NAPERVILLE  – BrightSide Theatre, Naperville’s only professional theatre performing in the historic downtown district, wraps up their 7^th Season –  Cinema on Stage – with the big, fat and Tony Award winning Broadway musical Hairspray the Broadway Musical. Performing at the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth Street in Naperville June 8-24, 2018. Tickets are on sale now at www.brightsidetheatre.com, or by phone at 630-447-TIXS (8497). The press performance is Friday, June 8 at 8pm.

A talented ensemble of actors make up the Cast of Hairspray the Broadway Musical:

Michelle Bolliger, Jeffrey Cass, Melissa Crabtree, Charlet Dupar, Joey Fatigante, Logan Friese, Sara Haverty, Kennedy Hayes, James Heatherly, Tony Lage, Rich Adrian Lazatin, Paige C. Matteson, Qiana C. McNary, Connor Murray, Jenna Payne, Ben Paynic, Deshaun Peters, Karla A. Rennhofer, John Salomone, Levi Skoog, Shaina Summerville, Cydney Washington, Emma Widloski, Andreece Williams, Sean Michael Williams, and Katie Zarletti

Our final production of our season of celebrating stories that have been adapted to the stage from the cinema has had a long journey starting out as a cult film, adapted to the stage as the Broadway Musical, then to a Major Motion Picture and then presented in its stage version live on NBC now finds itself on our stage.  The 1950s are out, and change is in the air! Based on the 1988 John Waters film and then inspiring a return to the big screen in 2007 Hairspray, a winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, is a family-friendly musical, piled bouffant-high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs. It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable, pleasantly-plump teen, Tracy Turnblad, has only one desire – to dance on the popular “Corny Collins Show.” When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. Can she use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob, Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network… all without denting her hairdo?

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Hairspray the Broadway Musical

Book:  Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan

Music: Marc Shaiman

Lyrics: Scott Whittman and Marc Shaiman

Based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters

Director: Jeffrey Cass and Barry R. Norton

Chorographer:  Jeni Donahue

Musical Director: Sarah Giordano

 Cast: Paige C. Matteson (Tracy Turnblad), Jeffrey Cass (Edna Turnblad), James Heatherly (Wilbur Turnblad), Qiana C. McNarry (Motormouth Maybelle), Melissa Crabtree (Velma Van Tussle), John Salomone (Corny Collins), Levi Skoog (Link), Deshaun Peters (Seaweed), Shaina Summerville (Penny), Michelle Bolliger (Amber), Cydney Washington (Little Inez), Tony Lage (Male Authority), Karla A. Rennhofer (Female Authority) with Charlet Dupar, Joey Fatigante, Logan Friese, Sara Haverty, Kennedy Hayes, Rich Adrian Lazatin, Connor Murray, Jenna Payne, Ben Paynic, Emma Widloski, Andreece Williams, Sean Michael Williams and Katie Zarletti

Location: Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College, 31 S. Ellsworth Street, Naperville. IL 60540

Dates: June 8-24, 2018

Press Performance/Opening: Friday, June 8 at 8pm

Curtain Times: Fridays at 8pm, **Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm & Sundays at 3pm ***Saturday matinees at 3 pm are Newly Added Performances!!**

Tickets: $30 Discounts: Students/Seniors $25. Groups 10+ /$23. Tickets are on sale now at www.brightsidetheatre.com, by phone 630-447-TIXS (8497) or the night of the performance at the box office at the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College.

About the Creative Team

Mark O’Donnell (Book) plays include That’s It, Folks!, Fables for Friends, and The Nice and the Nasty (all produced at Playwrights Horizons), and Strangers on Earth and Vertigo Park (both produced by Zena Group Theatre). He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Tots in Tinseltown. Mr. O’Donnell collaborated with Bill Irwin on an adaptation of Moliere’s Scapin and he co-authored a translation of Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear, both for the Roundabout. For Manhattan Theatre Club he translated Jean Claude Carriere’s La Terrasse. He has published two collections of comic stories Elementary Education and Vertigo Park and Other Tall Tales (both Knopf) as well as two recent novels Getting Over Homer and Let Nothing You Dismay (both now in Vintage paperback). His humor, cartoons, and poetry have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Spy, The New Republic, and Esquire, among many others. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Lecomte du Nuoy Prize, and the George S. Kaufman Award.

Thomas Meehan (Book) received the Tony Award for co-writing the book for The Producers in 2001 and in 2003 for co-writing the book for Hairspray. He received his first Tony Award in 1977 for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and has written the books for the musicals Rocky, Elf the Musical, Cry-Baby, Young Frankenstein, Chaplin, Bombay Dreams, I Remember Mama, Ain’t Broadway Grand and Annie Warbucks. In addition, he was a long-time contributor of humor to The New Yorker, an Emmy-Award winning writer of television comedy, and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs and To Be Or Not To Be. Mr. Meehan was also a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild. He and his wife, Carolyn, divided their time between a home in Nantucket and an apartment in Greenwich Village, near which, on Hudson Street, she owned and presided over the long-running and near-legendary children’s store Peanut Butter & Jane.

Marc Shaiman (Music/Lyrics) has been writing music, lyrics, arrangements, orchestrations and very lengthy Emails since entering show business at the age of 16, at LaMama, in 1976.  He has won a Tony (for co-writing the score to Hairspray with co-lyricist Scott Wittman), a Grammy (also for Hairspray), an Emmy (for his work on Billy Crystal’s Oscar appearances) and if he hadn’t lost each of his five Oscar nominations (for Sleepless In Seattle, Patch Adams, The First Wives Club, The American President and South Park-Bigger, Longer & Uncut), he could boast of being an EGOT. Till then, he remains a EGT.

He has also been nominated for other Tonys, Emmys and Grammys. Many in fact, but lost all of those also.  Other film work includes Beaches, When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, The Addams Family, A Few Good Men, Sister Act, Hocus Pocus, The Bucket List and Parental Guidance to name a few. Millions of more titles are available upon request.  Other theatrical ventures include Patti LuPone On Broadway, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, the Tony winning musical Catch Me If You Can and on London’s West End, the current record-breaking, Olivier Award winning musical version of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.  His television ventures are varied and many: The Sweeney Sisters on SNL, countless award shows with Mr. Crystal, Neil Patrick Harris, Jack Black and Will Ferrell, Jenifer Lewis’ Jackie’s Back as well as Smash, but his fondest is his collaboration with Bette Midler for Johnny Carson’s penultimate show.  He has co-produced recordings for Miss Midler, Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey, among many others. And he is quite fond of his online opus Prop 8-The Musical.

Currently, he and Mr. Wittman just finished writing songs for a film continuation of the Mary Poppins stories for Disney and Rob Marshall, for which they are over the moon with happiness. He is also overjoyed to report that two years ago he stopped reading online chat boards, and his life and well-being have improved drastically! He suggests you do the same.

Scott Wittman (Lyrics) Olivier Award winning musical Hairspray, for which the pair received Tony and Grammy Awards. He also served as an executive producer on the hit film starring John Travolta. Mr. Whittman teamed up again with Mr. Shaiman on Broadway for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, which he also directed, and Catch Me If You Can, which received a Tony nomination for Best Musical. For their original songs on NBC’s musical drama Smash, Scott & Marc were nominated for two Emmy Awards, a Grammy and a Golden Globe. On Smash they have composed songs for Jennifer Hudson, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters, and Liza Minnelli. Their original score for the Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell was released on Sony Records. Scott co-wrote the lyrics to Charlie and Chocolate Factory directed by Sam Mendes. For Patti LuPone, Scott has created and directed two Broadway shows, three recordings and three sold-out Carnegie Hall concerts. At La Mama, Scott conceived and directed Jukebox Jackie starring Justin Vivian Bond, Cole Escola, Steel Burkhardt and Bridget Everett. He is most recently collaborated on Disney’s sequel to Mary Poppins for director Rob Marshall.

John Waters one of the founders of the independent film movement, transformed cinema with a radical sensibility that gave us Pink Flamingos, the screen gimmick Odorama, the immortal Divine, the phenomenon of midnight movies and Baltimore, Maryland, as a film capital.  As America’s trash-auteur, author, social critic, debonair lover of the lurid and provocateur, he has rejoiced in shocking and charming audiences throughout the world.  Mr. Waters is writer/director of A Dirty Shame (2004), Cecil B. Demented (2000), Pecker (1998), Serial Mom (1994), Cry-Baby (1990), Hairspray (1988), Polyester (1981), Desperate Living (1977), Female Trouble (1974), Pink Flamingos (1972), Multiple Maniacs (1970) and Mondo Trasho (1969).  Books include Hairspray, Female Trouble, Multiple Maniacs, Shock Value, Trash Trio, Director’s Cut, Art: A Sex Book (co-authored with Bruce Hainley), Role Models and Carsick: John Water’s Hitchhikes Across America.

Jeffrey Cass (Co-Director/Artistic Director) a Joseph Jefferson Award Nominee most recently directed BightSide Theatre’s: The Bridges of Madison County, Guys and Dolls, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Sound of Music, It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play, Cabaret, RENT, Company, BrightSide Theatre’s inaugural production – Run For Your Wife and also and for the BrightSide Theatre’s Youth Project inaugural production of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, Jr., Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr., Disney’s Aladdin, Jr., Legally Blonde the Musical Jr.,  and Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.  He holds a B.F.A. in Musical Theater Performance from Roosevelt University where he also studied lighting design and stage management. He previously served as the Producing Director for Circle Theatre where he directed The Who’s Tommy (6 Joseph Jefferson Nominations including Best Musical and Best Director) Neil LaBute’s Bash and The Distance From Here (Midwest Premier), Burning Blue (Midwest Premier), Crazy for You, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Urinetown, Peter Pan and for their New Plays Festivals.

Barry Norton (Co-director) holds a B.A. in Directing/Musical Theatre from Columbia College where he studied under the late Sheldon Patinkin and the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble.  Barry has over 25 years of Theatre experience both directing and on stage. He previously held a position as Artistic Director/ Board Member for The Woodstock Musical Theatre Company/ The Woodstock Opera House. Some of his directing credits include Joseph…Dreamcoat, Oliver (Broadway World nomination for Best Director), Annie, Crazy for You, Always Patsy Cline, Oklahoma, Bye, Bye Birdie, The Wiz, Hello, Dolly!, The King and I, Cinderella, The Outsiders, and Seussical.

 Jeni Donahue (Choreographer)  is a professional choreographer from Joliet who earned her degree in Dance & Vocal performance from Columbia College and has been choreographing professionally for over 25 years.  She has worked with all age levels and abilities and has been heavily involved in every aspect of dance.   Jeni is a sought after clinician, adjudicator and guest speaker at competitions and events throughout the United States.   Jeni was honored to choreograph the Illinois All State productions of Ragtime (2005), Urinetown (2010) Into the Woods (2011).  Past BrightSide choreography credits include:  Cabaret, Aladdin Jr, Sound of Music, Legally Blonde Jr, Spamalot, Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls and High School Musical Jr.

Sarah Giordano (Music/Vocal Director) earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Master’s Degree in Choral Music Education from VanderCook College of Music. She teaches general music, directs the choirs and the musical at Jackson Middle School in Villa Park and she serves as an adjunct professor of graduate studies at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. Sarah consistently serves as a choral clinician, adjudicator, and music director. Recent BrightSide Theatre credits include Monty Python’s Spamalot, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie JR and High School Musical JR (BrightSide Youth Project), and Guys and Dolls.

BrightSide Theatre (Jeffrey Cass, Artistic Director and Julie Ann Kornak, Executive Director) celebrates our 7th season as Naperville’s only professional theatre performing in the historic downtown district. BrightSide Theatre is committed to Enlighten, Educate, and Entertain through comedies and inspirational stories from across the globe. BrightSide’s shows are selected to be a unique blend of award-winners, premieres, modern works and timeless classics meant to reflect upon and inform our community. BrightSide Theatre is partially supported and funded by a generous grant from the City of Naperville. For more information on BrightSide Theatre, please visit www.brightsidetheatre.com.

This production is sponsored in part by Round Hill Wealth Management, SECA Grant, Cue Camp and The Dolly McCarthy Show.