The Actor’s Charitable Theatre will perform “Hairspray” at the Bama Theatre this weekend.
Set in 1962, “Hairspray” is the story of a young girl who gets her dream of being on a local TV show despite her looks. She uses the spotlight to speak out on societal issues, mainly those of integration.
“It actually has a lot of messages in it,” said Joey Lay, president of the board for the Actor’s Charitable Theatre. “It takes those issues that did plague 1960 America and makes them accessible to a new generation.”
Lay also plays Edna Turnblad, a man in a dress, an example of the humor in the musical. His role is to make the audience believe he’s a woman, but to be a man at the same time.
The show premieres at 7:30 tonight and will show at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. The cost is $10 for students and children, $12 for seniors and $16 for adults.
There are about 54 people involved with the musical, some of whom are UA students.
Johnathon Lyons, the show’s music director and a junior studying early childhood development, said that “Hairspray” was the first musical he had ever seen and that it informed him of different cultures.
“It speaks a lot to me as an African-American,” he said. “The really interesting thing the audience will see is how this group of kids move toward the reality that they believe in.”
The show will last about two and a half hours with an intermission. One-third of the proceeds will benefit Tuscaloosa’s One Place, a family resource center.
“It’s a high-energy show,” Lay said. “I could talk about this show forever. I love it.”
Lay said this is the Alabama premier of the show as far as he knows, since the rights were released in June.
Brenda Lyons, who plays Cindy Watkins, said it has been a real challenge learning everything. She said she can relate to a lot of things in the musical and remembers the risks people took so many years ago. Those risks are the reason they have such a diverse cast today, she said.
Lyons was the first black cheerleader at the University of Alabama on the freshman cheerleading squad in 1972 and also cheered on the varsity squad going into her junior year.
“I think that [‘Hairspray’] is a snapshot of a time in our country’s history,” she said. “We’ve got to continue to try to move forward constantly. We cannot stand still as a society. We can’t accept limiting anyone’s rights.”
Rosie Webber, who plays Penny Pingleton, said it is fun for her to get up on stage and put her heart into it. She said she has wanted to be a part of “Hairspray” since she saw it in theaters.
“It’s a big show about acceptance,” Webber said. “It’s about true love and that love can see beyond colors and weight, and it is about accepting one another for what we are and going about our lives as one and not segregated.”
Katie Hicks, stage manager for “Hairspray,” said it is one of her favorite shows.
“There’s so much you can take from this [show],” Hicks said. “Love knows no color. Love is red; it isn’t black and white.”
“I think it was very courageous of the ACT to put this play on in Tuscaloosa,” Brenda Lyons said. “I think the members of the younger generation are interested in looking forward and moving forward and that’s what I think this shows, that all of the cast members are ready to tell this story.”
There will be a silent auction tonight at 5 p.m., before the show begins. Items being auctioned include a tour of Bryant-Denny Stadium, two rings from Hudson-Poole jewelers, Tuscaloosa baskets, memorabilia from the show, teeth whitening and much more.
To find out more information about the ACT you can visit their website at theactonline.com.
