Comedian Pinette to Play Edna in Hairspray Tour
by Broadway Staff • Jun 30, 2004
The road company of Hairspray has found its next leading lady. Stand-up comedian John Pinette will make his musical theater debut playing Edna Turnblad in the hit tour starting in Seattle in September. As we previously reported, current Edna, Bruce Villanch, is leaving the tour to assume the role in the Broadway production.
"I saw it once with Harvey [Fierstein] and once with Michael McKean," Pinette told Broadway.com. "They're both incredible. I have some very tough pumps to fill!" When asked if he was nervous about making his legitimate stage debut, Pinette joked: "I'm nervous about the choreography. I tell jokes in saloons, so this whole dancing thing... I've been on the treadmill five or six days every week since I found out I was doing the part. I have to get in shape to play a fat old lady!"
A funnyman known for joking about his size "My cholesterol count has a comma!", Pinette was named Stand-Up Comedian of the Year by the American Comedy Awards in 1999 and received a Gemini Award nomination for his television performance at the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2000. He has appeared in several films including Junior, Dear God, Duets and The Punisher and in numerous sitcoms and TV movies.
"I saw it once with Harvey [Fierstein] and once with Michael McKean," Pinette told Broadway.com. "They're both incredible. I have some very tough pumps to fill!" When asked if he was nervous about making his legitimate stage debut, Pinette joked: "I'm nervous about the choreography. I tell jokes in saloons, so this whole dancing thing... I've been on the treadmill five or six days every week since I found out I was doing the part. I have to get in shape to play a fat old lady!"
A funnyman known for joking about his size "My cholesterol count has a comma!", Pinette was named Stand-Up Comedian of the Year by the American Comedy Awards in 1999 and received a Gemini Award nomination for his television performance at the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2000. He has appeared in several films including Junior, Dear God, Duets and The Punisher and in numerous sitcoms and TV movies.
Pinette will play his first performance as Edna on September 7 at Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre, where the Broadway production premiered prior to opening at the Neil Simon Theatre in 2002. He will stay with the show for six months, performing in Sacramento, Costa Mesa, Houston, San Antonio, New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Atlanta.
The Hairspray tour currently stars Vilanch, Keala Settle Tracy Turnblad, Jordan Ballard Amber Von Tussle, Terron Brooks Seaweed, Susan Cella Velma Von Tussle, Charlotte Crossley Motormouth Maybelle, Sandra DeNise Penny Pingleton, Austin Miller Link Larkin, Troy Britton Johnson Corny Collins and Todd Susman Wilbur Turnblad.