Newsbriefs

by JIM CULLEN

The annual rite of the Hays CISD musical is about to return and this year’s offering, “Hairspray,” is packing a punch.

Set next week for a 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, opening night—and a four-performance run through Saturday, Feb. 5—the show is the latest in what has become a true Hays tradition and it promises to deliver song, dance—and a message. A cast and crew of more than 70, representing a cross section of students from the district’s middle and high schools, teachers, and maintenance ranks,  will come together to give local life to a powerful story.

The setting is Baltimore, Maryland, in 1962 and teenager Tracy Turnblad (played by Sarah Hernandez) dreams of being on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program. An overnight celebrity following her first appearance, Tracy decides to launch a campaign to integrate the show. “Hairspray” serves as a social commentary on the social injustices of America in the 1960s.

Joining Hernandez in the show’s leading roles are Kenny McCardle as Link Larkin, teacher Holly Gandy as Edna Turnblad, Clay Cooper as Wilbur Turnblad, Aubrey Reiner as Penny Pingleton, and Jeremiah Jordan as Seaweed Stubbs.

Austin’s McCallum High School Choir Director Malcolm Nelson returns to direct his sixth consecutive Hays musical (the series’ entire run), Caroline Roberts handles choreography for the fifth consecutive year and PAC Director Don Riecss has designed the set and lighting and serves as the production’s overall Technical Director. Riecss is the production’s spokesman and he is frank about some of the show’s content.

“Hairspray” depicts life in the 60s, complete with terminology unacceptable by today’s standards. Set in a time when segregation was the norm and ‘politically correct’ terminology unheard of, the show’s message will become clear at its conclusion,” Riecss says.

Pride in the musical’s cast and crew is obvious when he notes that “eighty percent of this cast has never been in any kind of show, let alone a full-length musical with this caliber of choreography and singing.” The entire production swung into rehearsals last October, roughly a month earlier than usual, according to Riecss, because of the very difficult dance numbers. About 85 percent of this show is singing and dancing, he says, adding that it “requires a learning process that takes a long time, especially with the large number of dance numbers.”

Predictably, but with the confident certainty that comes with experience, Riecss sends word to the community that “when it is all said and done, this musical will be one of the best ever!”

This year’s “Hairspray” musical takes its place in a file of memorable shows presented by local talent that started with “Oklahoma!” in 2006 (yes, friends, it’s been that long ago) and was followed by equally memorable productions of “Bye Bye, Birdie,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Music Man” and last year’s “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Looking back over the history of the local musicals, which he spearheads, Riecss says that, despite early participants’ virtual lack of experience with Broadway-style shows, he “knew down deep that, if we could involve as many students as possible in the entire production environment, we would be able to sustain an annual musical event, something the district lacked as an educational experience.”

The succession of musicals annually increased the degree of difficulty to the point that Riecss says, “This year’s production of “Hairspray” will be the most challenging in every aspect of singing, dancing, staging, music and costuming to date.”

The Feb. 3-5 three-night “Hairspray” run is complemented with a Saturday, Feb. 5, 2 p.m. matinee. Reserved seat tickets are $10 and are available now by calling the Performing Arts Center at 268-8443.