LIMA — A beloved musical will make its way to the Veterans Memorial Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, and no one might be more excited than one cast member.
Joi D. McCoy said that it has been her dream to play the role of Little Inez in “Hairspray” throughout her career.
“I’ve always wanted to play her,” she said, “and I think ‘Hairspray’ is such a fun musical. I love an ensemble musical.”
McCoy tried multiple times to get the role only to be disappointed in the past, leaving her waiting for the right opportunity to realize her dream.
“And with this production, I got the callback and then from there, I had another callback and you cross your fingers and hope they like you, and hopefully you’re in the right place at the right time,” she said. “And hearing that I got Little Inez after many, many auditions it’s so exciting. I think she’s such a fun character and the show is the place to be.”
McCoy has good reason to be excited about this production of the musical, which has been running since 2002 centering around a teenager who fights to integrate a local TV dance show in the ’60s.
Original director Jack O’Brien, original choreographer Jerry Mitchell, original scenic designer David Rockwell and original costume designer William Ivey Long have all reunited for the tour, which premiered September in Paducah, Kentucky.
McCoy said, however, that her favorite thing about performing on the tour so far has been the cast.
“I think that the cast can make or break a show and I think this cast is just loving,” she said. “We have this great creative team that left this beautiful show in our hands and we’re trying to make the most of it and trying to present it in a way that honors the original and just gives forth their vision.”
For McCoy, a Florida native who comes from a musical family, the chance to see new parts of the country while sharing her love for this production is exhilarating.
“I’ve never been to Ohio and what I look forward to with honestly any city is the crowd’s reaction,” she said. “We’re going to many different parts of the country and some people will get a joke and some people won’t. Some people will laugh at something that wasn’t intended to be funny. It just feels like a new show every night. So I’m excited to see what Ohio’s take is going to be.”
And she hopes that take is an encouraging one.
“I think people should take away that underneath all the music and the jokes and the physical comedy there is a message about honoring our differences and accepting one another,” McCoy said. “If they can take that away as well as singing the songs and having a good time, then I think that’s beautiful.”
Civic Center CEO Abe Ambroza has similar wishes.
“Hairspray”, which has a cast of 32 and a company of 25, has won the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. It became the 22nd longest-running show in Broadway history, running from July 18, 2002 to Jan. 4, 2009. It is based on the 1988 film directed by John Waters. The musical was adapted into a musical film in 2007.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: “Hairspray”
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Veterans Memorial Civic Center, 7 Town Square, Lima
Tickets start at $45 and are available at http://www.limaciviccenter.com.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
