Local actress scores lead in ‘Hairspray’

Published 12:01 am Friday, August 5, 2011

If you want to see a local production of the musical “Hairspray,” you can head to Issaquah where Village Theatre is putting on the show.

In it, you’ll see local actress Hannah Lake, who has lived in Snohomish County — Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace — all her young life and who landed the lead role as Tracy Turnblad.

Turnblad is the peppy oversized teen whose efforts to dance in a local Baltimore television show result not only in overcoming “size” discrimination, but also in contributing to better race relations in the city of Baltimore, said Hannah’s mother, Anne-Marie Lake.

“Hairspray” is set in 1962 and the plot includes a scheming producer, a best friend Penny, a big-hearted mother and the sassy Motormouth Maybelle along with bouncy tunes like “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

“Hairspray” performs for one more weekend at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Francis J. Gaudette Theatre, at 303 Front Street North, Issaquah.

Tickets are $16 and $14. Call 425-392-2202 or go to www.villagetheatre.org.

This is part of the Village Theatre Summer Stock program where students from all over the region compete to be cast in a professionally directed and produced show, Anne-Marie Lake said.

Lake, 18, graduated this year from Edmonds Heights K-12 where she received most of her acting training in a variety of lead, supporting and ensemble characters. This year, Lake was awarded a Fifth Avenue High School Musical Theatre Award for her portrayal of Mrs. Bennett in the Spring 2011 production of “Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Musical.”

Lake plans to complete her associate’s degree in music at Edmonds Community College and transfer to a university for further study.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.