Young Shoreline actors in local production of Hairspray

Young Seattle actors, including three from Shoreline, are currently in rehearsal for the Broadway Bound Children’s Theatre production of Hairspray, which runs Friday, January 7 to Sunday, January 16 at the Broadway Performance Hall on Capitol Hill at 1625 Broadway, Seattle 98122 . The Tony Award-winning show is known for its music and dance numbers, but also serves as a social commentary on the 1960s United States.

Students from the Shoreline area in the production are Megan Halvorson, Caroline Rogel and Samantha Wool.

The young actors have learned much from the production, as it created an awareness of and conversations about diverse economic and cultural backgrounds.

“Hairspray has been especially incredible because it’s encouraged the cast members to talk about issues that they don’t discuss anywhere else,” said Broadway Bound founder and executive artistic director Jimmy Nixon. “I think this show and the conversations it has encouraged has given them perspective on their own lives and helped them better relate to their peers from different cultural and economic backgrounds.”

Cast member Georgi Grimm said, “We talked about what the 1960s were like and how race issues made a huge impact on history. We learned about how much things have changed, but racism is still out there and we’re trying to make it better. It was one of the best group discussions I think that I've had in a long time.”

Hairspray is directed by Jimmy Nixon and choreographed by Northwest Tap’s Danny Long,

Tickets to Hairspray are $17.50 and are available at BrownPaperTickets.

Broadway Bound Children’s Theatre serves more than 1,000 young artists each year (ages 5 to 18) from more than 100 schools, both public and private. As part of its mission, Broadway Bound maintains an all-inclusive program—any child who auditions becomes part of the acting company. Broadway Bound students are mentored by professional theatre artists from Seattle’s rich arts community.