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

auditions@camtheatrecompany.co.uk.

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

auditions@camtheatrecompany.co.uk

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

auditions@camtheatrecompany.co.uk.

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…