‘Hairspray’ gives volume to local theatre scene

Company Carolina can’t stop the beat.

Tonight, it will premiere “Hairspray” at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro.

“We’ve had just six weeks to put together this massive production, and usually a show of this caliber would have upwards of eight weeks,” said first-year stage manager Elizabeth Moseley. “We’ve really had to dive in headfirst and give it our all.”

Set in the 1960s, “Hairspray” follows a local TV station’s integration through the journey of protagonist Tracy Turnblad from “pleasantly plump” nobody to a dancer on “The Corny Collins Show.”

Sophomore Georgeanne Blackerby, who plays Tracy, said the cast and crew were dedicated to bringing the show’s message to UNC.

“I think everyone who’s here is so dedicated and excited to be here. Not only is it a really fun show — it’s happy, and the music is great — but I think the themes that it addresses are also really important, and that’s what’s going to make it special,” she said.

The dedication is inspired by co-director Pauline Lamb, for whom “Hairspray” has been a labor of love. Lamb petitioned for Company Carolina to put on “Hairspray” four times before her proposal was accepted.

She said many productions overlook the show’s message.

“I think that Tracy is a fantastic element — she is a fireball; she is inspiring. But it’s so much more than Tracy getting a crown at the end,” she said. “It’s about love, respect, fighting adversity, finding the courage to stand up for what you believe in, to stand in front of hatred and bigotry and potential death to fight for what you believe in.”

She said instilling these values became difficult at times, as cast members sought to understand the racial themes of the show.

“It’s not something that someone just casually comes up to you and says, like, ‘Can you talk to me about what being black is like?’ It’s kind of a weird thing to just come up to somebody and say,” she said. “But when you come up to somebody as a director, it’s what made me realize, ‘Oh wow, this is something that a lot of people in the cast might not relate to.’”

Lamb encouraged her cast to take the issues they’re passionate about and channel them into their performances to create a stronger connection with play’s emotions. Lamb, along with cast members, said this resulted in an incredibly close cast, which has been essential in the tight schedule of the production.

“It’s not an easy job to put on a full show — it takes a lot of work. It takes a backstage crew; it takes lighting designers. It takes people to actually physically build these giant set pieces,” said first-year Rebecca Davidson, who plays Tammy in the production.

“So student theater really shows how dedicated we can be, not only to our academics but to relieve our stress and have all those extracurricular activities that we need.”

@rachelisbeyoncearts@dailytarheel.com