PACKEMIN PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS ...
Hairspray
Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
( Riverside Theatre )
26 July - 10 August 2013
It’s 1962, the ’50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion – to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance programme, ‘The Corny Collins Show’ and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the programme’s reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her ‘do?
HAIRSPRAY starred Australian entertainment legend JON ENGLISH in the role of Edna Turnblad. Jon has starred in musicals, drama and comedy, released 15 albums, written musicals and scores for film and television, as well as touring internationally with his band. His career highlights include playing Judas in the original production of Jesus Christ Superstar, his Logie Award-winning performance as Jonathon Garret in the television mini-series Against the Wind (for which he also wrote and performed the series theme song, ‘Six Ribbons’), playing Pirate King in the Pirates Of Penzance, and the lead role of Bobby Rovers in the hit television comedy series Altogether Now.
The show also saw Helpmann Award nominated performer WAYNE SCOTT KERMOND (Singin’ In The Rain, Hot Shoe Shuffle) return to Packemin in the role of Wilbur Turnblad following his starring role as Fagin in Oliver! CLE MORGAN (Hairspray, Australian Idol) reprised her performance as Motormouth Maybelle from the recent national tour of HAIRSPRAY, and we are thrilled to introduce talented newcomer JESSICA ROOKEWARD as the loveable Tracy Turnblad.
Winning over 30 major awards worldwide and acclaimed as ‘the musical with everything’, the whole family will love HAIRSPRAY.
Book by Mark O’Donnell, Thomas Meehan | Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman, Marc Shaiman
Based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters
Orchestrations by Harold Wheeler
Arrangements by Marc Shaiman
By arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd, Exclusive agent for Music Theatre International (NY)
Production Team
| Director |
Neil Gooding |
| Musical Director |
Peter Hayward |
| Choreographer |
Camilla Jakimowicz |
| Set Designer |
Simon Greer |
| Costume Designer |
Cassandra Pascoli |
| Lighting Designer |
Sean Clarke |
| Sound Designer |
Simon Koenig |
| Technical Director |
Neil Shotter |
| Assistant Director |
Jordan Vassallo |
| Assistant Choreographer |
Kristina McNamara & Katrina Gooding |
| Publicist |
Monique Kowalczyk |
Starring
| Jon English |
as Edna Turnblad |
| Wayne Scott Kermond |
as Wilbur Turnblad |
| Cle Morgan |
as Motormouth Maybelle |
Full Cast List
| Edna Turnblad |
Jon English |
| Tracy Turnblad |
Jessica Rookeward |
| Wilbur Turnblad |
Wayne Scott Kermond |
| Corny Collins |
Kyle Sapsford |
| Penny Pingleton |
Mikayla Williams |
| Velma Von Tussle |
Michele Lansdowne |
| Amber Von Tussle |
Alyssa Wilkins |
| Link Larkin |
Christopher Glynn |
| Seaweed J. Stubbs |
Atunaisa Lasalosi |
| Little Inez |
Ayanda Dladla |
| Motormouth Maybelle |
Cle Morgan |
| Prudy Pingleton |
Zoe Tidemann |
| The Dynamites |
Sarah Abouhamad |
| The Dynamites |
Natarsha Dladla |
| The Dynamites |
Hannah Maurice |
| Edna Turnblad Understudy |
Mark Power |
| Tracy Turnblad Understudy |
Amy Neville |
| Wilbur Turnblad Understudy |
Jordan Vassallo |
| Motormouth Understudy |
Melissa Roberts |
| Harriman F. Spritzer |
Andrew Davis |
| The Principal |
Andrew Lindsay |
Council Members
Kelsi Boyden, Maddison Burton, Erin Carlton, Danielle Carter, Corey Dohmen, Paul Duncan, Stephanie Edmonds, Bayley Edwards, Bradley Gavin, Daniel Milne, Daniel O’Connell, Jim Pini, Tayla Reynolds, Bradley Roe, Chloe Rosenberg, Thomas Stevenson, Megan Walshe
Ensemble
Karen Astill, Tamara Bailey, Sam Baker, Jessica Bale, Will Bhatnagar, Alessandra Bizzanelli, Ebony Black, Jacqueline Bramwell, Maree Calabria, Carla Cameron, Sophy Carol, Megan Carolus, Doron Chester, Angus Crutcher, Susana Downes, Laura Farran, Warren Flanagan, Stephanie Gray, Eliza Grundy, Emma Hansen, Lauren Hollingworth, Sam Holmes, Karen Hooker, Jacky James,Teneesha Lambert, Kira Leiva, Joseph Magawa, Rebecca Mann, JaymeJo Massoud, Mandela Mathia, Amy Neville, Kara Passfield, Michael Paton, Michael Payer, Taylah Piercy, Melissa Roberts, Connor Ross, Justin Rynne, Anthony Severino, Kate Spice, Jordan Vassallo, Brendan Xavier, Mirrae Youssef
Reviews
"It moves at a cracking pace and the musical numbers are bursting with life, with choreography that fills the stage and excites with its raw energy. Led by Jessica Rookeward as Tracy – who is astonishingly only sixteen and already a force of nature on stage – she is raucous, relentlessly positive, and a little ribald, and it really works." - Aussie Theatre
"The adults are probably having the most fun on stage. Jon English is headlining the show as legendary drag role Edna Turnblad, Tracy's mother, and in his scene work he reminds us all why he's so adored: he's so funny. He's a fussy, believable mother, and while he stumbled over his lines a couple of times, he worked as fast on his feet as ever, and won the audience right back (if he had indeed lost them in the first place, which is debatable)" - Aussie Theatre
"Neil Gooding has, once again, delivered a show with exactly the tone and feel required for its performance and audience alike to have a thoroughly enjoyable experience." - Aussie Theatre
