All Tracy Turnblad wants to do is dance.

When she hears that her favorite local dance program, “The Corny Collins Show,” is holding auditions for new dancers, Tracy is determined to prove she can make it.

All that is standing in her way is an overprotective mother, a snobbish producer, a mean girl and preconceived notions that Tracy is too fat to be a good dancer. Fortunately, none of those is going to keep Tracy down, said Jessica Rogers, who plays the teen in an upcoming production of “Hairspray.”

“Tracy is big, and she loves to dance. Somehow her weight always gets in the way of her dancing, and people just don’t look at her as a person,” said Rogers, 15, of Nashville.

The situation sounds daunting, but people who come to see the production of “Hairspray” at the Rocky Mount Community Theatre are in for a catchy, bright, fun musical, said David Nields, theater director at the Maria V. Howard Arts Center. The show is at 7:30 p.m. March 2, 3, 9 and 10 and at 2 p.m. March 4 and 11.

“Hairspray” is a great show because it tackles issues – self-esteem and integration – in a way that is entertaining and heartfelt, Nields said.

“Everybody at some point in their lives feels like an outsider. It is really about embracing you for who you are. I think the most important thing is to be yourself and trust in that. People really respond to that,” Nields said.

Set in 1962 Baltimore, “Hairspray” originally was a 1988 movie written and directed by John Waters, Nields said. More than a decade later, the story was turned into a musical and opened in 2002 on Broadway. A film adaptation of the musical was released in 2007.

Some of the songs featured in the show are “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” “Welcome to the ’60s,” “Run and Tell That,” “Good Morning, Baltimore” and “Big, Blonde and Beautiful.” The Rocky Mount production will include songs from the stage musical that were left out of the 2007 movie, Nields said.

During the show, Tracy is not the only character dealing with change. Her mother, Edna Turnblad, is a shy, overweight woman who hasn’t left the house. Allen Pittman will play the sweet housewife, who typically is portrayed by a man.

“She is a little bit bossy, but she is also kind of shy. She is a little bit of a homebody, but in the play she does go out. She learns about living again,” said Pittman of Rocky Mount.

Edna also learns from her daughter about the importance of standing up for what is right, namely Tracy’s determination to help integrate “The Corny Collins Show.”

Also instrumental in that movement to integrate the show is Motormouth Maybelle, played by Coco Rouzier of Princeville. Maybelle is the host of the monthly “Negro Day” session of Collins’ show, the only day that features black teenager dancers.

For Rouzier, who had a long career in singing and cabaret, getting the chance to play such a strong character and show off her acting skills has been a pleasure, she said.

“For the ‘colored’ people, she meant everything. She represented everything at a time when we didn’t see ourselves on TV,” Rouzier said.

The beauty of “Hairspray” is the way it deals with difficult issues in a way that doesn’t depress the audience, Rogers said. Weight issues are a problem among teenage girls. To have a character who doesn’t let others make her feel inferior because of her weight sends a wonderful message.

“It kind of speaks to them saying it doesn’t matter who you are – black, white, skinny or fat – you can do whatever you want to do,” Rogers said.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and students and $6 for children 12 and younger. For details, call 972-1266.