Arts & Entertainment
Rival High Schools Come Together In Stage Production Of 'Hairspray'
Instead of going it alone, Elsinore High School drama teacher Leslie Vecchione and Lakeside High School drama teacher Scott Karlan joined forces for the spring musical.
An ambitious stage production of the hit musical Hairspray opens at Lakeside High School tonight. The play’s underlying theme is one of integration, so it’s ironic that Hairspray’s run in Lake Elsinore is the real-life collaboration and unity of two local rival high schools.
Instead of going it alone, Elsinore High School drama teacher Leslie Vecchione and Lakeside High School drama teacher Scott Karlan joined forces for the spring musical.
Both teachers were motivated by the financial advantage of working together.
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“Our budget has shrunk quite a bit, especially in the past three or four years,” Karlan said. “You could buy a really nice used car with the same amount of money,” he added when asked about the cost of staging a show.
“Between royalties, costumes, sets and props, staging a production really adds up,” Karlan continued. “It’s more affordable to share the costs while still providing our students with a big spring musical.
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“The cast is unusually large, about 60,” he added. “In a cast this large, there’s a wide range of ability and experience, so it has been a challenge to find ways of helping the students gain control of their characters.”
The cast is balanced with players from both Lakeside and Elsinore. Most of the lead roles are being performed by more than one student, which allows for a greater number of the young actors to shine. It also provides the students the ability to learn from one another as they see an alternate interpretation of the same role.
In addition to the high school players, Hairspray features some younger students from various schools throughout the Lake Elsinore Unified School District.
Hairspray, set during 1960s Baltimore, is a lighthearted look at the fight for racial equality and integration. The musical is based on the 1988 movie by John Waters.
In 2002, the film was adapted into a stage production that went on to win eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2003. A later movie-musical version of Waters' film was released in 2007.
Full of fun, upbeat music and dancing, the show is family appropriate.
Hairspray will run at Lakeside High School during the following dates and times:
Friday, March 4; 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 5; 3 and 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 11; 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12; 1 and 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10, $12, and $15.