Good morning, Baltimore!: 'Hairspray' makes Summer Lyric debut

Welcoming audiences to 1960s Baltimore, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University will continue to celebrate its golden anniversary season with the debut of Hairspray on the Dixon Hall stage. The show will premiere on Thursday, July 13, at 8 p.m.

“This is a contemporary musical that feels like a classic,” said Summer Lyric artistic director Michael McKelvey, who is directing the musical while drawing inspiration from the original 1988 John Waters film.

New Orleans native Kristin Collura will play the pivotal role of Tracy Turnblad, a pleasantly plump teenager whose dream of dancing on The Corny Collins Show leads her to fight for the integration of the show’s cast.

“It may take place in the 1960s, but its message is especially timely in our current cultural climate.”

— Michael McKelvey, artistic director of Summer Lyric Theatre

“She’s a girl who maybe does not fit in with the popular crowd but has her own identity. She has a freewheeling spirit and commitment to her convictions. Tracy is a strong female role model that fits in well with this season’s other iconic characters of Annie Oakley and Gypsy Rose Lee,” said McKelvey.

Choreographed by Jaune Buisson, Hairspray will additionally feature acclaimed local performers Sean Patterson and Bob Edes Jr. as Edna and Wilbur Turnblad. Frankie Thams, who made his Summer Lyric debut last year in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, will also play teen heartthrob Link Larkin.

“This show sends the right message about acceptance, equality and community that is important to me and should be important to everybody. It may take place in the 1960s, but its message is especially timely in our current cultural climate,” said McKelvey.

Tickets are available online.

Like this article? Keep reading: For golden season, Summer Lyric stages first-ever show