NPT usually casts teenagers in “teenager roles” and adults in “adult roles” but for this show, there may be some crossover.
Actual teens must register to be in the show.
If you are an adult and interested in a “teen” role you must be available
to rehearse from 2-8 pm on weekdays and with the full cast on weekends (Usually 1-7pm but it is also TBD)
Exciting news!
This year’s cast will have the chance to work with the composers of HAIRSPRAY! Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. (Film/TV/Broadway including Hairspray, Catch me if you can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and SMASH!)
**ADULT AUDITIONS ARE APRIL 26th, Saturday, starting at 5:30.
You must have an appointment by writing to [email protected].
If you are an adult auditioning for a younger role this is your day!
**TEEN callbacks for registered youth only are APRIL 27th 4-7pm.
Tracy Turnblad (This role has been cast)
Our story’s unsuspecting protagonist, she is large and in charge. Or as Velma says “So short and stout”. Confident, talented, and incredibly determined. A romantic with a good heart and desire to cut up the dance floor. Always on top of the latest trends. This role should be played by a white actress.
Gender: Female
Age: 15 to 20
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Corny Collins
The charismatic host of the Corny Collins’ Show. Good-looking and smooth-talking, he is a genuinely nice guy both on and off camera. Corny should be played by a white actor.
Gender: Male
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: D3
Edna Turnblad. (This role has been cast)
Tracy’s big and blonde mother. She is a working housewife who has lost her confidence and dream to be a plus-size clothing designer. Boisterous and commanding. Often played by a male in drag. This role should be played by a white performer.
Gender: Male
Age: 30 to 50
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: F3
Penny Pingleton
Tracy’s best friend and dorky sidekick. Not the brightest girl, but she has good intentions. Bursting to get free of her mother’s dominating control, she falls for Seaweed with childlike curiosity. This role should be played by a white actress.
Gender: Female
Age: 15 to 19
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Velma Von Tussle. (This role has been cast)
Amber’s mother and the director of Corny Collin’s show. She is a devious taskmaster and a snobby racist. The former Miss Baltimore Crabs will go to any length to ensure her daughter is the next big thing. This role should be played by a white actress.
Gender: Female
Age: 45 to 55
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Amber Von Tussle
Link’s girlfriend and Tracy’s nemesis. She is pretty, thin, shallow, snobby, and racist. Can’t dance but is expected to win Miss Baltimore Hairspray. Always feels the need to be the center of attention. This role should be played by a white actress.
Gender: Female
Age: 15 to 18
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Link Larkin
The star heartthrob on Corny Collins’ show. He is extremely attractive and talented. Hoping to get his big break with a recording contract, he unexpectedly falls for Tracy. This role should be played by a white actor.
Gender: Male
Age: 15 to 20
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Seaweed J. Stubbs. (This role has been cast)
Tracy’s classmate and friend who is discriminated against due to his skin color. He is cocky but surprisingly lovable. Talented in song and dance. He falls for Penny. Seaweed should be played by a Black actor.
Gender: Male
Age: 15 to 20
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: F3
Little Inez
Seaweed’s little sister. Little Inez should be played by a Black actress with a great pop belt.
Gender: Female
Motormouth Maybelle. (This role has been cast)
Seaweed and Little Inez’s mother, she also appears as the Guest DJ on the Corny Collin’s Negro Day show. Big, blonde, beautiful and proud of it. She is sassy and confident. This role should be played by a Black actress.
Gender: Female
Age: 40 to 50
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: F3
Wilbur Turnblad
Tracy’s simple-minded and kind father. He owns a joke shop and supports his daughter despite everything else. He also loves his wife, Edna, very much. This role should be played by a white actor.
Gender: Male
Age: 55 to 65
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Prudy Pingleton
Penny’s strict mother. Very conservative, controlling, and closed-minded. This role should be played by a white actress.
Gender: Female
Age: 40 to 50
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: D4
THE DYNAMITES
The Dynamites (Judine, Kamilah, and Shayna) 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 they can be synchronous in their music and dance.
Gender: Female
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: E4
MR PINKY (adult)
Mr. Pinky owns a ladies’ clothing shop and is a salesperson inside and out – he is always the first to give a compliment. This is a perfect character role for a young person who may be new to the stage but has wonderful energy and acting potential.
Gender: Male
COUNCIL MEMBERS– Corny Collins’ Kids
Brad, Tammy, Fender, Sketch, Shelley, IQ, Brenda and Lou Ann are the famed teenage performers on “The Corny Collins Show.”
Gender: Both
Other standout ensemble roles (adult and teens)
Gym Teacher, Cindy Watkins, Matron, Principal, Lorraine, Gilbert, Thad, Duane, Stooie, Beatnik Chick, Male Guard, Guard, Newscaster and Council Members.
These roles give more texture to the lively world of 1960s Baltimore. This is truly a story about communities intersecting, so each role matters.
Gender: Both
ADDITIONAL FACTS
SHOW HISTORY
Inspiration
According to interviews included as an extra feature on the 2007 film’s DVD release, theatre producer Margo Lion first conceived of Hairspray as a stage musical in 1998 after seeing a television broadcast of the original film. “I was home looking at a lot of movies, and one of those movies was Hairspray.” She contacted John Waters, who gave her his blessing, and then acquired the rights from New Line Cinema. Lion contacted Marc Shaiman, who expressed interest in the project only if his partner, Scott Wittman, could participate, and Lion agreed. The two submitted three songs, one of which, “Good Morning Baltimore,” eventually became the show’s opening number.
Past Trivia
- All Broadway actresses playing Tracy, regardless of size, wear a fat suit to give them the desired “Tracy” shape.
- Hairspray used more than 150 wigs.
- All of the mothers in the mother-daughter day riot scene, with the exception of Motormouth and Edna were played by the ensemble boys.
- The “for me” line sung by Edna is one of several references to the musical Gypsy written into Hairspray. “I’m a pretty girl mama” is a direct quote from Gypsy.