Hairspray Plays Patchogue Theatre

For the next week, Hairspray, the Broadway musical adaptation of John Waters's iconic 1988 movie, is playing at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts.

American Idol alum Todrick Hall, who has been recently interviewed by Patchogue Patch, is featured playing the role of Seaweed J. Stubbs. The character is a very active role which showcases Hall's dancing and singing abilities.

The musical, presented by Bellport's Gateway Playhouse, takes place in 1962 in Baltimore at a time when equal rights and segregation weighed heavy on American culture. Tracy Turnblad (Brooke Shapiro) is an overweight teenage girl who dreams of dancing on the Corny Collins television program, but also as the story develops of ending the segregation ideas that keep blacks and whites apart.

Fran Jaye (Motormouth Maybelle) gives a memorable performance of "Big, Blonde & Beautiful", which showcases powerful vocals while conveying lyrics that tackle both racism and sizeism.

Hairspray will play at the Patchogue Theatre until July 31. The next production at the theater, also put on by Gateway Playhouse, will be Hello Dolly, and will run from August 4 to August 22. Tickets can be purchased at www.gatewayplayhouse.com.