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After the successful remake of Hairspray starring John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer last year, theater fans will surely rejoice when Atlantis Productions brings the hit Broadway musical closer to home with its staging at the Cultural Center of the Philippines beginning November 14. We at FemaleNetwork are excited to share a sneak peek at the local production.

Heading the cast is film, television, and stage actor Michael de Mesa, who will play a woman on stage for the first time as Edna Turnblad - made famous in the original film by Divine, on Broadway by Harvey Fierstein, and in the recent film by John Travolta. (Read our exclusive interview with Michael here). Multi-awarded singer Dulce plays Motor Mouth Maybelle, a role that Queen Latifah made famous in last year’s remake.

Musical theater sensation and West Side Story director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo returns to the spotlight as villainous Velma Von Tussle, played in the remake by Michelle Pfeiffer, while theater actor and director Leo Rialp plays Wilbur Turnblad, Edna’s devoted husband. Also part of the powerhouse cast are singer/songwriter Nyoy Volante, who returns to his theater roots, and comedian Gabe Mercado, who will play numerous roles in the musical.

Of course, we look forward to witnessing the professional stage debut of Madel Ching, a junior at the Ateneo de Manila who landed the highly-coveted role of Tracy Turnblad, the “big girl with big dreams.”

“I feel like the modern-day Filipina version of Tracy,” Madel said. “It’s a little scary to take on a role this big, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge of playing a character with this much spirit and energy!”

Likewise, ABS-CBN talent Tim Espinosa marks his stage debut with Hairspray, where he takes on the role of heartthrob Link Larkin (played by Zac Efron in the remake).

Directed by Bobby Garcia, choreographed by Cecile Martinez, and conducted by musical director Archie Castillo, Hairspray tells the story of Tracy, a “pleasantly plump” girl who wins a spot on a local TV dance program and becomes a celebrity overnight. Yet contrary to the recent film, the Hairspray musical is more political, as it tackles issues such as racism more closely. The two-hour show also includes songs from the musical that were not used in the film.

Check out our gallery below for photos of the cast and exclusive behind-the-scenes shots of the Hairspray rehearsals. Also watch the exclusive video of the cast singing “Welcome to the 60s.”

 

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The cast of Hairspray

Photo courtesy of Atlantis Productions

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