Tony award-winning musical ‘Hairspray’ coming to Columbia Theatre Feb. 10

Michelle Dowdy, left, and John McConnell

Contact: Tonya Lowentritt

1/25/12


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YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT “Hairspray,” winner of eight Tony Awards, is coming to Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts Friday, Feb. 10. Presented by the Jefferson Performing Arts Society and starring Louisiana’s own John “Spud” McConnell as Edna and Broadway performer Michelle Dowdy as Tracy, the production is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the downtown Hammond theatre.

     HAMMOND “Hairspray,” winner of eight Tony® Awards and one of the most popular and engaging musicals over the past decade, is coming to Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts for one show only on Friday, Feb. 10.
     Presented by the Jefferson Performing Arts Society (JPAS), the production begins at 7:30 p.m. in the downtown Hammond theatre and stars Louisiana’s own John “Spud” McConnell of WWL radio as Edna, the role played by John Travolta in the movie “Hairspray,” and Broadway performer Michelle Dowdy as Tracy.
     Columbia Theatre Interim Director C. Roy Blackwood is excited about the performance.
     “Art frequently mimics life, and ‘Hairspray’ is no exception with over 2,600 Broadway and many hundreds of other performances around the world. Saccharin without promoting tooth decay, ‘Hairspray’ addresses significant social issues such as race relations and obesity without being heavy-handed or pedantic,” Blackwood said. “It is light with fabulous musical scores and wigs wild enough to promote social unrest. Pop and R&B are translated into the big, bouncy rhythms that Broadway demands. It is delightful entertainment.”
     “Hairspray” portrays Baltimore’s lovable plus-size teenager Tracy Turnblad and her passion for life and dancing in 1962, Blackwood explained. She wins a spot on a local TV dance program, which transforms her from an outsider to an instant teen celebrity. Can a larger-than-life adolescent manage to vanquish the program’s reigning princess, integrate the television show and find true love without mussing her hair?
     Tickets range from $30 - $36 and are available at the Columbia Theatre box office on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. 4 p.m. or by phone at (985) 543-4371. Patrons may also get tickets online at www.columbiatheatre.org.
     The Southeastern Alumni Association is also offering a catered dinner in the Columbia Theatre Conference Center plus a show ticket for $50. The dinner starts at 6 p.m. For more information, contact the Alumni Association at 985-549-2150.

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