Next season, Skylight goes big with ‘Hairspray’

Next season, Skylight Music Theatre is turning to Baltimore’s plussize teenage heartthrob and her friends for the holiday season.

Skylight will stage “Hairspray” as its November-December musical, the theater announced in a statement. As part of that production, Skylight plans to find 12 to 15 local teens to perform as the show’s ensemble.

Based on a John Waters movie and set in 1962, “Hairspray” spotlights teenager Tracy Turnblad, who wants to perform on a local TV dance show and then pushes for the show to be integrated.

In a statement announcing its 201819 season plans, artistic director Ray Jivoff said the “Hairspray” production will build on Skylight’s success this season staging a production of “Annie” that combined adult and young performers. Jivoff formerly was the Skylight’s education director and has a long background in arts education.

Skylight productions take place at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Next season’s schedule:

“Pippin,” Sept. 21-Oct. 7. Long before he wrote the music for “Wicked,” Stephen Schwartz composed this show about a young royal’s search for his or her “Corner of the Sky,” featuring a performing troupe and a leading player who relate the story.

“Hairspray,” Nov. 16-Dec. 23. Skylight plans to begin auditions for the teen ensemble in April.

“Five Guys Named Moe,” Jan. 25Feb. 10, 2019. In this spirited musical, heartbreak goes down easy when Big Moe, Little Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, Eat Moe and No Moe are on hand to sing familiar Louis Jordan songs, including “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens” and “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby?”

“Carmina Burana,” March 15-31, 2019. Skylight will perform Carl Orff’s popular cantata about the turning of fortune’s wheel as a staged work of music and movement, in collaboration with Milwaukee Opera Theatre.

“Kiss Me, Kate,” May 17-June 9, 2019. Cole Porter wrote the music and lyrics for this musical take on Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Sam and Bella Spewack’s book for the show was inspired by quarreling between famed Wisconsin theater couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne when they performed “Shrew” together in the 1930s.

Those five shows are all being performed for the first time at Skylight.

In addition, Skylight will revive “Things That Go Ding!,” a showcase for percussionist Michael Lorenz and his warehouse of vintage instruments, Feb. 22-March 3, 2019. (Skylight previously presented the “Ding!” thing in 2009 and 2012.)

For season ticket and other information, visit skylightmusictheatre.org or call (414) 291-7800.