Jerry Boyle is no longer working his gig as an RV dispatcher in Indiana. He’s traded in his comfortable office attire for three-inch heels and a few big-haired wigs to headline the national tour of Hairspray, soon to be playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre beginning June 5.

Jerry will play Edna Turnblad, a supersized, caring mother based upon the New Line Cinema film that was written and directed by John Waters. The production that will visit San Diego is based upon Jack O’Brien’s original direction and Jerry Mitchell’s original choreography, recreated by Matt Lenz and Danny James Austin.

I had a conversation with Boyle while he was in Rhode Island, where the show is doing brisk business. This is what he had to say:

GLT: How did the producers track you down in your comfortable day job as a recreational vehicle dispatcher in Indiana and offer you the role of a lifetime as Edna Turnblad?

Jerry O’Boyle: I had an old friend, Bob Cline, who just happened to become the casting director for the national tour of Hairspray. We had worked theater together and thought I might be a good fit for the role of Edna. He just called me up one day out of the blue and offered me the role. I immediately put dispatching on hold and dusted off my pumps.

GLT: This is not your first female role on stage?

JB: No, I’ve played other womanly roles such as Mother Superior in Nunsense and Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Ernest. The role of Edna, however, is the most exciting of these roles; she’s diverse, delicate and accepting of everyone, no matter who they are.

GLT: You’ve been active in theater, especially Illinois theater, for many years. Your participation goes beyond just being an actor.

JB: After being cast in a role at The Apple Tree Theatre, they asked me to stay on as a performer, administrator and production team member. I stayed for some 15 years. I expanded my repertoire further at the Enchanted Hills Playhouse in Indiana. I worked with them for six seasons and wore many hats: choreographer, actor, designer, director and producer.

GLT: How did you find yourself working as a dispatcher after such glamorous roles on the stage?

JB: I was struck down in the prime of my acting career with a rare illness called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. After recovery, I thought a simpler life was in order. I still filled that need for creativity by participation at the Elkhart Civic Theatre and the Indiana Community Theatre Festival.

GLT: What do you bring to the part of Edna that no one else does?

JB: I think that I bring a truthfulness and an honesty to the part that hasn’t been in evidence since Harvey Fierstein originated the part on Broadway.

GLT: Since you’ve been on the road with this production, you have received some glowing reviews. What comments, if any, have taken you by surprise?

JB: When you are playing a role like Edna, you go for the honesty in the part and you don’t have to sound like a woman. I was surprised when various audience members told me that they were surprised when they checked the program and found out that a male was playing the part of the mother.

GLT: I’ve checked out the pictures of your cast members, and some of them really look hot. Will San Diego audiences be seeing this cast?

JB: San Diego audiences – with the exception of minor replacements – will see the cast that’s posted on the Web site. This cast is the tightest cast I’ve ever worked with. And with 55 members, it has the least amount of tension I’ve experienced on the stage to date.

GLT: From your journal, I read that Hairspray is the best time of your life. Is this still true?

JB: It is absolutely the best time of my life. It affords me the opportunity to work with a great cast every night and I also get to hook-up with old friends from the past while I travel from one city to another; some from early childhood.

GLT: How do the underlying themes of the ’60s that run throughout the show affect you as an individual?

JB: It’s like I’m reliving it all over again; the civil rights movements, etc. I remember living in Chicago at the time where prejudice was running rampant. Many people were afraid to speak up for their rights. Hairspray reminds us all to reach out to others and not be afraid to speak our minds. It reminds us that one individual can make a difference.

GLT: How long will you continue with this national tour of Hairpray?

JB: If the legs hold out, until April of 2008.

GLT: How do you keep the show fresh?

JB: This production company has made several changes from the original staging. And they are constantly making subtle changes; tweaking this or that. We have constant maintenance rehearsals. It’s all about devotion to quality and personal pride.

GLT: With 55 in the cast – not to mention the technical crew – it’s probably difficult to find your own space. Where’s your private retreat on the road?

JB: I get lost on the computer, communicating and catching up with family and friends.

GLT: What’s your biggest challenge in your life right now?

JB: Being away from family.

GLT: What’s your biggest indulgence?

JB: Godiva chocolates, but that’s alright since they want me to keep my weight up for the part of Edna.

GLT: How you do unwind after the show?

JB: Pay-per-view movies.

GLT: What has your experience with Hairspray taught you about life?

JB: To treat people well.

If you’re like most in the gay community, you can’t get enough Hairspray. This summer, you’ll have the opportunity not only to see Jerry O’Boyle in the stage version, but you’ll be able to see John Travolta playing Edna in the upcoming film version. So backcomb your beehive and work on your swingin’ moves of the 60s (the Locomotion, the Handjive, the Pony, the Mashed Potatoes and the Twist); you’ll want to be totally prepared when Hairspray comes to the Civic Theatre June 5.