Both Sarah Hayes and Amy Rodriguez were present at the national Broadway tour stops of “Rent” at Hancher Auditorium — Hayes as an audience member in 1999 and Rodriguez as a student stagehand in 2019.
This weekend, the two will return to Hancher. This time, however, they will both be centerstage, costarring in the Tony Award-winning national tour of “Hairspray.”
While a theatre arts major at the University of Iowa, Rodriguez spent three years working on touring productions at Hancher. Often, she would envision herself in the spotlight rather than operating it.
Broadway
Hairspray
Broadway's Tony Award-Winning Best Musical
Presented by
Hancher
Tickets
Adults $119 / $99 / $79
Students & Youth $119 / $65
Ticket prices are subject to change
Part of Hancher's Broadway Series
You Can’t Stop the Beat! HAIRSPRAY, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon, is back on tour! Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world?
Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including "Welcome to the ‘60s," "Good Morning Baltimore," and "You Can’s Stop the Beat," HAIRSPRAY is "fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!" (The New York Times).
This all-new touring production reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team led by Director Jack O’Brien and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell to bring HAIRSPRAY to a new generation of theater audiences.
Don’t miss this “exhilaratingly funny and warm-hearted musical comedy” (The New Yorker).
We are delighted to announce that Amy Rodriguez—a graduate of the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts and a former Hancher stagehand—will play Tracy for the 7:30 p.m. show on Saturday, Feb. 24, and the 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Feb. 25!
Preorder food from the Stanley Café!
Avoid the lines by making your food selections before you come to Hancher Auditorium. Cheese boards are only available through preorder and cannot be purchased on-site at the performance. Snacks and beverages will be available on-site.
Orders must be placed by noon the day before the performance.
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News
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The Gazette - Thursday, February 15, 2024
Big hair, big heart, big dreams, big change. That’s “Hairspray” in a nutshell.
It’s all that, and so much more — including two cast members with Hancher ties. They’ll be returning to the University of Iowa’s premiere venue in Iowa City for four performances Feb. 23 to 25, 2024.
For Iowa - Thursday, January 18, 2024
Amy Rodriguez (21BA) remembers working as a student stagehand at Hancher, walking out on stage and imagining what it would be like to perform in front of an audience there.
Rodriguez’s chance to shine comes this February when the touring Broadway production of Hairspray brings the University of Iowa theatre arts alumna back to the Hancher stage as the standby for Tracy Turnblad. Rodriguez will play the musical’s lead character for the 7:30 p.m. show on Saturday, Feb. 24, and the 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Feb. 25. “It’s a very cool, full-circle moment for me,” she says.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Paris Young in advance at (319) 467-4849 or at paris-sissel@uiowa.edu.