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Can't Stop the Beat: Las Vegas Hairspray Opens Feb. 15
By Kenneth Jones
15 Feb 2006
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From Left: Harvey Fierstein and Dick Latessa in the Las Vegas production of Hairspray.
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| photo by Paul Kolnik | The new Las Vegas production of Broadway's Tony Award-winning musical Hairspray slightly trimmed at the bangs, but with its Tony Award-winning stars in place opens Feb. 15 following previews since Feb. 6 at the Luxor.
Joining Harvey Fierstein and Dick Latessa, who recreate their Tony Award-winning performances as Edna and Wilbur Turnblad, are Katrina Rose Dideriksen as Tracy Turnblad, Austin Miller as Link Larkin, Kevin Spirtas as Corny Collins, Terry Lavell as Seaweed, Fran Jaye as Motormouth Maybelle, Chandra Lee Schwartz as Penny Pingleton, Katharine Leonard as Amber Von Tussle, Susan Anton as Velma Von Tussle, Ed Romanoff as Male Authority Figure (and the understudy for Wilbur and Edna), Susan Mosher as Female Authority Figure, Carla Duren as Inez, Tara Siesener as the Tracy standby, Dale Hensley as the Edna, Wilbur, Male Authority Figure standby, with Jacqueline B. Arnold, Bradley Benjamin,
Dwayne Cooper, Wes Coulter, Nick Dalton, Marcie Dodd, Gabrielle Hatchett, Van Hughes, Michael E. Lee, Lori Eve Marinacci, Kamilah Martin, Nraca, Paige Pardy, Noah Rivera, Robbie Roby, Travis Robertson, Hollis Scarborough,
Jamison Scott, Megan Selensky, Leonard Sullivan and Kara-Tameika Watkins.
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Fierstein and Latessa are scheduled to play the first 12 weeks of the production, which is a streamlined, intermissionless 90-minute version of daffy yet socially-conscious musical comedy based on the John Waters film. It has been reinvented for Luxor Las Vegas by the show's original Broadway creative team of director Jack O'Brien, choreographer Jerry Mitchell, songwriters Marc Shaiman (composer and co-lyricist) and Scott Wittman (co-lyricist) and librettists Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell.
"Miss Baltimore Crabs," a beguine-like number for Velma, has been cut for the Las Vegas run. The role is now a non-singing part (despite Susan Anton's past history as a singer in musicals and club acts).
Hairspray's regular performance schedule begins on Feb. 17 with shows Thursday through Tuesday at 7 PM and additional shows at 10 PM on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. That makes for 10 performances a week. Fierstein and Latessa are scheduled to play all performances, a spokesperson said.
The 2002 Broadway show won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Musical.
Set in 1962 Baltimore, Hairspray follows the hopes of chubby teen Tracy Turnbald as she strives to break barriers and become a dancer on TV's "Corny Collins Show." She helps pave the way for racial integration of the dance program, much to the shock of adults including zaftig mama Edna in town. She might also land the coolest guy in school as her boyfriend.
Hairspray, still going strong at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre, also won Tonys in the categories of Best Book, Best Score and Best Director, and a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
The Broadway design team also reunites for the show: Kenneth Posner (lighting), Steve Kennedy (sound), Paul Huntley (wigs and hair), William Ivey Long (costumes), David Rockwell (scenic).
Music supervisor is Lon Hoyt.
Hairspray is being produced in Las Vegas by Michael Gill & Myron Martin. The executive producers are Elayne Herrick, John Halle, Mike Tricarichi, Pat Caddick and Neil Miller. The associate producer is David Caldwell.
"Were delighted to bring this award-winning production to Luxor Las Vegas," said Felix Rappaport, President and COO of Luxor. "We know our guests will delight in this brilliant, high-energy show that has been one of the most talked-about musical productions in years."
"To get Harvey and Dick together to open Hairspray at the Luxor is great for our production, great for Las Vegas and a rare treat for fans who never got the chance to see them when they performed together in New York," said co-producer Michael Gill.
Tickets for preview performances are $50 plus tax and handling fees.
Tickets for regular performances are $85 for the main floor and $65 for the mezzanine, plus tax and handling fees.
Performances, beginning Feb. 17, play Thursday through Tuesday at 7 PM with additional shows at 10 PM on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
For ticket information, call (800) 557-7428 or (702) 262-4444 or visit www.luxor.com. For group sales, call (702) 262-4525.
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