ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SPOTLIGHT
ROBERT SHOLTY
Big hair and teenage angst play a big role in “Hairspray,” which stars (l-r) Morgan Frazer as Penny Pingleton, Melissa Modifer as Tracy Turnblad, and Peter DelFiorentino as Edna Turnbladt.
Get a shot of ‘Hairspray’ Tri-Valley Rep presenting big musical, big comedy, big hair Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre is presenting a fun musical focused on overnight teenage stardom with “Hairspray,” based on the 1988 John Waters film, opening next week at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore. In 1962 Baltimore, Md., teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on a local TV dance program, The Corny Collins Show. When she wins a part on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. Songs include 1960s-style dance music and rhythm and blues. “Shampoo” won eight Tony Awards out of 13 nominations, including Best Musical. Ben
Brantley of the New York Times said, “This show ... succeeds in recreating the pleasures of the old-fashioned musical comedy without seeming old-fashioned by taking the infectious hooks and rhythms from period pop and R&B and translating them into the big, bouncy sound that Broadway demands.” The production opens Saturday night, Oct. 22, and continues on Oct. 23, 28, 29, 30; and Nov. 4, 5, 6, directed by Daren A.C. Carollo. Buy tickets by calling 373-6800 or visiting www. trivalleyrep.org, or at the theater, 2400 First St., Livermore. N
JAMES KOPONEN
The Tri-Valley Rep Main Stage production at the Bankhead Theater also stars Morgan Breedveld as Amber von Tussle, Robert Lopez as Link Larkin, and Peter DelFiorentino as Edna Turnbladt. Pleasanton WeeklyÊUÊOctober 14, 2011ÊU Page 13