SIMI VALLEY CULTURAL ARTS 

Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center presents "HAIRSPRAY"

Presented by Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.

 

Big hair, big dreams, all the right moves, and you’ve got one of the biggest Broadway hits of our time — Hairspray. Winner of eight Tony Awards and four Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, this feel good musical is back by popular demand in celebration of the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center's 30th Anniversary Season! Break out your bobby socks, because Tracy Turnblad won’t stop until she gets her shot at fame dancing on The Corny Collins Show. But TV stardom is just the beginning. Tracy’s world is about to get a whole lot bigger. Hairspray is back and You Can’t Stop the Beat!

Online Submissions are open now through Sunday, February 23. Invitation-only Callbacks are scheduled for Saturday, March 1 (11am-4pm) for Ensemble and Tuesday, March 4 (7pm-11pm) for Principals at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 East Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley CA 93065. 

 

If you cannot submit online, there is an open call at the theater in Simi Valley on Sunday, February 23 from 7pm-11pm.  Bring a headshot, resume and come prepared with two 16-32 bar cuts of contemporary musical theater songs. An accompanist will be provided. If doing an Online Submission, you DO NOT need to attend the In-Person open call.

 

Rehearsals begin on/around Sunday, March 16 (Sun.-Thurs. eve.; daytime on Sat.). Performances are scheduled to commence Saturday, May 3, 2025 and conclude Sunday, June 1, 2025. Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. There will be an added 2pm matinee performance on Saturday, May 24. Possible added performances are tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 22 and Thursday, May 29 at 8pm. Additional performances may be added depending on cast/venue availability and ticket sales. All rehearsals and performances will take place at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 East Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, CA.

 

Note: Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center does not discriminate in casting or hiring. Qualified applicants are considered for all roles. SVCAC believes in upholding the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility. Performers of all ethnicities, nationalities, religions, gender expressions, sexual orientations, body types, and performers with disabilities are encouraged to submit! Age ranges listed are a guideline and may be adjusted to accommodate production needs. 

All performers must be local to the Los Angeles area and must be vaccinated for COVID-19.

 

THIS IS A NON-EQUITY PRODUCTION. Stipends are available for all performers aged 18 + ranging from $250-$500 depending on role.

 

Production Team:
Fred Helsel, Executive Producer / Director

Brittney Wheeler-Keophan, Assistant Director

Jenny Chaney, Music Director

Augusto Guardado, Choreographer

Philip McBride, Associate Producer

Nickolas Caisse, Scenic Designer

Jeremy Zeller, Lighting Designer

Ethan Strubbe, Sound Designer/Engineer

 

Creative Team:

Book by Mark O' Donnell & Thomas Meehan

Music by Marc Shaiman

Lyrics by Thomas Meehan & Marc Shaiman

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

 

Hairspray is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

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For questions, please contact us at hairspray.svcac@gmail.com.

 

AVAILABLE ROLES / ROLES OF INTEREST

 

ALL ROLES OPEN

 

In reference to the character descriptions that follow—most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns and you will see that in the following descriptions. But however limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible and we invite gender non-conforming, gender-fluid, transgender and non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. The best actor will be cast, provided they agree to play the character’s gender truthfully and with integrity in accordance with the authors’ intent.
 

At its core, Hairspray is a story about acceptance and inclusion (and rejection and exclusion) during the early days of the civil rights movement. The authors' artistic vision requires that, in order to clearly and appropriately tell that story, the cast members in the show accurately reflect the characters as written.

 

In addition, we will list disability when specific to a character, but are otherwise seeking actors with disabilities as well as non-disabled actors for all roles.
 

Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can provide.

 

We are actively committed to casting an inclusive show that reflects the community.

 

SVCAC is looking to cast understudies and/or swings for this production. Understudies/Swings cast from the ensemble could receive an additional nominal stipend. There will not be any guaranteed performances for Understudies or Swings.

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CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

 

TRACY TURNBLAD: Female, plays late teen. Caucasian. Plus-size teen with aspirations to change the world. She is outgoing, unstoppable, and goodhearted with a vibrant, lovable, spirited personality. Loves to dance. Mezzo-Soprano with a strong theatre/pop belt. Great mover/dancer. (G5-G3)

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EDNA TURNBLAD: Male to play female, age 40 - 50. Caucasian, large physique. A mother - sincere and honest. 60's Baltimore housewife, larger-than-life character actor with strong singing ability. Exceptional acting and comic timing a must. Simple dance/movement required. Bass-Baritone. (G5-F3)

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LINK LARKIN: Male, plays late teen. Caucasian. Handsome, sexy, clean-cut, goodhearted, down-to-earth. The heartthrob of The Corny Collins Show. Strong pop singer and excellent mover. High Bari-Tenor with strong falsetto. (A5-G3)

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MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE: Female, age 40 - 50. African-American. Seaweed and Little Inez's mother. Queen of Baltimore Soul, a radio DJ. Powerful and inspiring, with an infectious, brassy personality. Soulful, gospel/pop singer. 60's cool and hip. Liberal, part of the civil rights movement. Strong actress with ability to convey depth and light-heartedness. Minimal movement required. Alto with high belt. (E5-F3)

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CORNY COLLINS: Male, age 30 - 35. Caucasian. Host of The Corny Collins Show. Handsome, charming, engaging, smooth. Young Dick Clark type. Strong pop singer, movement a plus. High Baritone. (A4-D3)

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SEAWEED J. STUBBS: Male, plays late teen. African-American. Cool, sexy, street smart, goodhearted. Penny's boyfriend. Great actor with strong young masculine presence. Excellent, soulful, pop singer and great mover. Tenor to A with strong falsetto. (D5-F3)

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PENNY PINGLETON: Female, plays late teen. Caucasian. Spacy, ditzy, devoted best friend of Tracy. Good sense of comedic timing. Strong high belt, contemporary theatre/pop voice. Good movement/dance skills a plus. Mezzo Soprano. (G5-A3)

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AMBER VON TUSSLE: Female, plays late teen. Caucasian. Bratty, spoiled princess who gets her way - popular at school. Tracy's nemesis. Must be an excellent dancer with solid technical training. Mezzo Soprano. (F5-A3)

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VELMA VON TUSSLE: Female, age 35 - 50. Caucasian. Former beauty queen, Amber's mother. Upscale, attractive, and prejudiced snob who always wants her daughter in the spotlight. Big fish in a small pond - domineering. Has poise and good body awareness, with excellent vocals. Mezzo Soprano with strong belt mix. (E5-G3)

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PRUDY PINGLETON / FEMALE AUTHORITY FIGURE / GYM TEACHER: Female, age 40 - 55. Caucasian. Exceptional comedic actress to play various zany roles including Penny Pingleton's uptight and small-minded mother. Also portrays a sadistic high school gym teacher who must be a sharp, funny, inventive character. Minimal-singing role. Simple dance movement required. Mezzo Soprano. (B4-D4)

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WILBUR TURNBLAD: Male, age 40 - 55. Caucasian. Working class inventor. Tracy's Father. Sweet, goofy, childlike personality. Excellent comedic timing. Simple dance movement required. Baritone. (A5-A3)

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THE DYNAMITES: Female, age 25 - 30. African-American. The Dynamites are a dynamic musical trio, iconic of the Motown era and the 1960s. Think the Supremes. Need three young women who are singers and dancers who complement each other. They don't need to look alike, but a group that can be synchronous in their music and dance - also part of the ensemble. (A5-E4)

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LITTLE INEZ: Female, plays early teen. African-American. Spunky, tough, streetwise and outgoing. Seaweed's lovable little sister. Must be able to move/dance well - does dancer choreography. Soulful voice with strong belt mix. Mezzo Soprano.

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MR. PINKY / PRINCIPAL / SPONSOR Male, 40 – 55. Funny, good character actor / singer.  Also plays various supporting roles including a flamboyant fashion boutique owner and a condescending high school principal. Simple dance/movement required.  

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ENSEMBLE: Males and Females, all races, to play young high school teenagers and other roles throughout the show. Excellent dancer/singer/actors who may be asked to understudy leading roles. Some features include Corny Collins' Kids (Brad, Tammy, Fender, Sketch, Shelley, IQ, Brenda and Lou Ann); Students; Protestors, Cindy Watkins, Lorraine, Gilbert, Thad, Duane, Stoolie, Beatnik Chick, Male Guard, Newscaster and more.

 

Singing and dancing is required for all roles.  Choreography for this production will accommodate all abilities.

 

Also casting Swings/Understudies to cover all roles for any COVID related or other unforeseen circumstances.