There's a new show opening this weekend at the Wichita Theatre, and it promises to be a great time for everyone.

In a bit of a theatrical coup d'etat, the Wichita Theatre is one of the first community theatres in the country to stage a local production of Hairspray and the cast is excited at the prospect of bringing this celebrated presentation to Wichita Falls.

The cast stars Emily Clements, Jeremy Motley, Johnathan Barnes, Mineasa Nesbit, Jeremy Saxton, Abigail Clements, Whitney Longcrier, Sidney Frank, Nancy Brasfield, Djquay Rogers, Michael Sherry and Nick Mariotti, and features Terrace Althouse, Amanda Jackson, Hannah Smith, Eddie Randall, Mickey Jordan, David Conrady, Ann Arnold and our own Little Meg from Lonestar 102.3.

We were visited in the Lonestar studio yesterday by two of the cast members, Emily Clements who plays Tracy Turnblad, and Nancy Brasfield, who plays Prudy Pingleton. They gave us a bit of insight about the show and what we can expect.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the show's story line:

Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues. In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. She then launches a campaign to integrate the show. Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s.

The musical's original Broadway production opened on August 15, 2002 and won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations. It ran for over 2,500 performances and closed on January 4, 2009. Hairspray has also had U.S. national tours, a London West End production, a UK tour and numerous foreign productions and was adapted for a 2007 musical film. The London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning for Best New Musical and in three other categories.

The show opens this evening (07.08.11) and runs through July 23rd. You can make your reservations by calling the Wichita Theatre at 940.723.9037 or by visiting their website.

Click here to listen to segment one with Emily and Nancy in the studio.

Click here to listen to segment two with Emily and Nancy in the studio.

The Wichita Theatre is truly one of the gems of downtown Wichita Falls and this would be the perfect opportunity to visit it for the first time, or reacquaint yourself with this grand venue.

The show is appropriate for all ages, so go ahead and bring the kiddos.

Dave D.

More From 102.3 The Bull