Hairspray!

One Final Dance

It was a long time in the making, three years to be exact. The April 2022 opening night at the Leo Flick Auditorium was electric, and worth the wait!

This journey to the South View Middle Stage and Hairspray The Musical was much more than a spring musical “moment”. For this group of Edina 8th graders, it was an enthusiastic statement of patience, persistence, and optimism. And for those of us in the audience, it was pure joy.

 Macallen’s journey to the Hairspray stage began back in the sixth grade when he, and his buddy Alex, were cast in the ensemble for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.

Watching the two boys navigate K-5 together at Cornelia Elementary, we were delighted (aka; surprised) to see them take on this 6th grade adventure. The journey, however, was short-circuited by Covid and disappointment rained as Joseph never made it to the stage. And my attempts at the play bill never made it past the art table.

Not the type to give up, Macallen and Alex auditioned as 7th grades, getting cast as Chad Danforth and Zeke Baylor for the spring rendition of High School Musical. 

As persistent as they were, so was covid.  Though a performance on the auditorium stage was not in the cards, the HSM crew did perform live, in the rain, one show at the Centennial Lakes Plaza. Cold, wet, and armed with a limited number of rehearsals in the school parking lot, they pulled off a live performance that brought cheers, tears and a standing ovation.

 8th grade brought hope that covid restrictions would end, and theater would resume as normal.

Macallen and Alex, cast as Corny Collins and Link, would finally see the bright lights of the stage. Their fearless director Erica, and their determined classmates pulled off a performance that was energetic, and inspiring. They delivered a joyful exclamation point on a strange but wonderful middle school theatrical career.

As parents we were undoubtedly proud. As members of the community, who have watched, coached, and driven many of those same kids around to sports, field trips, and camps, we were thrilled. The depth and diversity of the cast was matched by the depth and authenticity of the friendships and shared experiences they’ve endured. If you needed to find a reason to be hopeful about the next generation, you just needed more hairspray!

Cast and Crew After The Final Show. Hairspray The Musical 2022!

Hairspray Gallery