Hairspray to Be Staged At Simsbury High School

From Simsbury High School: SIMSBURY, CT — Simsbury High School students will present Hairspray the next two Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Jan. 31 through Feb. 9 in the school auditorium at 34 Farms Village Road.

Audiences meet and inevitably come to love Tracy Turnblad, an optimistic, heavy set teenage girl who loves dancing and her best friend, Penny Lou Pingleton, who is sweet, if sheltered, and maybe just a tiny bit ditsy. It’s 1962 and Tracy and Penny pine to be part of the “nicest kids in town” who make up the teenage cast of The Corny Collins Show, a local teen dance television show. Tracy is unstoppably determined to secure a role on the show despite not looking like the other cast members. She’s smitten with the show’s heartthrob, Link Larkin and undeterred by the fact that Link is boyfriend to the show’s femme fatale, Amber von Tussle, who DOES tick all of the boxes for a “traditional” Corny Collins Show lead dancer. Amber’s cut-throat mother, Velma, manager of the TV station on which the show appears, ensures Amber is prominently featured on the show but only allows African-American dancers on the show once a month, on "Negro Day.”

The Corny Collins Show cast member mold is smashed one day when Tracy auditions for the show and unexpectedly meets and befriends the "Negro Day" cast members. One such member, named Seaweed, teaches Tracy some dance moves, which garner Corny Collins’ attention and he chooses her to join the show, much to Amber’s and her mother’s consternation. Tracy introduces Seaweed to Penny and, well....all things predictable and “traditional” come to a messy, but glorious, end.

You’ll leave humming and tapping to the memorable musical numbers including “Good Morning Baltimore,” “Welcome to the 60s,” “Without Love,” and the show-stopper, “You Can’t Stop The Beat.”

Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday performances at 2 p.m. The snow date for the first weekend’s performances is Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., and for the second weekend’s performances, the snow date is Monday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for senior citizens and students. Also available are tickets for “half pints at half price” - $6 tickets for children 6 and under. Online reserved seating is available for purchase at Simsbury.tix.com or through the link for the Winter Musical on the Simsbury High School home webpage. Tickets also will be sold at the box office starting 45 minutes prior to show times; those tickets will be available on a first-come first-served basis. Those in need of assistance can call 860-658-0451, ext. 991 and leave a message.