BIG HAIR for Jessica and Michele in Pro-Am HAIRSPRAY with Jon English
Packemin Productions has built a reputation of late for staging Pro-Am musical theatre on the grand scale at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre. In July 2013, they stage Hairspray, following on from the success of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oliver!, and their sell-out season of The Wizard of Oz earlier this year.
Packemin Productions’ Hairspray will starAustralian theatre legend Jon English in the iconic role of Edna Turnblad, along with Helpmann Award nominated performer Wayne Scott Kermond (Singin’ in the Rain, Hot Shore Shuffle) as Wilbur Turnblad, returning to Packemin following his performance as Fagin in Oliver! and Cle Morgan (Hairspray, Australian Idol) reprising her performance as Motormouth Maybelle from the recent national tour of Hairspray.
Performing alongside them are some outstanding Sydney school and community theatre talents.
Hairspray is set in the 60s and features Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, trying to follow her dream of being a dancer on TV. Along the way she becomes a fashion trendsetter, wins the affections of teen heartthrob Link Larkin and becomes an advocate for race equality - all without denting her ‘do’!
Local school student Jessica Rookeward playsTracy.
“Hairspray is one of my favourite musicals,” says Rookeward, “because the music just makes you want to groove and sing along with the cast. It’s a family favourite.”
The 16 year old Model Farms High student has appeared in school productions of The Great Australian Musical and Millennium Mayhem, performed as a soloist at the Australian Youth Olympic Games opening Ceremony and is part of a MO Award winning dance troupe, but this is her biggest role by far.
“I honestly didn’t think I’d get as far as I did with the audition for Tracy as everyone else going for the role was older and had more experience. I was happily surprised when I kept progressing through the stages and then I was ecstatic when I found out I had the role.”
To become the big-hearted and big-hipped Tracy, Rookeward’s costume involves some elaborate padding and fancy wigs.
“I just love my costume! I really feel like Tracy when I’m wearing it and it helps me get in character.”
Jessica won a Hills Shine Excellence award in the Performing Arts and Music category and successfully auditioned for a coveted spot in the prestigious Sydney Talent Development Project which is sponsored by the NSW Department of Education, so she’s no stranger to hard work.
“The rehearsals for Hairspray are pretty intense but I’ve loved every minute. Jon (English) has been so kind helping me with the acting and I’m learning heaps. Hopefully this will help kick start my musical theatre career, so we’ll see where things lead me. Broadway is my dream and as my character Tracy says, ‘You've got to think big, to be big!’”
Michele Lansdown plays the villainous Velma Von Tussle, determined to thwart Tracy’s dreams.
"I'm often the diva!" remarks Lansdown. "I've been blessed to have played some of the great ones of musical theatre; Miss Hannigan (Annie), Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard) and of course, the scheming Velma Von Tussle of Hairspray. It's one of my favourite roles to play. It's got to the point in my career where my years of hard work have paid off and now I have the rare privilege of choosing between shows that let me take on some of the greatest female roles of the stage. I do some TV and voice-over work too, which is fun, but nothing beats my true passion which is live musical theatre.”
In 2012 Lansdown created the role of Norma Desmond in the Sydney premiere production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard and has performed roles as diverse as Miss Hannigan in Annie, Desiree in A Little Night Music, Muriel Eubanks in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Agatha Makin in the Riverside season of The Hatpin.
“Working with (Producer and Director) Neil Gooding makes this one particularly special for me. I was honoured to be part of The Hatpin at Riverside, which was an exciting piece of new Australian theatre that Neil was instrumental in bringing to life. I also get to work with an incredible cast, who have blown me away with their talent, and Wayne Scott Kermond whose skill and pedigree I have always been in awe of. Add to that, Jon English, and you can see why I had to do this show. Actually, Jon doesn't know this, but my career started when I worked in the wardrobe department for the Capitol Theatre when Jon starred in Jesus Christ Superstar!"
July 26 – August 10
Tickets from $30
Bookings www.riversideparramatta.com.au
"You can't stop the beat! Tracy with her family and friends"
L-R - Back - Peter Watson as Mr Pinky, Michele Lansdown as Velma, Jessica Rookeward as Tracy, Jon English as Edna, Wayne Scott Kermond as Wilbur, Kyle Sapsford as Corny. Front - Atunaisa Lasalosi as Seaweed, Mikayla Williams as Penny, Ayanda Dladla as Little Inez, Alyssa Wilkins as Amber and Christopher Glynn as Link.
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