Springfield High School has a long tradition of staging a big, elaborate musical every spring. This year’s production, "Hairspray," has taken on new meaning due to news events. Set in 1962, it's the story of a plump teenage girl who forces a televised dance show to diversify its cast. Springfield parents decorating the hallway outside the school auditorium to promote the musical made protest signs, similar to the ones used onstage, with a mix of slogans from the 1960s and from today's news. But within hours, school administrators removed the signs with slogans inspired by recent police shootings, and a few days later, took down the signs supporting same-sex marriage.
In an email statement, Principal Mike Grossen said he wasn’t trying to censor students, but the slogans had not been pre-approved.
Hairspray runs through this weekend only at Springfield High School, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
