Hairspray, the Broadway musical based on the 1988 John Waters movie of the same name, became available for licensing in 2012 for the first time, meaning that high schools and middle schools from Poughkeepsie to Pacoima, and inbetween, put on productions of the show this year.
, a performing arts magnet in Sherman Oaks, put on their own exultant production of the show on campus in their Burrill Hall to standing-room-only audiences over three nights, from June 7 to 9.
Directed at Millikan by Stephanie Love, with musical direction by Leo "Legato" Krubsack and dance direction by Kimmy Weiss, it features famous songs like "Good Morning Baltimore," "Welcome to the 60s," and "You Can't Stop The Beat," all written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
The original 1988 film, written and directed by John Waters, had a lot of music in it but was not a musical, and starred Ricki Lake as the plump and exceedingly soulful Tracy Turnblad, and Divine as her mother Edna.
The Broadway musical version of Hairspray opened on August 15, 2002, with Marissa Janet Winokur as Tracy, Harvey Fierstein as Edna and Matthew Morrison, now of "Glee," as Link. It won seven Tony Awards.
In 2007, Hairspray the musical became a movie, directed by Adam Shankman and starring Nikki Blonsky in the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, with John Travolta taking over the gender-bending mother's role originally portrated by Divine.
Also in the cast of the movie musical was Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma, Christoper Walken as Tracy's father Wilbur Turnblad, Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, and Zac Efron as Link.
At Millikan there were two separate casts, so that more students had the opportunity to star in this show.
Ciara Edwards-Mendez ad Lily Jackson played the part of Tracy Turnblad. The role of her mother Edna, the Divine-Travolta part, was shared by Emme Lehmann Boddicker and Gabrielle Rochblatt.
Emily Rows Bews and Sandra Ragalie played Penny Pingleton, while Sabrina Ritz and Isa Briones played Velma.
Tracy's dad Wilbur was played by Dylan Borden-Nyznik and Sully Zack, and in the role of Corny Collins was Evan Sagadencky and Max Michael Paskowitz Murnik.
Liorah Goldsmith and Jordan Miller played the prison matron.
