to 10:00pm with some daytime
Sunday rehearsals from 11am-5pm in Cambridge.
September - 22*, 24, 27
October – 1, 4, 6*, 8, 11, 13*, 15, 18, 22, 25, 27*, 29
November – 1 ,3*, 5, 8, 10*, 12, 15, 17*, 19, 22, 24* 26, 29
December – 1*, 3, 6, 7**, 8*, 10, 13
*Sundays, 11am-5pm ** Saturday, 11am-5pm
Dates act a guide for now but subject to change
Sunday 22 September 11am-5pm, First Rehearsal
Sunday 17 November Grand Arcade Christmas Lights Switch On
Friday 13 December 7pm-11pm, Sitzprobe
Sunday 15 December 3pm-11pm, Technical Rehearsal
Monday 16 December 2pm call for those available TBC
Monday 16 December 6pm call for 7.30pm start, Dress Rehearsal
PERFORMANCES Tuesday 17 December 2019, 7.30pm performance
Wednesday 18 December 2019, 7.30pm performance
Thursday 19 December 2019, 2.30pm & 7.30pm performances
Friday 20 December 2019 – 7.30pm performance
Saturday 21 December 2019 – 1pm & 5.30pm performances
Sunday 22 December 2019 – 1pm performance
PRODUCTION FEE In Cambridge many groups charge a
production fee to assist with costs for
the production. This will be £47 for
Hairspray and you will be provided
with a show t-shirt.
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HAIRSPRAY CHARACTERS
PRINCIPALS (FEMALE)TRACY TURNBLAD Age: 16-25
Vocal range top: G5 Vocal range bottom: G3
Our story’s unsuspecting protagonist, she is large and in charge.
Confident, talented, and incredibly determined. A romantic with a
good heart and desire to cut up the dance floor. Always on top of
the latest trends.
PENNY PINGLETON Age: 16 to 25
Vocal range top: G5 Vocal range bottom: A3
Tracy’s best friend and dorky sidekick. Not the brightest girl, but she
has good intentions. Bursting to get free of her mother’s dominating
control, she falls for Seaweed with childlike curiosity.
AMBER VON TUSSLE Age: 16 to 25
Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: A3
Link’s girlfriend and Tracy’s nemesis. She is pretty, thin, shallow,
snobby, and racist. Can’t dance but is expected to win Miss
Baltimore Hairspray. Always feels the need to be the center of
attention.
LITTLE INEZ Age: 15+ Array
Seaweed’s charismatic and confident kid sister. Lots of attitude
and a great dancer who finds it frustrating that she can only
dance on Negro Day.
VELMA VON TUSSLE Age: 45 to 55
Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: G3
Amber’s mother and the director of Corny Collin’s show. She
is a devious taskmaster and snobby racist. The former Miss
Baltimore Crabs will go to any length to ensure her daughter is
the next big thing.
MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE Age: 40 to 55
Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: F3
Seaweed and Little Inez’s mother, she also appears as the Guest
DJ on the Corny Collin’s Negro Day show. Big, blonde, beautiful
and proud of it. She is sassy and confident.
Please note that the ages listed just serve as a guide but those wanting to audition must be aged 16 as the minimum requirement. We will
consider those auditioning for Little Inez to be aged 15 years old as the minimum requirement. All roles are available, and casting is open.
Newcomers to Cambridge Theatre Company are welcome and encouraged.
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PRINCIPALS (MALE)EDNA TURNBLAD Age: 35 to 60
Vocal range top: G5 Vocal range bottom: F3
Tracy’s big and blonde mother. She is a working housewife who has
lost her confidence and dream to be a plus-size clothing designer.
Boisterous and commanding. Played by a male in drag.
WILBUR TURNBLAD Age: 55 to 65
Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: A3
Tracy’s simpleminded and kind father. He owns a joke shop and
supports his daughter in spite of everything else. He also loves his
wife, Edna, very much.
LINK LARKIN Age: 16-25
Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: G3
The star heartthrob on Corny Collins’ show. He is extremely
attractive and talented. Hoping to get his big break with a recording
contract, he unexpectedly falls for Tracy.
CORNY COLLINS Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: D3
The charismatic host of the Corny Collins’ Show. Good looking and
smooth talking, he is a genuinely nice guy both on and off camera
SEAWEED J. STUBBS Age: 16 to 25
Vocal range top: D5 Vocal range bottom: F3
Tracy’s classmate and friend, who is discriminated against due to his
skin color. He is cocky but surprisingly lovable. Talented in song and
dance. He falls for Penny.
ENSEMBLE (MALE & FEMALE)PRUDY PINGLETON
CORNY COLLINS’ KIDS (Tammy, Brad, Brenda, Sketch, Shelley)
STUDENTS
HOOKERS
PROTESTORS
SECURITY GUARDS
MUSIC FOR SINGING AUDITIONSSheet music is available from
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5t7lpv01dfnxcfw/
AAB75cCgFU04Thx14okD04jua?dl=0
TRACY I Can Hear the Bells (start-b78), Without Love (b25-44)
PENNY Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now (all, singing all solo lines)
AMBER Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now (start-b49, singing all solo lines),
Cooties (all)
LINK It Takes Two (all), Without Love (start-b24)
SEAWEED Run And Tell That (all except middle section)
LITTLE INEZ Run And Tell That (middle section)
EDNA Welcome To The 60s (b130-end), Timeless To Me (all)
WILBUR Timeless To Me (all)
MOTORMOUTH I Know Where I’ve Been (all)
VELMA Velma’s Revenge (all)
CORNY Collins: Hairspray (all)
MALE & FEMALE ENSEMBLE Welcome To The 60s
From b147-end, learn either the ‘girls’ or ‘guy’ lines from the score. If you
want to pick a harmony line where it splits, great, otherwise just take the
melody line ‘girls’ or ‘guys’ lines from the score.
AND
Females: I Can Hear the Bells, start-b42
Males: Hairspray, start-b45
ACTING AUDITION PIECESTRACY TURNBLAD Tracy: (answering the phone) Hello? Yes, this is Tracy Turnblad.
Hello, Mr. Pinky.
Edna: (whispering) As in the Mr. Pinky?
Tracy: You want to hire me as your exclusive spokesgirl and
fashion effigy?
(To Edna)
What’s an effigy?
(Back on the phone)
That’s very flattering, but I’m afraid all business must go through
my agent… It would be our pleasure. We’ll be right over, Mr. Pinky.
Goodbye! (Hangs up the phone)
Mother, put that thing down. I’m taking my new agent to the Hefty
Hideaway and then out on the town! There’s a great big world out
there I know nothing about. When things get rough, a girl needs
her mother.
******
Tracy: Why do they have to be so mean? “You’re short, you’re
stout, you’re not Council material.” I wear the latest fashions, I
keep up with all the styles. I’m teasing my hair as high as I can!
Will they give me a chance? Encouragement? Appreciation? No,
all I ever hear is . . .
Detention! Is there no pity for a teen just trying to fit in?
PENNY PINGLETON Seaweed: Pssst! Penny!
Penny: Seaweed! Shh!! Don’t let my mother hear you.
Seaweed: What happened?
Penny: She’s punishing me for going to jail without her permission.
Seaweed: I’ve come to rescue the fair maiden from her tower.
Penny: Oh, Seaweed, you do care! I was worried I was just a lonely
teenager’s forbidden fantasy.
Seaweed: From the moment I saw you, I knew that even the
colours of our skin couldn’t keep us apart. (Starts to untie rope)
Penny: Hurry, Seaweed!
AMBER VON TUSSLE Amber: (grabbing the microphone) No, she can’t be Miss
Hairspray! She’s the before in the Metrecal diet ad, and I’m the
after, and afters always win!
Corny: Oh Amber! So, Tracy, tell us true, how would you like Link
Larkin to sing a song just for you?
Amber: (grabbing the microphone) No! He can’t because everyone
knows that whenever he sings, he’s singing to me. He’s completely
involved with me, see? You people are ignoring the laws of nature!
Mother!
LITTLE INEZ Little Inez: Are all rich people like that?
Motormouth: No hunny! It’s just how society has made some of
them!
Little Inez: But I practised so hard! Now I’ll never get a chance to
be on the show!
Amber: It’s wrong! It’s just so wrong!
Little Inez: Hand over that halo Amber
Amber: You’ll have to rip it from my cold dead hands.
VELMA VON TUSSLE Velma: Bang your drum, Bonzo. No one cares. Don’t get any more
cute ideas about protesting of even showing up at the special.
I’ll have armed guards surrounding the Eventorium to make sure
Tracy doesn’t get within 100 miles of that place. Game, set, match.
Guard: Ladies you are free to go, with sincere apologies of the
governor.
Velma: The governor? Really? Sweet, chubby Millard. We dated on
and off in college. Now, if you Doublewide Twins will excuse me, I
have a national TV spectacular to produce. So long, Balti-morons!
MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE
Motormouth: Hold it! Nobody ever said this was gonna be easy.
If something’s worth having, it’s worth fighting for. Tracy, why did
you start all this in the first place? Was it to dance on TV?
Tracy: No
Motormouth: Was it do you could get the boy?
Tracy: No, I almost lost him because of it. I just think it’s stupid we
can’t all dance together.
Motormouth: So you tried once and you failed. We can’t get lazy
when things get crazy. Children, you were not the first to try and
you won’t be the last, but I am here to tell you that I’m gonna keep
lining up until someday somebody breaks through. And I’ve been
looking at that door a lot longer than you.
Tracy: What door?
Motormouth: The front door.
EDNA TURNBLADEdna: (into the phone) Yes. Thank you so much!... I’m sure Tracy
appreciates your vote for Miss Teenage Hairspray. Yes! And she
loves you too. Very much. Whoever you are. Goodbye!
(The phone rings again.)
This is crazy.
(answering)
Hello? What am I wearing? A house coat, scuffies, and Supp-Hose.
What are you wearing? Hello? Hello?
(Puzzled, she hangs up.)
Tracy: (bursting in excitedly) mama did you see, did you see me?
Edna: Of course I did. It was on television. I had to. The phones
been ringing like we was a telethon. To think, The fruit of my
womb, a beloved TV icon.
Tracy: So you’re not mad?
Edna: Mad? How can I be mad? You’re famous! If he only told me
you was going to get on the show, I would never have said you
couldn’t. But sit… Tell me, is fame all you thought it would be? Are
you happy, honey?
Tracy: Yes mamma. And I think I’m in love.
Edna: I know I’ve been following. But you and I are going to
have to have a talk about crooners. You can learn a lot from the
mistakes of Miss Debbie Reynolds.
WILBUR TURNBLAD Wilbur: Tracy, this TV thing… You really want it?
Tracy: It’s my dream, Daddy.
(Pause)
Wilbur: Then you go for it! This is America, babe you gotta think
big to be big.
Edna: Being big is not the problem, Wilbur.
Wilbur: When I was your age my parents begged me to run
away with the circus, but I said, “No. That’s what you want. I
have dreams on my own.” I dreamt of opening a chain of joke
shops worldwide. So, okay, I’ve still only got one, but someday, if
I can figure out how to keep the air from leaking out of my sofa-
sized Whoopee Cushion, I’m going to make a noise heard round
the world! You follow your dream, baby. I’m grabbin’ an Orange
Crush and heading back down to the Har-De-Har Hut. I’ve got my
dream… And I wuv it!
LINK LARKIN Link: (pulling Tracy aside) Tracy, You can’t do this. You’re new to
the Council. You’ll be blackballed and thrown off the show for sure.
Tracy: That’s why we’re all doing it together.
Link: Not Me.
Tracy: You don’t think segregation is wrong?
Link: I like these people. But whether or not they’re on TV won’t
get me a recording contract.
(Realises this sounds too shallow)
That came out wrong. I’ve been singing and dancing and smiling
on that show for three years waiting for it to lead to my break.
You’ve got everything: brains, talent, personality. Me? I’ve got one
chance to get seen nationwide. Saturday night is everything I’ve
worked for. I’m not gonna throw it away. C’mon, I’m leaving and
you gotta too.
(He starts towards the door)
Tracy: No! I want to do this and so should you. It’s what’s right.
Stay, Link. Please stay.
Link: Sorry.
Tracy: But you and me together… I was just starting to think…
Link: Sure. Me too. But I don’t know. It’s getting too complicated.
And there’s still Amber.
See ya, little darlin’.
(He exits)
CORNY COLLINS Corny: Now don’t forget, guys and Gidgets – our very first prime-
time spectacular is coming up on June 6th. We’ll be live at
Baltimore’s brand-new Eventorium broadcasting nationwide!
Talent scouts will be on hand from all of the major record labels,
and sponsoring the event will be none other than our very own
Ultra Clutch Hairspray. So, let’s give a great big fawning Baltimore
salute to the President of Ultra Clutch, Harriman F. Spritzer.
SEAWEED STUBBS Tracy: Detention! Is there no pity for a teen just trying to fit in?
Seaweed: Maybe you oughtn’t try so hard?
Tracy: Excuse me. You get detention just about every time I do,
and I’ve never seen you complain.
Seaweed: Oh, but I do. This is my way of complaining.
(Seaweed turns on a small radio. Music starts and he does a soulful
little dance.)
It’s how I use my blues.
Tracy: Hey, that move’s swift.
Seaweed: The man can dine me on a diet of detention so long as
he don’t starve me of my tunes.
(Seaweed dances)
Here’s a little something-something signified to say, “Hello, my
names Seaweed J. Stubbs. What’s yours?”
Tracy: That’s unbelievable. Can I do that?
Seaweed: I don’t know. Can you?
(Tracy and Seaweed dance together.)
Tracy: Hello. My name is Tracy Turnblad.
Seaweed: Ain’t no black and white in here. Detention is a rainbow
experience
ENSEMBLE
Newscaster: Elsewhere in local news, teenage TV personality and
rabble rouser, Tracy Turnblad, has escaped from the Baltimore
Women’s House of Detention. Authorities believe she may have
been aided by the once promising, formerly wholesome teen
idol, Link Larkin. If sighted, citizens are asked to notify police
or, if phone service is not available, simply shoot to kill. In
entertainment news, Eva Marie is no saint…