This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: John Waters has this amazing quote about their hair was perfect, but their world was messed up.

[0:06] Sabrina Sloan: Right, right.

[0:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You know, and it is kind of this cool metaphor for like everyone trying so hard to put every hair in place when in the 60s it was so turbulent, the whole world was falling apart, you know?

[0:19] Sabrina Sloan: Yep.

[0:20] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It makes me wonder what the hairstyles are going to be in 2021.

[0:23] Sabrina Sloan: Listen.

[0:36] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Welcome everybody to A Musical Theatre Podcast where we discuss the cultural and emotional impact of some of our favorite musicals in theater history. My name is Jeffrey Scott Parsons. You can call me Jeff. Today we're talking about Hairspray with the lovely, talented, and best Mimi Marquez I've ever seen in my entire life. It's Sabrina Sloan.

[0:57] Sabrina Sloan: Hi, Jeffrey.

[0:59] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Hi, Sabrina. Oh my gosh. Okay, so to just kind of catch everybody up, back in the day I did a production of Rent in my non-union days and was blessed enough to be placed on a scaffolding in the blocking to watch you perform out tonight every single performance and what a freaking joy. What a pleasure.

[1:24] Sabrina Sloan: Oh, you're so sweet. You're so sweet. That was such a special, special, special show to me. That was a great Christmas.

[1:31] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It was, right? It was a great Christmas. Now, you had already done Hairspray at that point.

[1:36] Sabrina Sloan: Yes.

[1:36] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Okay, so you had...

[1:38] Sabrina Sloan: The timeline. I'm, you know, I'm in the COVID timeline. I can't, I don't know what...

[1:42] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: At this point, what was 2019?

[1:44] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly.

[1:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It was a decade ago.

[1:46] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly.

[1:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So you were in Hairspray on Broadway.

[1:51] Sabrina Sloan: Yes.

[1:51] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Then you went and did the national tour.

[1:53] Sabrina Sloan: Correct.

[1:54] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And then, of course, you came and did Rent with me.

[1:56] Sabrina Sloan: Yes, exactly.

[1:58] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Your career hadn't gotten to that point yet.

[2:01] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, Hairspray was my Broadway debut.

[2:04] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's so amazing.

[2:06] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, pretty shortly after college. Yeah.

[2:09] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And where did you go to college?

[2:10] Sabrina Sloan: I went to Northwestern University.

[2:12] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Hey, smart pants.

[2:14] Sabrina Sloan: Northwestern. That's what everybody always says. It's so funny.

[2:16] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: We're pretty smart. We're pretty smart.

[2:19] Sabrina Sloan: But yeah, there's a lot of good actors that came out of there. And yeah, I moved to New York, actually, a week and a half after September 11th, which is crazy.

[2:29] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Now, that's the interesting thing about Hairspray is that it opened, what, like maybe a year right after 9-11?

[2:36] Sabrina Sloan: What I loved about moving there, I mean, my family was definitely like, no, you can't go now. No, no way. Forget it. And I was like, no, I have this apartment in Brooklyn. I got a room. I'm going to do it.

[2:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And I moved there. And just the spirit of New York City is why it's still my favorite place. And I miss it all the time. The resilience of everybody there and the way that they were picking up and getting back to life and supporting one another. And yeah, and it wasn't at all, you know, the kind of like mean, angry community that people, you know, try to make New Yorkers out to be. It was a community that embraced one another, that lifted each other up. And I knew just like within the first week of being there, like this was, this is where I'm supposed to be. And it was a really cool place. And then I started temping and auditioning.

[3:26] Sabrina Sloan: Auditioning every day, I would clock out and take a lunch for two hours and go, you know, get in line and do like, yeah, it was a great, it was a really great job. I don't even know if they do temp jobs like that anywhere.

[3:37] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Total hustle. And that's how I ultimately booked Hairspray. I did one regional production of Children Who Meet In, which is, that's how I got my Equity card, North Carolina Theater. And then...

[3:47] Sabrina Sloan: Did you play Eve or did you play...

[3:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes, Eve Momineau.

[3:50] Sabrina Sloan: Yep.

[3:50] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I would love to see that.

[3:51] Sabrina Sloan: Oh my gosh, that's another good one. Another show. Yeah, and then I came back to New York and same thing, clocked in, clocked out. And one of those lunch breaks, they needed a really immediate replacement for the swing on Broadway, just like a month after they'd opened. I went in and it was kind of like a couple hours. And I think the next day I got a call.

[4:12] Sabrina Sloan: It was one audition?

[4:13] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And then the next day you got a call?

[4:14] Sabrina Sloan: I feel like maybe I'd been...

[4:16] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, because they weren't auditioning. They pretty much had the cast before. They'd gone to Seattle.

[4:21] Sabrina Sloan: Well, and it also sounds like immediate replacement meant like immediately.

[4:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, they needed someone in days.

[4:28] Sabrina Sloan: Yes.

[4:28] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And then from there, I literally learned just parts of the first act to get plugged into for the role they needed, which was one of the dynamites, Shana, who had a knee issue. And they needed somebody on for her, at least in those scenes. So I really didn't even learn the whole show. It was a crazy process of learning.

[4:44] Sabrina Sloan: It's like kind of a hodgepodge puzzle piece.

[4:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Exactly.

[4:48] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly. So ultimately, I learned the rest of her track. But the first time I went on the Broadway stage was for like, you know, four numbers that I had learned like in two to three days.

[5:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So it was madness. But also, I think once I did that, I was like, OK, I've done it. I've like popped the cherry. I've been on stage and now I'll learn the rest of it. And the show is so cinematic and it moves with such an incredible energy that I think I would only want to do three scenes to begin with.

[5:22] Sabrina Sloan: Yes, exactly. There is a lot to it. But it is. It's such a beautiful... I mean, I can think back at the colors and like the lights and those costumes, and it's a beautiful, beautiful place to see.

[5:37] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Now, something that I don't think people realize is that one of the reasons that first national tours are such a big deal is because you go back into the rehearsal process with the creators.

[5:47] Sabrina Sloan: Right.

[5:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It's as though you're rehearsing another opening on Broadway, but it's instead the tour going out. So you got to work with all of the creatives.

[5:56] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly. Yeah, that was something I missed out on the first time because I wasn't in the room putting the show up for the first time. And the second time around with the first national tour, I got to have Jack, Jerry, Mark, everybody there, you know, teaching. And it was still super fresh from them. It wasn't like their eighth version of the show or something. It was still, you know, very important to them that especially it was going to start in Baltimore and take it around the country. It was really important that it was just as good as what was on Broadway. I learned a lot as an actor from Jack O'Brien, just from listening, just from being in the room, sometimes having to use a thesaurus to understand what he was saying after the fact, because he's how he speaks just like, wow, what is that word? Wow, he's he's real smart.

[6:41] Sabrina Sloan: I went to Northwestern.

[6:42] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh my gosh.

[6:44] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, but everybody he's known for that. He's just so eloquent. But yes, I learned so much from him. And then the energy of Jerry and Mark, Jerry Mitchell.

[6:55] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, Jerry Mitchell.

[6:57] Sabrina Sloan: Incredible that I go on to do, you know, two more shows with him. It was insane. I don't think I recognized the legends that I was with in that moment, but I knew I was I knew it was important. I knew I needed to take it all and being in that room with those people.

[7:14] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's so cool.

[7:15] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah.

[7:16] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So Hairspray was film, first and foremost, right, by John Waters, legendary subversive filmmaker, independent filmmaker.

[7:26] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, that came out in 1988, which is actually a pretty quick turnaround when you think that like it was a movie, then a stage musical, then a movie, a movie, then a TV musical special. Like, right, it's had a very short life.

[7:42] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And yet in its short amount of time, it's lived hard.

[7:45] Sabrina Sloan: That's so true.

[7:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And it speaks to, obviously, the relevance of the issues that it tackles and the constant sort of optimism that we need in our faces regarding those issues because, you know, they're still so present.

[8:02] Sabrina Sloan: Which is fascinating for a filmmaker like John Waters, who has spent his career kind of delving into the grotesque, right? You know, infamously as this film called Pink Flamingos, where Divine eats dog poop on camera, you know, just like the most disgusting things that he can put on camera. He wanted to explore that. That's just part of his personality. It's part of his aesthetic. And we love him for it. But then in the late 80s, he comes out with Hairspray, which honestly is kind of family friendly in a weird way.

[8:38] Sabrina Sloan: Right, right. And I think when it came out, he said that one of his favorite reviews was a movie that any family could enjoy, whether you're in the Midwest or part of the Manson clan.

[8:50] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh, my gosh.

[8:52] Sabrina Sloan: So true.

[8:54] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Which he felt very proud of.

[8:55] Sabrina Sloan: How do you do that?

[8:56] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, yeah.

[8:56] Sabrina Sloan: Oh, absolutely. But even when you watch that old movie, like Ricky Lake, you know, famous talk show host Ricky Lake, who played Tracy Turnblad, is like super greasy. You know what I mean?

[9:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah.

[9:09] Sabrina Sloan: But there's this like gritty aspect of what he was always trying to capture as a filmmaker.

[9:16] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah.

[9:16] Sabrina Sloan: And yet with the importance that dance makes in the story, the importance of music and the time period, it really does feel like the perfect vehicle for a musical.

[9:28] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah. Enter producer Margo Lion, I believe is her name. And she was at home just like watching films, watched Hairspray and was like, ding, ding, ding.

[9:40] Sabrina Sloan: She's from Baltimore.

[9:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Is she really?

[9:42] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah.

[9:42] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Just like John Waters.

[9:44] Sabrina Sloan: Yes, she's from Baltimore. And I think of this in terms of Hamilton too, like Ron Chernoff, and I've talked to him, like how much the writers are involved. I think that he was able to like step in and veto and be like, no, no, absolutely not, whatever. But like the satire is still there. Like there's parts of it, of the grit that are still there. There's some like throws to like some nasty things where you're like.

[10:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Well, right at the top when she's like, here's the neighborhood flasher.

[10:09] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, exactly. You know what I mean?

[10:10] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right from there, we're like, okay, we're still in John Waters. But then I think as with any musical, when you add the musical element, you kind of elevate the emotions and the honesty of the characters.

[10:22] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly.

[10:22] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And this show Hairspray is filled with characters who are revealing their inner life within this weird world. And it's so enjoyable.

[10:31] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly. I want to read a quote from John Waters about the musical. He says, I used to hate musical comedy, but Mark Shaman and Scott Whitman's score and lyrics for Hairspray have turned me into a real show tune queen. Listening to these feel good numbers about rats, flashers, hickeys, ratted hair and checkerboard chicks turns me into a happy Walt Disney on hallucinogenics, hoping whole busloads of twisted Broadway tourists go to the theater, abandon their diets and feel sexy about it.

[11:03] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's amazing.

[11:04] Sabrina Sloan: Isn't that a great quote?

[11:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh my gosh, so good.

[11:07] Sabrina Sloan: So Margot gets John Waters A-OK.

[11:11] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right. Enter Mark Shaman. Now, if anybody has any favorite moment in cinema that includes some sort of ode to 60s music, $200 says it's written by Mark Shaman.

[11:28] Sabrina Sloan: Mark Shaman is behind it.

[11:29] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's so true.

[11:30] Sabrina Sloan: That is so, so true. Everything from I Put a Spell on You from Hocus Pocus to You Don't Own Me from First Wives Club. Obviously, he has a connection with Bette Midler. Everything in Sister Act.

[11:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: All of it.

[11:44] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly. It's all Mark Shaman. He was born to make that music. Like when I did this show, and then I went on to do Motown, and I feel like I belong in the 60s, too. That's my groove, and I know that it's absolutely his. It's just so, so great.

[12:02] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: There's no one else who could have written the score for Hairspray.

[12:04] Sabrina Sloan: No way.

[12:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: John Waters is so specific about this story taking place in 1962.

[12:11] Sabrina Sloan: Yes.

[12:11] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right? Not 63, not 61, 62.

[12:15] Sabrina Sloan: And to have somebody like Mark Shaman, who knows that era so well, it's just brilliant. Now, he and his songwriting partner, Scott Whitman, were the ones who did the score. They also did Catch Me If You Can, which you did on Friday, as well.

[12:30] Sabrina Sloan: I did, yes, yes.

[12:33] Sabrina Sloan: And that was another unique experience because that was the first time I was watching them create and change and mold a piece from the beginning. And they were the cream of the crop, Broadway. They had their hands in a bunch of things they were doing towards the show. They did a TV show about Broadway. They were doing that simultaneously. There was so much going on. But just seeing that process of how numbers would get written and then scratched and then completely changed or whole stanzas were new lyrics and everything they did was fantastic. But just watching how they went through that process was really awesome. That score is phenomenal. And the show is so weird. But the songs are phenomenal.

The songs are so great. And that's what I remember. I remember seeing Doctor's Orders and throwing back to Without Love. I'm like, oh, this feels... This is what it feels like. This is the same wheelhouse. This is the mute. This is the vibe. Can I ask which solo was yours in Doctor's Orders?

[13:32] Sabrina Sloan: I was... Ah, baby, don't stop till I'm gay. I got some girls and I got some shit. I just blushed. That was such a fun show. That show was all about that female ensemble as far as I'm concerned. You ladies slayed. It was like divas from all the way down. It was great. Where did we start talking about?

[13:55] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I don't know. I was just talking about Catch Me If You Can. But yes, yes, Catch Me If You Can. We were talking about Mark being the 60s...

[14:01] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, and I mean, hello, 60s influence as well in there.

[14:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, exactly. Completely. And what's cool about Hairspray is that he included the Motown sound, which is later 60s, for some of these characters like Tracy, Seaweed, who were the forward thinkers.

[14:18] Sabrina Sloan: So they were ahead of their time.

[14:20] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Exactly. Yeah, it matched that sort of Motown sound to those characters. We're going to keep the conversation about white men going and bring...

[14:29] Sabrina Sloan: Coming up next, yeah.

[14:31] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Coming up next, we got Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Now, they wrote the book together. Thomas Meehan, people are like, who's that? You ready? He wrote Annie.

[14:42] Sabrina Sloan: Annie!

[14:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: He wrote the book for Annie, the book for the producers, and the book for Hairspray and won Tonys for all of them. That is a career. Boom, boom, boom. That's enough. That's all you got to do, really.

[14:53] Sabrina Sloan: Seriously, Mark O'Donnell also did some great work.

[15:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Fantastic work. It's an amazing book, and I don't know who did what in it or who focused on what, but it turned out really, really great. Unfortunately, a lot of these people have passed on.

[15:12] Sabrina Sloan: I know. It's crazy. I mean, Jack O'Brien's now going to be in his 80s, but this lives on. I mean, this is what's so great.

[15:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It will be a testament to their talent. My kids haven't seen the stage version of Annie. I don't even know how close is that to the movie.

[15:28] Sabrina Sloan: Some of those lines are the original movie.

[15:32] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So, stage musical, 727, then Carol Burnett.

[15:37] Sabrina Sloan: Yes. So, that's what I'm saying. Isn't that pretty close to what the stage-

[15:40] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Not at all.

[15:40] Sabrina Sloan: Not at all. Okay, never mind. So, just kidding. If you do the Disney plus Audra McDonald Annie-

[15:46] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's more-

[15:47] Sabrina Sloan: That's actually pretty accurate.

[15:49] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Pretty close. Okay, got it. Now, I believe that Margot wanted Rob Marshall to be the director and choreographer of Hairspray. Of course, he was working on the film version of Chicago at the time, so he turned it down, which is why they then got Jack O'Brien, and I promise that's the last white guy we'll talk about.

[16:07] Sabrina Sloan: Okay, good luck. This is how it goes.

[16:12] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: But between the moment where Margot gets the idea and then the show opens on Broadway, it's basically two years. It's not a long time.

[16:19] Sabrina Sloan: Not a long time. For Catch Me, it was like five years.

[16:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You think of how easily this kind of flowed out of him. It was all the right people, all on the same page.

[16:31] Sabrina Sloan: At the right time.

[16:32] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, pretty unique. When it opens on Broadway, it's met with glowing reviews, huge smash. It runs for, I think, 2,300 performances. I mean, they recoup their initial investment, I think, in like six to eight months. It's a huge hit, both artistically and financially. Tony Awards come around. It really sweeps in many regards. That season also included Amour, which is a beautiful little flop of a show that probably shouldn't have been on Broadway. A Year with Frog and Toad, which is a beautiful little show for children. Oh my gosh. And then Movin' Out, which is a beautiful big show of Twyla Tharp choreography to Billy Joel music. So a really unusual season of theater and Hairspray just felt, I think, immediately like the new classic. This is the one. So it wins most of the awards, except for choreography, because that was a Twyla win.

[17:34] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, yeah.

[17:35] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And the rest is history. Unbelievable. It's crazy to think it was that long ago.

[17:40] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah. Speaking of which, you got kids. Tell me about...

[17:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, it was a lifetime ago. I do, I do. I have two kids.

[17:50] Sabrina Sloan: That's so amazing. And do you have to teach them currently at home?

[17:53] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: They are on Zooms. The little one is doing a hybrid where she's just started to go in for a few hours. But my older one is, yeah, totally distance learning right now. We'll see what happens. There's silver linings to all of it. I mean, it's... I mean, this is bonding time in a way that many families have never been able to experience.

[18:13] Sabrina Sloan: For sure. I mean, I got to be home with them for their younger years, like the first two years at least. Well, no, I jumped into Catch Me If I Can when my son was two months old.

[18:24] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You had just had a baby two months before you did Catch Me.

[18:26] Sabrina Sloan: Yes. So let me tell you something about a Jerry Mitchell show post-pregnancy. That was everything I needed for Catch Me If I Can is shaped.

[18:37] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The bod is back.

[18:38] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah. I was like, oh, OK. What? Pregnancy? No big deal. You just got to be on the Jerry Mitchell choreo. A plan.

[18:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: He is aerobic, if nothing else.

[18:46] Sabrina Sloan: He is aerobic. Peter Matthew Smith, who was in the original Broadway cast too, he played Brad, one of the nicest kids. And he ended up being our king in Hamilton on the first tour that was on the Angelica tour. So we one day caught ourselves trying to recreate You Can't Stop the Beat backstage, him in his king costume and me and Angelica here. And that was funny. It was pretty funny. But what's funny is when I was just listening to the soundtrack over the last couple of days and I can completely remember almost all the choreography, which I didn't. Yes, it was insane. I was like, oh, my God, that's amazing. Yeah. OK, so watching Angelica, watching I remember that night. What is it called? Satisfied. Thank you. My gosh, how embarrassing. I'm watching Satisfied. I feel like I would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, realizing that I needed to do that rap twice the next day. You know what I mean?

[19:44] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right, right, right, right, right, right.

[19:45] Sabrina Sloan: Is that one of those things where it just gets in your muscle memory as well?

[19:48] Absolutely. And what happens with Hamilton music is that you will sometimes go ahead lyrically in it because it's such a so you'll be already jumping ahead and then you'll like attach that to the word that you're actually trying to say. And so you're like, oh, God. And then you have to just like slow down and and stay in the moment. But then my easy one where I'm just like reading a letter. You cannot think too hard, but you also cannot not think about it. Don't tune out.

[20:18] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: If you were like for the second before I came out, I was like definitely maybe like going through a grocery list or like, OK, sure. And you come out and I just completely.

[20:27] Sabrina Sloan: You were gone.

[20:28] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I went to the White Room. I went to the White Room. That has never, ever happened to me. I was like, OK, well, it's had to happen at some point and just couldn't think of it like just it felt like an eternity. It was like.

[20:44] Sabrina Sloan: I turn into the Swedish chef. I don't know why, but instead of like just not saying anything, I end up going like.

[20:52] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That also works. My friend did that as Eliza, too. She just.

[21:01] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah, when he was 10, his father to get that and I just just get through it, OK? And I just feel like, oh, I feel like it's kind of amazing. We have, I think, singers like Sia or Ariana Grande to thank for, you know, we can just kind of mumble our way through things and people like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[21:22] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Right.

[21:27] Sabrina Sloan: How fun. OK, I could literally talk about. No, I could. But what an amazing career you continue to have. And I can't wait to see you on stage again.

[21:38] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Well, you'll definitely come when we're when we're back here. We will make sure.

[21:43] Sabrina Sloan: That's so sweet. OK, congratulations on your family. Now let's go through the show.

[21:48] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: OK, here we go. So the show begins by introducing us to Baltimore, which is such an interesting place. You said that you said that you opened the show in Baltimore.

[22:01] Sabrina Sloan: I've never been. But how cool that you got to do. Yes. Good morning, Baltimore in Baltimore.

[22:08] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes, absolutely. And my best my very best friend from college is from Baltimore. So she has kind of like can tell me these stories about how Baltimore is.

[22:17] Sabrina Sloan: Yeah. But the only thing I know about Baltimore is that two of my friends, while being on tour, have been mugged at.

[22:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, likely, likely, very likely. I feel like every theater in the country, though, is it's like you're in the downtown. It's the Tenderloin. It's Skid Row. It's wherever you are. You don't want to be around the theater too long after you get out of there. It's the nature of where they are. But, yeah, Baltimore it's this interesting place where it has a rural sensibility and yet it's 100 percent a big city.

[22:49] Sabrina Sloan: Totally. Right. So it's the perfect setting for this show where a lot of social clashing that is so indicative of the 1960s all comes to a head. It's also known as being a city that is neither in the south nor in the north.

[23:04] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Totally. It completely feels like you could be in the south and you're like, why? I thought I was. Isn't D.C. just around?

[23:14] Sabrina Sloan: Right. But you're right. That's exactly what it is. The show opens with this big number all about Baltimore that's kind of celebrating the dichotomy of everything that we're talking about here and doing it from a really loving place, which is what I always aim to do. I never want to criticize something without also giving a little bit of love. And this opening number absolutely does that.

[23:40] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Now we meet our heroine, Tracy. Tracy Turnblad, the girl whose hair is as big as her figure.

[23:47] Sabrina Sloan: Right. And not only that, I'm sorry that I focused on the outer shell, but also her spirit and fire is as big as either of those things too.

[23:52] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Definitely. Confident, optimistic. And what an incredible character to have in our musical theater landscape. I think she's a real hero for anybody who watches the show right from the get go. We trust her intentions. We know what she wants from life and it's to spread literally sunshine wherever she goes.

[24:17] Sabrina Sloan: The next thing that we see is a television show. There is so much like split screen action that happens in Hairspray, you know, where there will be somebody in a living room watching the television show. And then on the other side of the stage, we see the actual television show. In this case, it's the Corny Collins. What's the full name?

[24:39] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Dance. Hullabaloo TV experience.

[24:45] Sabrina Sloan: It's not just the Corny Collins show?

[24:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: No, I guess you're right. There's probably something else. It's probably not.

[24:49] Sabrina Sloan: No, I think you're right. It is just the Corny Collins show.

[24:52] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: But yeah, based on the Buddy Dean show, I think, and it's kind of what it's based on.

[24:55] Sabrina Sloan: Yes, way to pull out that history.

[25:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Welcome back to "A Musical Theatre Podcast." Today, we're diving into the vibrant world of "Hairspray" with the incredible Sabrina Sloan.

[25:35] Sabrina Sloan: I'm so excited to be here and talk about this amazing show!

[26:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: "Hairspray" is such a fun and irreverent musical, but it also has some profound themes. What do you think makes it resonate with audiences today?

[26:35] Sabrina Sloan: Absolutely! It's all about acceptance and celebrating diversity. The characters are so relatable, and the music is just infectious.

[26:55] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And the energy of the score is just endless! Do you have a favorite song from the show?

[27:05] Sabrina Sloan: Oh, that's a tough one! I think "You Can't Stop the Beat" is such a powerful anthem. It really encapsulates the spirit of the show.

[27:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It’s such a great finale! The way it brings everyone together is just magical.

[27:45] Sabrina Sloan: Yes! And the choreography is so much fun. It really makes you want to get up and dance.

[28:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Speaking of choreography, what was it like for you to perform in such a high-energy show?

[28:15] Sabrina Sloan: It was exhilarating! The adrenaline rush you get on stage is unlike anything else. Every performance feels like a celebration.

[28:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That sounds amazing! Did you have any memorable moments during your time in the show?

[28:45] Sabrina Sloan: Definitely! There were so many moments where the audience would just erupt in applause. It really made you feel connected to them.

[29:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That connection is so important in theatre. It’s what makes live performances so special.

[29:25] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly! And "Hairspray" has such a positive message that really resonates with people.

[29:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It’s a show that encourages everyone to embrace who they are.

[30:05] Sabrina Sloan: Yes! And the humor in it makes the serious themes more accessible.

[30:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It strikes that perfect balance. What do you think about the show's impact on musical theatre as a whole?

[30:45] Sabrina Sloan: I think it opened the door for more diverse stories to be told on stage. It showed that audiences want to see representation.

[31:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Absolutely! And it's so important for future generations of performers and audiences.

[31:25] Sabrina Sloan: Yes! I hope it inspires more shows that celebrate different voices and experiences.

[31:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Speaking of inspiration, do you have any advice for aspiring performers?

[32:05] Sabrina Sloan: Just keep pushing forward and stay true to yourself. The journey can be tough, but your uniqueness is your greatest asset.

[32:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That’s wonderful advice! Thank you for sharing that.

[32:45] Sabrina Sloan: Of course! I love encouraging others to follow their dreams.

[33:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And we appreciate you being here to share your insights on "Hairspray."

[33:25] Sabrina Sloan: Thank you for having me! It’s been a blast.

[33:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Let’s take a quick break, and when we come back, we’ll hear from one of our listeners, Jonathan Chisolm.

[34:05] Sabrina Sloan: I can’t wait to hear what he has to say!

[34:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Stay tuned, everyone!

[34:45] ♪ Musical number: "You Can't Stop the Beat" — performed by Sabrina Sloan and cast ♪

[36:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That was incredible! Thank you, Sabrina, for sharing your talent with us.

[36:25] Sabrina Sloan: Thank you! It’s always a joy to perform.

[36:45] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And thank you to our listeners for joining us today.

[37:05] Sabrina Sloan: Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @sabrinasloannyc for more updates!

[37:25] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And be sure to rate and follow "A Musical Theatre Podcast" wherever you listen!

[37:38] Sabrina Sloan: Sing whatever you want. What do you have? That works. So after Welcome to the 60s. Right. Tracy goes to the other side of town, right? Yes. A platter party. My mom's hosting a platter party. Of course. And that's where she goes. So she goes over. Meets like, yeah, Inez. And she's like, oh, you're my favorite dancer on the Corny Collins show. Oh, because we didn't even talk about Nico Day. Right. Right. So, you know, the Corny Collins show, it's all these white kids, except for one day a week, which is called Negro Day. Right. In which it's the all of the black kids. And that's actually Tracy's favorite day. Right. And the host of that day is Motormouth Maybel. Yes. Who also speaks in rhyme like she's in a Moliere play.

Yeah, totally. And she just happens to be Siwi's mom. So when she goes over to the record store to have the platter party, she meets the whole family. Oh, yeah. They get a plan to integrate the Corny Collins show. And there's that really fun moment where Tracy's like, OK, here's what's going to happen. You guys go into the studio and my mom and I will come behind you and block the doorway so that if they want to push you out, they can't. And I love that because it's funny. But also it's kind of saying, like, you don't need me. I'm not going to be some sort of savior. We're just here for backup. And the fact that we're, you know, plus size actually has some benefits. But in order to get Tracy's plan working, they do need to convince Edna that she's good enough to participate.

Yeah. Right. Again. And so Motormouth is the one who convinces her of it by singing big, blonde, beautiful. Yes. Now, who were the different Motormouth that you worked with? Because, I mean, all of them had as big personalities as their voices. Absolutely. I mean, Mary Bond. Yeah. One of a kind on the road. It was Sharlow Crosley. Actually, in Sister Act was one of the background singers for with Jennifer Lewis. Yes. Yes. And then, yeah, they're all they're all in the like the Mark Shaman Club. That's so crazy family. But Jennifer Lewis, I have met many a time and shows that she's come to. And every single time is like epic. I'm just like, I just want to video the whole thing. Just keep talking.

You're just there was one AIDS walk that I did. They had Jennifer Lewis there is like like six in the morning, ready to, you know, send everybody on their way. And she walks up to the microphone and we all like applaud. And she goes, You better clap louder than that. I'm the original dream girl. And I didn't take my bipolar medication this morning. Sounds exactly like my God. Oh, my God. Oh, it's so funny. It's spectacular. Well, the good news is, is that their plan works. Yeah. Right. They invade the dance studio. Get on TV. There's a bit of a protest. Unfortunately, the protest turns ugly when the police are called. And everybody, literally everybody gets sent to the jail. The jail. Act one ended.

And it did. OK, so we are now at intermission or as non theater people call it, halftime. So what we're going to do is invite a listener to talk with us. Sabrina, Jonathan. Help me out, dude. I'm sorry. Just chisel. Yes. You say the L. Chisel. Yeah. Or is it just kind of like it's just there? You know, I've just I've been saying it for so long. I don't really think about it. The L's there, but you don't think about it. I love I'm more issues with how people spell my name than how they pronounce it more often than not. Fair enough. You got the two ways and then you got the hidden L. Yeah, I get it. It's a lot. Everybody, it's a it's listener extraordinaire Jonathan Chisel. And thanks so much for coming.

Thank you for having me. Oh, my gosh. So happy that there's somebody out there listening to this show. I believe that you are an actor as well, right? And you've done productions of Hairspray. I did. I did a production of Hairspray seven years ago while I was still in college. Yes. College production. Yeah. Or wait, it wasn't a college production. It was while you were in college. Yes, it was. I got permission to do it at the community theater where I where I basically got my start and I was a much, much, much too young Edna. Ah, amazing. That's fantastic. Yeah. What do you love about the show? I love the show. I found the show at the right time in my life. You know, I was an overweight. I still am overweight, but I was more overweight kid as a teenager.

And when you find the show that's so empowering about, you know, body positivity and all those sort of things when you're a teenager, it really becomes like a it really became like an anthem to me. The whole show just look kind of like, yes, you know, I can do this, too. And, you know, as somebody who's started doing theater at like 10 and then has been doing it since then, it really has always been the show that I go back to to be like. Yeah, I can be in the shows, too. Oh, that's fantastic. And then, of course, the all the the civil rights issues, you know, when I started really learning more about the show, of course, that became something that I really invested in as well. I'm not sure that there is another show that is as enjoyable as it is educational and subversive all at the same time.

Literally anyone can enjoy this. And yet we can all learn something from it as well. Absolutely. Jonathan, do you have any questions for our wonderful guest, Miss Sabrina Sloan? Yes, I Sabrina. Hi. First of all, I just wanted to know you did the national tour, is that correct? I did the first national tour after I did the original Broadway company, but I joined them. I joined them about a month into the after opening. Oh, OK. Awesome. So being in the Broadway company and then in the first national tour, what is your favorite moment in the show, whether it's when you perform or when you got to see every night? I think my favorite it's probably my favorite song and my favorite moment in the show is without love.

And it's because it's so much fun. I don't know. I mean, it was one of my favorite songs to sing because it's sort of like this gospel, you know, like mix of everybody's coming together and it's all it's all love. You know, it's all this moment of everybody, you know, seeing the fruits of like the labor that they went through and the you know, everybody's getting with their with their person. And also we're in these go ahead. Oh, I was going to say, were you one of the silhouettes? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And that's the most amazing. I mean, like I thought that was the most fantastic thing when I saw the show, too, when I was watching the show, I was watching those silhouettes and the shadows and this is incredible.

I've never seen anything like it. And so getting to do that, I put everything into those. So I mean, you think like you could just slack off behind. Nobody sees your face or anything. But I was like, with our love. And I was doing everything, just giving it. And that was the thing. You could really just like be yourself in that moment and just sing for, you know, the gods. And like and you knew what was happening on stage and you knew that was going to, you know, the audience was going to go crazy over that. But but it just was such a great kind of like unifying moment. My other probably favorite moment is and I know where I've been, you know, and just like the it was, you know, my Broadway debut, my first Broadway show.

And I was on stage with all black actors singing this incredible, you know, anthem and moving song with Mary Bond. Just like, you know, just her voice is just so powerful. Her voice is everything. It is everything. And just looking around and knowing this was my this was the beginning of of my Broadway career and journey. And it was something I never experienced on in college. You know, not in any theater. I'd done before being on stage and looking around and seeing all of these faces of color taking the stage in that moment and telling our story because it is a story about so many things. I mean, it's, you know, like you said, body image and cultural diversity and so, so much. So, yeah, I say I say those are a couple of my favorite moments.

If you're going to have two moments, man. Yeah, I loved them. Those are fantastic. Yeah, I'm really excited to talk about the second act with you because there's a lot there and some really interesting choices that the team made as writers that feel incredibly traditional. And then when you look at it, not traditional at all when it comes to musical theater, right? I'll be excited to listen. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's really it's I feel and it has a such a special place in my heart because it was my debut, but also it really set a precedent and a standard for, you know, what I would go on to do. And I've been really lucky to be a part of shows that kind of continually meet that that bar of changing things and being new and and being meaningful.

So, yeah, that's great. I'm lucky. Cool. Jonathan, anything else you want to talk about while you're here? Were you one of the dynamites? Yes. Yes. So which riff were you? I was Pearl. They call it I don't know if you know the name. These I don't know if that's common knowledge, like the name. Yeah, it's in the script. It is. It is in the script. I can't remember. So, yes, when I joined, actually, Shayna Steel was had a knee injury that was like pretty dramatic and she was going to be out pretty quick. So that's what I did. I did. That's amazing. I did the Shayna Steel Pearl track. The wailing riffs. The wailing one. Like that's the third one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's so fun. Have you seen there's like a YouTube video of like a Welcome to the 60s reprise fail?

Oh my gosh. It's the sweetest thing. I love it so much. No, and I don't talk about these things to like make fun of performers, but just because like it's so endearing to me to like have these idols to look up to like you. Yeah, right who are just wailing and you're and so on the inside you are doing it, but then on the outside. Gosh, it's so great. Well, we all we all have those moments. We all have we all have our inner Sabrina Sloan that just wants to come out, but anybody's guess what it's going to sound like. Oh my gosh, Jonathan. Thank you so much for spending some time with us. Thank y'all for having me. It was so much fun. Of course, of course. Thank you for listening and for carrying on the torch of musical theater nerdom everywhere.

Absolutely. I'm really fast. Do you want to share any of your social media stuff so people can connect with you? Sure. I'm at JS Chisholm to to on everything. So so Twitter Instagram everything. All right. So act two begins and we're in the penitentiary the women's penitentiary. One thing that we haven't talked about is there are these two characters in the show the male Authority figure in the female Authority figure. God, what are just often? Oh my gosh. Come on. I mean, is there anybody funnier in the world? I'm not sure. I haven't found anybody know like and just these zingers but like not just the delivery of the lines her faces and her physical comedy is insane. Just insane.

[50:11] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Welcome back to A Musical Theatre Podcast. Today, we’re diving into the world of HAIRSPRAY with the incredible Sabrina Sloan.

[50:41] Sabrina Sloan: Thanks for having me, Jeff! I’m so excited to talk about this show.

[51:11] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: HAIRSPRAY is such a vibrant and fun musical, but it also has some really profound themes. What do you think makes it resonate with audiences today?

[51:41] Sabrina Sloan: Absolutely! It’s all about acceptance and celebrating differences. The message is timeless, and the music is just so catchy!

[51:51] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And the characters are so memorable. Do you have a favorite character from the show?

[52:01] Sabrina Sloan: I love Tracy Turnblad! She’s such a strong and determined character. Her journey is inspiring.

[52:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Tracy’s journey is definitely a highlight. What was it like for you to perform in such an iconic show?

[52:31] Sabrina Sloan: It was amazing! The energy from the audience is electric, and being part of a story that promotes love and acceptance is truly special.

[52:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I can only imagine! The choreography is also a big part of HAIRSPRAY. How did you find the dance elements?

[53:01] Sabrina Sloan: The choreography is so fun and energetic! It really brings the music to life and gets everyone moving.

[53:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Speaking of music, the score is fantastic. Do you have a favorite song from the show?

[53:41] Sabrina Sloan: I love "You Can’t Stop the Beat." It’s such a feel-good anthem and always gets the audience on their feet!

[54:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It’s definitely a showstopper! The themes of empowerment in that song are so uplifting.

[54:21] Sabrina Sloan: Exactly! It’s all about embracing who you are and not letting anyone hold you back.

[54:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That’s a message we can all relate to. How do you think HAIRSPRAY has influenced modern musical theatre?

[55:01] Sabrina Sloan: I think it opened the door for more diverse stories and characters. It showed that musicals can tackle important social issues while still being entertaining.

[55:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That’s a great point. It’s important for musicals to reflect the world we live in.

[55:41] Sabrina Sloan: Absolutely! And HAIRSPRAY does that in such a fun and engaging way.

[56:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Let’s talk about your experience in the show. What was your favorite moment on stage?

[56:21] Sabrina Sloan: I loved performing "Good Morning Baltimore." It’s such a joyful way to start the show, and the audience always responds so positively.

[56:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That’s such a great number! It really sets the tone for the entire performance.

[57:01] Sabrina Sloan: Yes! And the energy just builds from there throughout the show.

[57:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It sounds like such a rewarding experience. What advice would you give to aspiring performers who want to be part of a show like HAIRSPRAY?

[57:41] Sabrina Sloan: I would say to always stay true to yourself and keep working hard. The journey can be tough, but it’s so worth it when you get to share your passion with others.

[58:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That’s wonderful advice. Thank you so much for sharing your insights about HAIRSPRAY with us today!

[58:21] Sabrina Sloan: Thank you for having me, Jeff! It’s been a blast.

[58:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And thank you to our listeners for tuning in! Be sure to follow Sabrina on Instagram at @sabrinasloannyc for more amazing content.

[59:01] Sabrina Sloan: Yes, I’d love to connect with everyone!

[59:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Don’t forget to rate and follow A Musical Theatre Podcast wherever you listen. We appreciate your support!

[59:41] Sabrina Sloan: And check out the TeePublic Store to support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS!

[1:00:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Thank you for being part of our podcasting community. Until next time!

[1:00:21] Sabrina Sloan: Bye, everyone!

[1:00:41] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Bye!

[1:01:01] Sabrina Sloan: Bye!

[1:01:21] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Bye!

[1:01:41] Sabrina Sloan: Bye!

[1:02:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Bye!

[1:02:25] Sabrina Sloan: Bye!