‘Hairspray’ actor takes Travolta’s tips to heart

Roger Welch received some advice on his “Hairspray” role directly from a guy who ought to know: John Travolta.

Travolta, who played the part in the 2007 movie, told Welch to just try to get used to the high heels. They’ll kill you at first.

High heels?

Yes, his character is Edna Turnblad, the plus-size mother of the plus-size heroine, Tracy Turnblad. Welch, the artistic director of the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre, joins Travolta in the exclusive club of people who have donned the fat-suit and the wig as Edna, a group that also includes Harvey Fierstein, George Wendt and the drag queen Divine.

Travolta was in Coeur d’Alene last month to see his sisters in “Cinderella.” At a post-show barbecue, Welch got the chance to pick his brain for nearly a half-hour.

It’s Welch’s first role as a woman, but most of Travolta’s advice was about meatier issues of motivation and craft.

“He talked about Edna’s character and how he approached it,” said Welch. “He also talked about the dialect.”

It’s a distinct 1960s Baltimore dialect, because, as almost everybody knows by now, “Hairspray” is about the moment when rock ‘n’ roll and the civil rights movement collided in segregated 1962 Baltimore.

More precisely, it’s about the time that the wonderful Tracy Turnblad wins a spot dancing on “The Corny Collins Show” and uses it as a platform for racial integration. This story has grabbed audiences for more than 20 years, in three distinct forms.

The first was the original 1988 film, written and directed by John Waters and starring Ricki Lake, Deborah Harry and Divine. It was – like many Waters projects – a quirky, low-budget film that became a cult smash, but it was not a musical.

Then came the 2002 Broadway musical version, with a score by Marc Shaiman. It swept the 2003 Tony Awards and ran for nearly seven years.

Then came the 2007 movie version of the musical, starring Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah and Christopher Walken. It was by no means a strict copy of the stage version; all three versions have important differences in style and emphasis.

The CdA Summer Theatre is, naturally, doing the 2002 Broadway version. This nationally known summer stock theater will deliver elaborate sets, a full orchestra and a cast of 28.

The lead role of Tracy Turnblad is played by Lindsey Hedberg, a young Seattle actress. A few well-known local names are in the cast, including Patrick Treadway as Wilbur Turnblad and Krista Kubicek as Velma Von Tussle.

Many of the performers are from New York, including many of the members of the show’s African-American chorus. Kirk Mouser, architect of some of the CdA Summer Theatre’s best shows (“Les Miserables” and “Miss Saigon”), is the director.

The Broadway version was a smash for good reason. The New York Times said it re-creates “the pleasures of an old-fashioned musical comedy without seeming old-fashioned” and called Shaiman’s songs “deliriously tuneful.”

Broadway audiences loved it because it was good-natured, uplifting – and just plain fun.

“I think of it as two hours of party,” said Welch.