Columbus State University presents 'Hairspray'

The Department of Theatre at Columbus State University opens Hairspray this week as a part of their summer theater season. The musical is presented in conjunction with the new Georgia Repertory Theatre Summer Music Festival, in addition to being part of CSU’s Summer Series.

“Hairspray” originally opened on Broadway in 2003 and claimed eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show tackles the period of American history leading up to integration, and racial themes play a large part in the plot. The songs are directly based on musical styles of the 1960s, with dance having a major influence throughout the entire show.

“Hairspray” is set in Baltimore where the protagonist, Tracy Turnblad, struggles to achieve her dream of dancing on the Corny Collins Show. Her journey to landing a spotlight on the show is riddled with the social conflicts and pressures of the ’60s. Although there are some mature themes present in the subtext of the show, it is considered to be a family-friendly musical suitable for a wide audience.

CSU has chosen Brenda Ito as the director for this production.

“This cast of 33 are some of the most energetic and talented actors, singers and dancers that I’ve worked with,” said Ito, who has degrees in both dance and children’s theatre and has been a professor at CSU for more than 10 years. “There’s a combination of current students, alumni, professional actors — and all from a variety of backgrounds.”

Madison Stepnowski plays the lead in the show, Tracy Turnblad. Stepnowski has been challenged by the role. “With Tracy, she gets everything she wants, so my challenge was finding where she changes, and if the whole purpose really was to integrate,” Stepnowski said. “Was that the purpose from the beginning?”

Jonathan LeGallis plays Tracy’s love interest, Link. He said the show is full of challenging truths for both the actors and the audience, and that the cast is seeing this already in rehearsals. “This show has got such a beautiful message of unity and acceptance,” he said. “You can feel that even during the rehearsal process. Everyone wants everyone to succeed. “

Stepnowski agreed. “The best thing about being in this show,” she said, “is being able to convey the message of loving everybody, despite differences and backgrounds.”

Ito believes “Hairspray” will hit home with viewers. “Even though this show is set in 1962, our nation still faces the challenges of our differences,” she said. “Themes of acceptance and bullying are still prevalent in our society today. Hopefully, audiences will not only enjoy the entertainment of this show but will walk away with the true message that this show brings.”

This story was originally published June 3, 2017 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Columbus State University presents 'Hairspray'."