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 \u201cHairspray.\u201d <\/p>\n
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\u2019s \u201cMama, I\u2019m a Big Girl Now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winokur will be joined on stage by fellow \u201cHairspray\u201d stars Laura Bell Bundy and Kerry Butler, who have their own impressive Broadway resumes. Bundy starred in \u201cLegally Blonde\u201d and Butler in \u201cBeetlejuice.\u201d<\/p>\n
The one-day, two-show performances will be held in the Hobby Center\u2019s Zilkha Hall at 2 and 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a full show about how we started, the beginning of our friendships and careers and then how we all became moms,\u201d Winokur told the JHV.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 25 years of friendship on stage together. It has been so fun. If you like Broadway music, you will love it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winokur opened \u201cHairspray\u201d on Broadway in 2002, before moving to Los Angeles and starring in TV and film on \u201cDancing with the Stars,\u201d \u201cCelebrity Big Brother,\u201d \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d and more.<\/p>\n
Now, after getting married and becoming a mother, Winoker, along with Bundy and Butler, are back together to share their journeys.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou become a family in theater and, with \u2018Hairspray,\u2019 we went through something special,\u201d Winokur said. \u201cWe grew together, evolved together and now we get to share it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are there to cheer each other on and build each other up. We are not competing. We\u2019ve all been through this journey together.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trio of women have 16 Broadway shows and more than 200 television episodes among them.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 13, audiences can expect to hear songs from beloved musicals including \u201cHairspray,\u201d \u201cLegally Blonde,\u201d \u201cWicked,\u201d \u201cBeetlejuice,\u201d \u201cGypsy,\u201d \u201cSound of Music,\u201d \u201cGrease,\u201d \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors,\u201d \u201cThe Lion King,\u201d \u201cLittle Mermaid,\u201d \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all get to do our greatest hits,\u201d Winokur said. \u201cWe do some duets and some medleys and mix in storytelling and get to play off of each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMama, I\u2019m a Big Girl Now\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has really brought back the love of theater for me. Little Marissa is loving this era in my life,\u201d Winokur said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really love doing the show. It doesn\u2019t feel like a job. It feels like something fun on the weekends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winokur said the people they meet all have a story about how \u201cHairspray\u201d affected them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very nostalgic. We joke that we were the \u2018Hamilton\u2019 of our era,\u201d Winokur said. \u201cWe came in right after Sept. 11, and it was a pinnacle time in people\u2019s lives. \u2018Hairspray\u2019 sparked a lot within people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those memories will be free-flowing during \u201cMama, I\u2019m a Big Girl Now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 90 minutes of joy and happiness,\u201d Winokur said. \u201cTurn off your cell phones and connect to live theater. Enjoy some music with other people in the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a happy and sentimental night. If you are a theater fan, you will have a great night.\u201d<\/p>\n
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