The University’s Musical Theatre Club will be showing “Hairspray: the Broadway Musical” on Feb. 10-12 in the Union Theater. John Michael Moore, the director, also directed last year’s musical “Legally Blonde.”

“Hairspray touches on every social issue from gender equality, to self-image, racism, homosexuality and gender fluidness,” said Tony Collins, choreographer and costume designer.

One of the show’s central messages is that we can’t stop people from doing what they’re meant to do, especially based on image, said Katherine Mullen, music director and conductor.

Casting for Hairspray began in Nov. 2016, and 43 of the 70 who auditioned have roles in the play. The directing team met prior to the start of auditions to discuss the direction of the production.

Going into the audition process, Moore said the directing team always has an idea of what they want each character to embody, but they are almost always open to being surprised. There are a handful of surprising wildcards with each audition sequence.

“You have to watch out for the triple threat,” said Mullen. Those lead roles are to be filled by someone with the ability to sing, dance and act cohesively with others in the show. The full package is required, Mullen added.

Rehearsals for the play are intense, with only two days off per week; Thursdays and Sundays are off-days for catching up with schoolwork. Saturday is an all-day practice. With “Hairspray” being dance-focused, the choreography needed to be mastered before ironing out the smaller details.

Mullen describes the cast members as “beautiful in their talent.” Their response to the directors has been positive, and the process has proven to be great thus far.

The directing team wants potential viewers to expect more than a typical college-level performance.

“It’s so important that the authenticity of the musical is portrayed in our production,” said Mullen.

Each musical score was written with the intention of being inclusive to every social stigma, said Mullen. The contrasting styles between the different groups play a huge role in the overall message.

Moore said the musical not only has a lot of excitement, but also many deep and meaningful moments. The ideals and impressions the show leaves on viewers are unexpected.

“I think that this show is going to strike home with a lot of people, even if they aren’t expecting it,” Moore said.

Last year, the theatre hit maximum capacity, and around 200 people were turned away at each showing. The directors advise those interested to arrive early; the theatre can only seat 1,310 people at a time.

Admission to the show is free. The doors open at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday’s performance, the Union Theater doors open at 1:30 p.m., with the show beginning at 2:00 p.m.