Ginger Commodore, center, is Motormouth Maybelle in "Hairspray" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre.

For more than 20 years, she has become a familiar performer in the Twin Cities with "Moore by Four" and "Sounds of Blackness." Now you can catch Ginger Commodore on the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre stage as Motormouth Maybelle, the hip purveyor of new sounds in "Hairspray." Commodore has taken over the role sung by Aimee K. Bryant, who left because of a commitment made before the show extended.

"Aimee let them know I might be interested in auditioning so I did and they asked me in," Commodore said.

She exhaustively studied a dvd of the show, watched Bryant's performance and then worked within the basic framework to create her own take on Maybelle.

"There was a lot built into the role by Aimee," Commodore said.

This is Commodore's debut at Chanhassen. They had approached her several times but the timing never worked, she said. Commodore has performed on many local stages, including Penumbra, Mixed Blood, Children's Theatre Company and the Minnesota Opera. Her career is long enough, and distinguished enough, that she and her husband, Robert, have ceded their roles in the Grammy-winning "Sounds of Blackness" to their son and daughter — as drummer and singer respectively.

The role of Maybelle offers a great showcase for Commodore, and for theatergoers who haven't had a chance to catch her up to now.

Here's our review of "Hairspray," which runs through the end of May.