Southern Arkansas University Theatre is set to perform “Hairspray” at Harton Theatre from April 19-22.
Students from this area who are involved include the following:
Rachel Faulkner, of Umpire, is a senior Performing Arts: Musical Theatre major. She plays “Prudy Pingleton” in the show.
Kayla Ashbrooks, of Murfreesboro, is a junior Performing Arts: Musical Theatre major. She is an understudy for “Penny” and “Amber” in the show.
On April 19-20, the show will begin at 7 p.m. The Saturday night show will start at 7:30 p.m. The final showing on April 22 will be a matinee at 2 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the door, online at www.showtix4u.com, or by calling (870) 235-4263. General admission tickets are $15; $10 for SAU faculty and staff; $8 for students and $5 for children 12 and under.
The performance on Saturday, April 21, will be followed by an actor talk-back.
The musical, written by Thomas Meehan and Mark O’Donnell, is based on the film directed by John Waters. Set in 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, the story follows quirky, plus-sized teenager Tracy Turnblad, whose dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show. When she gets put in detention with the African-American students in the school, they teach her some of their dance moves and she achieves overnight fame by finally appearing on Corny’s show. She uses her star status to help lift up those who got her there by campaigning for the show’s integration.
The play features SAU Theatre students Darby Taylor (Tracy Turnblad), Joey Kaar (Edna Turnblad), Bodee Starr (Wilbur Turnblad), Brandon Wallace (Corny Collins), Zaneta Kitchens (Motormouth Maybelle Stubbs) and Willie Johnson (Seaweed J. Stubbs). It is directed by Cason Murphy, theatre director, under the musical direction of David De Seguirant, associate professor of music.