Hermanus High School performs Hairspray

You can’t stop the beat

Hermanus High School staged a performance of Hairspray from 8 – 10 May in the school hall. All three shows were well attended and elicited enthusiastic applause from their audiences.

The original film was made in 1988, with a Broadway musical following in 2002. Hairspray is set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland and the musical follows an overweight, but optimistic girl, Tracy Turnblad, who wants to be on her favourite TV show, The Corny Collins Show (a teen dance show). She also rallies a protest against racial segregation, hoping to integrate the show with people of all races.

Among the most popular songs were Good Morning Baltimore, You can’t stop the beat and I know where I’ve been, all performed by the talented all-Hermie cast and the school’s choir. All aspects of the show were put together by the hardworking teachers, parents and students of Hermanus High.

Penny (Izaan Steyn) and Seaweed (Lundi Mboyiya) start to fall in love despite strong opposition to interracial dating during the early 60s.

The female members of The Corny Collins Show sing to promote the show’s sponsor, Ultra-Clutch Hairspray.

Motormouth Maybelle (Earnestine van Zeeberg) and the rest of the cast sing You can’t stop the beat, and The Corny Collins Show becomes integrated at last.

Amber (Lushka Labuschagne), Velma’s daughter, tries to win Miss Teenage Hairspray on The Corny Collins Show, unknowingly with the help of her cheating mother.

After Velma (Anna van Deventer) cancels ‘Negro Day’ on The Corny Collins Show, Tracy (Tasnim Murphy) joins Motormouth Maybelle (Earnestine van Zeeberg) and others in protest and is arrested.

Motormouth Maybelle (Earnestine van Zeeberg) leads a candle-lit protest march to the TV station where The Corny Collins Show is produced.

Corny Collins (George Botha) enthusiastically opens his show on the night that they crown Miss Teenage Hairspray.