CHATHAM, NY (August 27, 2026)—Get ready to dance, dream, and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” as Hairspray opens Thursday, August 27 at the Mac-Haydn Theatre. The big-hearted, high-energy musical comedy brings the sounds, style, and spirit of 1960s Baltimore to the Mac-Haydn stage for the final full production of the theatre’s 2026 season.
Based on John Waters’ beloved 1988 film with a score packed with infectious favorites including “Good Morning Baltimore,” “Welcome to the ’60s,” “I Know Where I’ve Been,” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” Hairspray follows Tracy Turnblad, a big-hearted teenager with big dreams who lands a spot on Baltimore’s most popular television dance show. What begins as a quest to dance on television soon becomes a much bigger fight for integration, acceptance, and the belief that everyone deserves a place on the dance floor.
John Saunders returns to the stage as Edna Turnblad, the lovable mother at the center of the story—and a role he has played in every Mac-Haydn production of Hairspray. He is joined by Shannon Lamy, who audiences may remember as Tamy in Escape to Margaritaville last season.
The production is directed by Steve Edlund and choreographed by Kaitlyn Frank, the pair reunite after their acclaimed collaboration on The Addams Family earlier this season.
At its heart, Hairspray is a musical about the power of being yourself—and about what can happen when people come together to challenge the rules that keep others from being seen and heard. Beneath its larger-than-life hairdos, colorful costumes, and exuberant dance numbers is a story about inclusion, friendship, family, and standing up for what is right.
Hairspray runs August 27–September 6 at the Mac-Haydn Theatre. Tickets are available now at www.machaydntheatre.org or by calling the box office at (518) 392-9292.
Performance Details:
Hairspray
August 27, 2:00 & 7:30pm; August 28, 7:30pm; August 29, 2:00 & 7:00pm; August 30, 2:00pm; September 2, 2:00pm; September 3, 2:00 & 7:30pm; September 4, 7:30pm; September 5, 2:00pm & 7:00pm; September 6, 2:00pm.
Mac-Haydn Theatre, 1925 NY-203, Chatham, NY.
Tickets available at www.machaydntheatre.org or by calling the box office at (518) 392-9292.