A star on the rise in Luxor version of ‘Hairspray’

Wednesday, March 1, 2006 | 7:16 a.m.

What: "Hairspray"

When: 7 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; dark Wednesdays

Where: Luxor Theater

Tickets: $71.50 (Mezzanine), $93.50 (Main floor)

Information: 262-4400

Like a hurricane, Katrina Rose Dideriksen is blowing away audiences at "Hairspray."

Dideriksen is a peppy 22-year-old native of Durham, N.C., who is in the eye of the storm onstage at the Luxor, starring as Tracy Turnblad - an overweight teenager in the early '60s who finds love en route to integrating a popular TV dance program in Baltimore.

To enhance her physique and give her the illusion of being obese, Dideriksen - a tireless dancer - wears a fat suit.

She co-stars in the musical/comedy with Harvey Fierstein, who portrays her mother, Edna Turnblad. Dick Latessa portrays the husband and father, Harvey Turnblad.

Fierstein and Latessa originated the roles on Broadway. They have signed on for a three-month engagement with the local show, produced by Michael Gill and Myron Martin.

Like her co-stars, Dideriksen is on a three-month contract, which ends April 30, although she wouldn't mind having it extended.

"I would like to stay with the show as long as they would have me," Dideriksen said. "I'm happy where I am. The production team is amazing; I've never had one so caring and so available; and the cast is 100 percent supportive."

Regardless of what happens at the end of three months, this has been an experience of a lifetime for the fledgling performer, whose only other professional experience has been as a stand-in for other "Hairspray" productions.

Starring in a major Las Vegas production isn't a bad way to launch your show business career.

"When I was in high school I just knew that I wanted to do something with music, but I had no idea it would lead to this. 'Hairspray' is the first professional thing I have done, so I'm fairly new to it all," Dideriksen said. "Being the actual girl (Tracy) rather than a standby is a whole new experience. I'm glad I had the stepping stones that I did. It allowed me to slowly prepare to take the role."

Dideriksen was a musical theater major at New York University two years ago when she auditioned for "Hairspray," hoping to land a role either on Broadway (where the production won eight Tonys in 2003) or with the national touring company.

"I ended up being sent to Toronto when the production there was about to open," she said. "I just went through the rehearsals to learn the role, then I was hired to go on tour. I was a standby for almost a year and a half."

She interrupted her studies to join the touring company, taking a leave of absence during the second semester of her junior year.

"I've always had the mindset about opportunities to seize them while they are there," Dideriksen said.

After 18 months on the road, and a brief stint as a standby with the Broadway company, she left the tour to finish college. But then after one semester, she took another leave of absence after landing the lead role in Las Vegas.

"I'm still working on the degree," Dideriksen said.

But performing in a Las Vegas version of a Broadway show has been an education of sorts for the actress, who has one semester to go to get her degree.

For one thing, the production was cut from more than two hours to 90 minutes, with no intermission.

"It's a tough show to do in only 90 minutes," Dideriksen said. "It seems like they cut out every moment I had to breathe.

"There is a lot of pressure onstage, but everyone is so incredibly supportive, it makes things a lot easier. Harvey has totally taken on the mother role on and off stage."

She says there are pluses and minuses to the adaptation.

"It's a little hard. They cut out some things that draw the audience into Tracy occasionally. But they cut away a lot of the fat in the show and managed to keep the story intact," Dideriksen said.

The Las Vegas production is extremely fast paced.

"There is no downtime to rest," she said. "It's a party for 90 minutes."

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at jerry@lasvegassun.com.