That wacky ‘Hairspray’ poster

We love our publicity images at Near West Theatre, and the crazy-colorful one below for Hairspray, the Broadway Musical — opening Friday, July 20 — is an exceptionally good example. Director Bob Navis Jr. and Scenic Designer Laura Carlson Tarantowski came up with the concept.  Photographer Geoff Short took lively face shots of the actors, with makeup by Heather Brown (and assistance from her husband, Nick), against a plain white background in our costume room.  Laura then designed and produced the entire image, including the over-the-top, graphically added hairdos and headgear and the words, “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” the title of one of the show’s musical numbers.  Ann Palotta Nagin used the image as the centerpiece of our publicity poster, postcard and fliers, which are now up in West Side windows and arriving in mailboxes. Versions of the image also appear at our Facebook page and website. You’ll see a black-and-white version on the playbill when you come to the show.

Pictured (left to right) are, top row, Oliver Deak as Corny Collins, Mariah Burks as Motormouth Maybelle, Anna Kukelhan as Prudy Pingleton; middle row, Jordan Cooper (also the show’s musical director) as Edna Turnblad, Jacqueline Uhlik as Tracy Turnblad, Perren Hedderson as Wilbur Turnblad; bottom row, Justin Woody as Seaweed Stubbs, Becca Frick as Velma Von Tussle, and Hayden Neidhardt as Little Inez.

Advance tickets are available online anytime or by phoning 216-961-6391 weekdays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., during which hours you can also stop by our business office, 6514 Detroit Ave., and purchase in person. Any remaining tickets will be sold starting at 6:30 p.m. at the ticket table at our performance space, 3606 Bridge Ave., Cleveland. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 20, and Saturday, July 21, as we kick off an eight-performance run through Aug. 5. See performance times and show info at this page at our website.

Director Bob Navis Jr., photographer Geoff Short, and, mostly, designer Laura Carlson Tarantowski came up with the publicity image for Hairspray, running July 20 through Aug. 5, 2012.