For Jerry O'Boyle, an "extensive shaving process" is just part of the job.
His physical transformation into ham-loving mama Edna Turnblad requires almost as much work backstage as onstage.
"I have a makeup person and a wig stylist and a costume person," O'Boyle said. "There's a lot of body padding that I get pretty tightly strapped into, and I wear Nearly Me breasts, which are originally intended for mastectomy victims.
"It ends up being an extra 40 to 60 pounds; If you lose concentration, it's pretty easy to topple."
Get out your Aqua Net, because O'Boyle and the touring Broadway cast of "Hairspray" begin a six-night run in Atwood Concert Hall on Thursday. This is the Alaska premiere for the Broadway smash, which won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2003.
Set in 1960s Baltimore to a buoyant, retro score, "Hairspray" is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a chubby underdog who dreams of dancing on the prissy Corny Collins TV show. Once she's in, she embarks on a mission to integrate the show's black and white casts. All the while, she strives to get the guy and backcomb her bouffant sky high.
"It's bright and colorful and a great show for kids, but it also tells a story about acceptance," said the cast's Tracy, Brooklynn Pulver. "Tracy's about being open to new ideas and loving the people around you, regardless of the stereotypes."
On "Hairspray" there's a lot of overlap between the Broadway creative team and the touring production, which isn't always the case. Pulver said because of that, the show's production values are New York quality, including more than 100 "crazy, wonderful" wigs and "a ridiculous amount of hairspray, of course."
Find Sarah Henning online at adn.com/contact/shenning or call 257-4323.
Hairspray
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Feb. 15, 3 and 8 p.m. Feb. 16, 2 and 7 p.m. Feb. 17 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18-19.
Where: Atwood Concert Hall
How much: $46-$71
Tickets: 263-2787, www.center tix.net
Web: www.hairsprayontour. com
Then and now
It's a movie. No, it's a musical. No, wait...
Master of wack John Waters wrote and directed the original "Hairspray" film in 1988, which starred Rikki Lake, Divine, Debbie Harry and Sonny Bono.
The campy cult classic was squeegeed clean and skipped over to Broadway in 2002, when a team led by Marc Shaiman adapted the story for the theater. It's still running on Broadway.
"Hairspray" fever led to another film in 2007, featuring a cast packed with A-listers such as Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta (as Edna) and Zac Efron. Waters made a cameo as "the flasher who lives next door."
By Sarah Henning
shenning@adn.com