When we set out to stage Hairspray, we knew we weren’t just telling a fun, high energy story – we were taking on a show with a powerful message about acceptance, equity and the fight for inclusion. At its heart, Hairspray is about challenging unjust systems, lifting marginalized voices and celebrating the beauty of diversity. Inclusivity is not a subplot of the musical – it is the plot.
Every character – from Tracy and Edna to Seaweed and Motormouth – challenges societal norms and broadens the idea of who gets to be seen, heard and celebrated.
In our production we’ve worked intentionally to honor the show’s roots in the civil rights movement, acknowledging its historical significance without flattening it into a past-tense issue. The questions Hairspray raises remain just as urgent today.
We have cast inclusively and authentically, reflecting both the script’s requirements and the diverse world we live in. Representation matters – onstage and off.
We have highlighted themes of joy, resilience and collective action, especially through music and dance, which in Hairspray are acts of resistance as much as entertainment. The Dance styles chosen to reflect the characters of Tracy’s Baltimore shift and grow throughout the show, reflecting the changed mindsets of our characters as they work to better understand the shifting world in which they live.
We have purposely worked to have the props and costumes reflect Baltimore in the early 60s. Magazine covers, electronics, and products that are seen onstage are true to the time. Costumes are designed to reflect the changing styles of the early 1960s: pastel colors, crinolines and flared skirts, while still popular, are giving way to the iconic shift dresses, floral patterns, and vivid colors that became the visual anchor of the 1960s. We use this shift in color to demonstrate the integration of Baltimore in 1962, with the pastel palette of the Council Kids darkening to reflect the more vivid palette of the Black cast as they learn and take on the dance styles of an integrated Corny Collins Show.
While Hairspray may be set in 1962, its spirit is timeless. It reminds us that real change happens when ordinary people – young people – refuse to accept exclusion and instead choose love, courage and solidarity.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating a show that dares to believe that everyone – regardless of race, size, gender, or background – deserves a place in the spotlight.
Let’s dance together toward a more inclusive future.
The Hairspray Directors
