Marissa Jaret Winokur is a Tony-Award winning singer/actress who is most known for originating the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical “Hairspray.”
On Dec. 13, the Jewish theater star will be in Houston, reunited with two of her old friends for a fun night of music, laughter and heartfelt memories in Beyond Broadway’s “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now.”
Winokur will be joined on stage by fellow “Hairspray” stars Laura Bell Bundy and Kerry Butler, who have their own impressive Broadway resumes. Bundy starred in “Legally Blonde” and Butler in “Beetlejuice.”
The one-day, two-show performances will be held in the Hobby Center’s Zilkha Hall at 2 and 7 p.m.
“It’s a full show about how we started, the beginning of our friendships and careers and then how we all became moms,” Winokur told the JHV.
“It’s 25 years of friendship on stage together. It has been so fun. If you like Broadway music, you will love it all.”
Winokur opened “Hairspray” on Broadway in 2002, before moving to Los Angeles and starring in TV and film on “Dancing with the Stars,” “Celebrity Big Brother,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and more.
Now, after getting married and becoming a mother, Winoker, along with Bundy and Butler, are back together to share their journeys.
“You become a family in theater and, with ‘Hairspray,’ we went through something special,” Winokur said. “We grew together, evolved together and now we get to share it.
“We are there to cheer each other on and build each other up. We are not competing. We’ve all been through this journey together.”
The trio of women have 16 Broadway shows and more than 200 television episodes among them.
On Dec. 13, audiences can expect to hear songs from beloved musicals including “Hairspray,” “Legally Blonde,” “Wicked,” “Beetlejuice,” “Gypsy,” “Sound of Music,” “Grease,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Lion King,” “Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and more.
“We all get to do our greatest hits,” Winokur said. “We do some duets and some medleys and mix in storytelling and get to play off of each other.”
“Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now” started in New York off-Broadway for a three-month run and has been touring around the country since January 2024, with a few breaks in between.
“This has really brought back the love of theater for me. Little Marissa is loving this era in my life,” Winokur said.
“We really love doing the show. It doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like something fun on the weekends.”
Winokur said the people they meet all have a story about how “Hairspray” affected them.
“It is very nostalgic. We joke that we were the ‘Hamilton’ of our era,” Winokur said. “We came in right after Sept. 11, and it was a pinnacle time in people’s lives. ‘Hairspray’ sparked a lot within people.”
Those memories will be free-flowing during “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now.”
“It’s 90 minutes of joy and happiness,” Winokur said. “Turn off your cell phones and connect to live theater. Enjoy some music with other people in the room.
“It is a happy and sentimental night. If you are a theater fan, you will have a great night.”
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“Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now” will be at the Hobby Center for two performances on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 and 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit thehobbycenter.org.