at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Madeline is delighted to share this joyous and vibrant show! Many thanks to her parents for their support, and to this cast for being so welcoming and supportive of all the silliness! Hope you enjoy and welcome to the 60s!!
Mike“ MO” Olinger( Edna Turnblad) Mike is ecstatic to squeeze into Edna’ s glamorous girdle and dazzling wardrobe for this dream role, but don’ t let the heels fool you: the man’ s got the grace of a ballet-dancing rhinoceros!( If you see him stumble or suffer an ill-timed wardrobe malfunction, know that it’ s definitely a“ character choice”.) TCR audiences might recall MO’ s clock-watching antics as Cogsworth in Beauty and The Beast, his mullet-fueled mayhem as Dennis Dupree in Rock of Ages, his sanctimonious silliness as Brother Jeremiah in Something Rotten!, or his fishnet-wearing frenzy as Eddie / Dr. Scott in RHCR’ s production of The Rocky Horror Show. When he’ s not joyfully swanning about in wigs and curlers, MO can be found subbing backstage or in the light booth-- or somewhere attempting( poorly) to perfect his runway walk in a borrowed pair of heels. Mike celebrates Hairspray’ s message of self-love and acceptance, inclusivity, and the beauty of all identities. He’ d like to thank his family, friends, cast, crew and creative team for their unwavering support in his journey to become Edna. MO dedicates this performance to his own " timeless " love story with Mrs. O-- and to the dreamers out there who want to change the world, one big-hearted shimmy at a time.
Aaron Pozdol( Wilbur Turnblad) What an explosion of light and life this show is! Aaron is thrilled to be allowed to play in this mid-century techni-color playground with this incredible cast, crew, and creative team. He has been seen at a number of local theaters( highlights include Waitress, Something Rotten!, The Play That Goes Wrong at TCR; Anastasia with City Circle, Private with Mirrorbox), and as of this writing is currently in some form of production with We ' ll Get Back to You with Crooked Path( soon to be going to the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival!) and Amadeus at TCR. Thanks to Matt for taking a chance on his schedule conflicts, and to Carrie, Ava, and Charles for their love and support through this busy season!
Diamond Purchase( Shayna / Dynamite / Dance Captain) Diamond is absolutely thrilled to be doing her FIRST MUSICAL at TCR!!!!!!! You may have seen her in a couple of Grandon productions including Fairview( Jasmine) or In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play( Elizabeth). Diamond studied Fine & Performing Arts with a concentration in dance at University of Dupuque, so she loves performing! It’ s her dream to one day own her own dance studio. She would like to thank her family, friends, and boyfriend for always supporting her in everything she does.
Justin Sands( Harriman F Spritzer / Mr. Pinky and Others) Justin Sands honored to be a part of this talented company! He was last seen on the TCR stage in the 2022
32 HAIRSPRAY | theatrecr. org