Three Whitley County residents land roles in upcoming Civic Theatre performance of Hairspray
(Talk of the Town photos provided)
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
with reports
Three Whitley County residents have roles in the upcoming Fort Wayne Civic Theatre run of Hairspray.
Set in the 1960s in Baltimore, Hairspray tells the tail of teenaged, plus sized heroine Tracy Turnblad and her victorious win of a dance role on The Corny Collins Show. Turnblad uses her overnight celebrity to bring integration to the show and find true love. 
Richard Marchbanks (Corny Colllins) is thrilled to be back on the Civic Main Stage and honored to once again work with local legend and dear friend Harvey Cocks.
A five time Anthony Award nominee, Marchbanks' Civic roles have included Roger DuBris in The Producers and Mitch in Tuesdays With Morrie. You may also recognize him from local television commercials and as former host of a daily television show.
Mick Long (Edna Turnblad) was last seen at the Civic in Curtains. He has also appeared in Little Shop of Horrors, The Producers and Fiddler on the Roof.
Long has done some local television commercial work and has a bachelor's degree in Theatre from Indiana University.
Hannah Schaefer (Ensemble) is making her Civic debut in Hairspray.
Schaefer will be a sophomore at Columbia City High School this fall. Recent performances have included Smitty in How To Succeed…, Eudor/Ensemble in Snoppy and as a Dancer/Ensemble member of Cinderella. This fall she will play the role of Zaneeta in The Music Man at the Honeywell Center in Wabash.
Hairspray opens at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, 2011, at the Civic Theatre, 303 East Main Street, Fort Wayne. Shows continue Friday-Sunday with the last show slated for Sunday, August 7, at 2 p.m.
Adult tickets are $26 per person and youth or student tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at www.fwcivic.org, by calling (260) 424-5220 or at the Civic Theatre box office.