Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Broadway in Vegas

What: 'Hairspray."

When: Preview performances Feb. 6-14, 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Ongoing beginning Feb. 17, 7 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; 7 and 10 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Dark: Wednesdays.

Where: Luxor Theater.

Tickets: $55 (Preview performances Feb. 6-14), $71.50 (mezzanine), $93.50 (main floor).

Information: 262-4900.

Veteran Broadway and Hollywood actor Harvey Fierstein made his first trip to Las Vegas Saturday.

"I haven't ever been to Vegas," said the raspy-voiced star. "I'm a virgin.

"Sunday I went to Wild Oates, a health food store, and I saw my first slot machine in a pharmacy."

This will be his home for at least the next three months, the length of his contract to perform in "Hairspray," the long-anticipated Broadway musical that will premiere at the Luxor on Feb. 6.

"That's it, unless there's a write-in campaign to keep us," quipped Fierstein, who dropped out of the production in 2004 to appear as Tevye in the latest revival of "Fiddler on the Roof."

Fierstein portrays Edna Turnblad, wife of Wilbur Turnblad, a role played by Dick Latessa.

Both Fierstein and Latessa originated their respective parts on Broadway in 2002.

The production won eight Tony's in 2003, including Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for Fierstein and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Latessa.

"Hairspray" is based on John Waters' 1988 movie of the same name.

It's the story of Tracy Turnblad, whose dream is to dance on the '60's-era "Corny Collins Show," a local TV dance program in Baltimore.

After she gets on the show she becomes a celebrity and then begins campaigning to integrate the program.

The musical is currently at the Neil Simon Theatre.

And soon it will also be at the Luxor Theatre, part of the new wave of entertainment coming to Vegas -- Broadway shows that include "Avenue Q" at Wynn Las Vegas and the upcoming "Phantom of the Opera" at the Venetian.

It is being produced by Michael Gill and Myron Martin.

Jack O'Brien, who directed the Broadway version of the production, also directs the Las Vegas version.

Joining him from the New York crew is choreographer Jerry Mitchell.

Mitchell and O'Brien also worked together on the road production of "The Full Monty," which was at the Aladdin in August 2003.

Mitchell worked in Vegas in 2001, directing the now-defunct "EFX" at the MGM Grand starring Rick Springfield.

The local cast of "Hairspray" will include Las Vegas resident Susan Anton, a veteran of stage and screen, who will portray Velma, a wicked stepmother.

Other leads include relative newcomer Katrina Rose Dideriksen, who portrays Tracy, the daughter of the Turnblads, and Kevin Spirtas (Corny), who spent six years as Dr. Craig Wesley on NBC's "Days of Our Lives."

Fierstein -- who has appeared in such films as "Independence Day" (1996), "Bullets Over Broadway" (1994) and "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993) -- was reluctant when first approached about coming to Las Vegas.

He said he wouldn't have done it without Latessa.

And he wasn't sure about Vegas.

"I had misgivings about performing here," Fierstein said. "I didn't want to walk in here like 'Hey, we're Broadway, and we'll show you.'

"You have to show your audience some respect."

Fierstein says a show is all about communicating with audiences.

"If we can't take what we know we have and give it to the audience, we have failed," he said. "That's our job -- it's not the audience's job to come into a theater and work hard."

The Las Vegas production, which will run for 90 minutes without an intermission, will be dramatically shorter than the Broadway musical, which runs for over two hours with a 15-minute break.

Fierstein has no problems with the changes.

"I worked on the cuts, and on paper I think I like it better than the Broadway version," he said. "At least it looks like it might be better."

Mitchell says he is excited about the Las Vegas production.

"We cut quite a bit," he said, "but we didn't cut the story -- there were places where he performed some nips and tucks. A couple of secondary numbers were cut."

He noted that cutting the 15-minute intermission allowed them to cut some of the songs that take place after the break, when the audiences are being reminded of what happened before the intermission.

"The show is structured to get the audience back into the story after intermission," Mitchell said. "That takes about 10 minutes -- any show has a little fat it can get rid of, and we found most of ours after the intermission."

He says one of the most dramatic changes in the Vegas production is the finale.

"The finale in New York makes audiences go crazy," he said. "It sends them out of the theater going wild.

"The finale here in Vegas will be even more exciting. They've spent $2 million to $3 million more on scenery here and created something that doesn't happen in New York City."

He said the finale will include the entire orchestra joining the cast on stage.

"It'll be like 'Hullabaloo' or 'Shindig' (two TV music shows from the '60s), something that will only be done in Vegas."

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at [email protected].

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