Hairspray is bringing a little bit of Baltimore to Philadelphia

It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and plump, big-haired teenager Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on the local teenage TV dance program.

When she learns a few dance moves from her Black friend Seaweed J. Stubbs, her wish comes true and she becomes an instant local celebrity.

Using her new-found fame, Tracy advocates for racial integration on the show – an uphill battle she has every intention of winning.

The question is, can a girl with big dreams (not to mention such big hair) change the world? That’s the basic theme of “Hairspray,” the 2003 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, and coming to the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) on the Kimmel Cultural Campus May 17-22.

With a winning score of hit songs – including “Welcome to the ‘60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore,” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” – the show features Florida native Jamonte Bruten as Seaweed J. Stubbs in the current touring production. A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Musical Theatre, Bruten says his mother told him he’d run around the halls of their home singing and dancing ever since he was a toddler.

“I always loved to perform, and think I always knew I would end up with this as my career,” the young performer admits. “Even as far back as elementary school, I auditioned for every possible performance show I could, from the band, to chorus and everything in between. But I never told my mother until I was accepted. That’s when she knew this was it. I had discovered the arts!”

In the show Seaweed is the son of Motormouth Maybelle –an R&B record producer and host of “Negro Day” on the Corny Collins Show – and brother of Little Inez.

A talented singer and dancer, Seaweed longs to be judged for his talents rather than the color of his skin. And despite the hardships and discrimination he and his family go through, he remains optimistic, believing things can change for the better.

“And that’s where I can really identify with Seaweed,” Bruten says. “I’m that kind of person too. I’m young, optimistic, and always try to see the best side in everything I do and everyone I meet.”

Before getting the role of Seaweed, Bruten had first toured playing the role of Duane, a dancer on the Corny Collins Show’s monthly Negro Day Special, and a good friend of Seaweed. “Which makes it really interesting to now be playing the role of Seaweed. For me, it’s a way of seeing the show from different angles and two different points of view.”

He played Duane from 2018 to 2021, and of course, he volunteers, things have changed since then. “We now have different performers playing the different characters. We have new, young actors coming into the show with different views,, giving off a whole new energy, a different kind of energy than those who played before them.

“And, of course, I’ve changed too,” he adds. ”I now play such an important role in the play. I’ve had to change my approach to the character. I’ve also had to do a lot of research since the show takes place in the 60s and I wasn’t even born yet.”

Bruten says this show is meant for “people of all ages, and it’ a show filled with love, openness, understanding, and the ability to see things from different points of view. That’s really what I hope audiences will come away with.”

For information, visit call kimmelculturalcampus.org