INDIANAPOLIS — A Broadway classic is back in the "Circle City."
The national tour of "Hairspray" takes the stage at the Old National Centre through Sunday, Feb. 26.
"I knew coming in that the Indiana audiences were going to come through and show up and show out," Billy Dawson told 13News after opening night in Indianapolis.
Dawson, an Indiana native, plays the role of Corny Collins, the host of a teenage dance show in the early 1960s.
"Oh, it's a dream come true," Dawson said.
He grew up in Fort Wayne, where he said he was first introduced to "Hairspray" with the 2007 film. Now, Dawson has danced and sung his way through the musical more than 350 times.
"Getting to do it with the original Broadway creative team, the people who birthed this baby and really get the original inspirations for it, incredible," Dawson said.
Dawson described the musical as "an important message wrapped in a sparkly bow."
And Dawson said the main messages of the musical are just as important today as they were in 1960s Baltimore.
"It's a beautiful honor to be able to share this story, especially during Black History Month," Dawson said. "It's hard. It's unfortunate, like we said, that it's even more relevant than it was. As Corny Collins, in 1962, he is a huge ally for diversity and equity and inclusion. He kind of is the moral compass of the show."
Theater can often feel like therapy, according to Dawson, for both the audience and the performers.
"I get to go out there and tell you and show you your life in front of you," Dawson said. "It's a beautiful and very important job on my end, on our end as the cast and crew."
Dawson asks audience members to come to the show with an open mind.
"I would say 'Hairspray' is a party that makes you think," Dawson said. "You're going to come in for a good time. You're going to learn some things. You're going to cry happy tears and cry thoughtful tears. It's going to be beautiful."
This year's cast and crew have worked together since August 2022.
"This time around, you're going to have a new cast involved, so there's going to be different interpretations and different energies coming to the table," Dawson said.
And he's excited to be back in the Hoosier state for a few days.
"I've got some friends and family who live here in Indianapolis that are going to be able to come, so it's really exciting," Dawson said.
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