July 13, 2012
Inga Thrasher is a three-time Emmy-nominated hair stylist/designer at “Saturday Night Live.” She graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Journalism. She and her husband, Mark, a professional woodwind musician, have lived in Leonia since 1995. They have two daughters, Olivia and Anna. Since 2007, she has been the choreographer for Summerstage at Leonia productions. This summer’s production is “Annie,” which will run the last two weeks of July at the Leonia High School Little Theater. Visit http://www.leoniasummerstage.org.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I grew up in the small town of Gonzales, La., near Baton Rouge. Like many in that area, my family is French-Canadian (Cajuns). I have one sister and I’m one of 30 first cousins! I’m the only blue-eyed blonde in the bunch.
Q: Were you always interested in theater?
A: No, but I always wanted to be a Rockette! I’ve been tap dancing since I was 3, and though I was never formally trained as a singer, as a teen I traveled all over Louisiana singing and dancing with the Jambalaya Singers, a regional musical review to promote the Jambalaya Festival in my town.
Q: When did you see your first Broadway show?
A: I took my first trip to New York City with a college journalism class in 1983. I saw “Dreamgirls” and “42nd Street.” When the curtain rose after the “42nd Street” overture and I saw all those tapping feet, I said, “I can do that!”
Q: When did you begin doing that?
A: In 1986, when the rights for “A Chorus Line” went public, I was chosen to play Maggie, the girl who sings “At the Ballet,” at the Baton Rouge Little Theater. Bobby Longbottom (from NYC) directed and choreographed the show. He later encouraged many of the cast to come to New York City to audition for summer stock shows. Seven of us bought $49 round-trip tickets on People’s Express airlines. My week of auditions resulted in a year-and-a-half of work in a national tour of “A Chorus Line” and a summer of shows at the Maine State Theater.
Q: How did you meet your husband?
A: We met in 1986, when we were hired for a bus and truck tour of “A Chorus Line.” Mark was in the orchestra and I was playing Maggie. About 40 of us traveled on that bus for a year and a half.
Q: What prompted your interest in hair and wigs?
A: As an actress I had worn wigs onstage. I liked hanging out in the hair department learning what I could because I was interested in the process. One summer I even convinced a producer to pay me to maintain the wigs for a show I was in.
Q: How did you transition from onstage to backstage?
A: After working in regional theater and Off-Broadway for years, I returned to New York City after a five-month tour with “A Chorus Line” in Europe and realized that everyone had become tall on Broadway. Not good news for a five foot tall actress. I really loved the industry and tried to find a way to stay. So I started over. I enrolled in cosmetology school in Manhattan. I was soon hired as a swing (substitute) hairdresser for “Showboat.” I discovered I had just as much fun working backstage as I had on stage. The show backstage is just as choreographed as the dance moves on stage and an integral part of any production.
Q: What other Broadway shows did you work on backstage?
A: My first permanent job on Broadway in 1995 was “Victor, Victoria,” which had four hairdressers. From there I worked on “Sunset Boulevard,” “Steel Pier,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Hollywood Arms,” “Into the Woods,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Nine.” I was the Assistant Hair Designer of “Steel Magnolias” and also swing hairdresser on “Phantom,” “Les Miserable,” “Chicago,” “The Producers,” “Titanic,” “Flower Drum Song,” “Scarlet Pimpernel”… the list goes on.
Q: When did you start working at “Saturday Night Live”?
A: In 2001, I was hired and assigned to Seth Meyers, who is now the head writer. I worked on Broadway shows all week, then spent my Saturdays at SNL. In 2007, I became more of a fixture at SNL, “the fourth hair person.” Now I’m one of three designer/stylists on the show.
Q: On an average week at SNL, how many wigs are used in the show?
A: Forty to 80. We use wigs for the digital shorts, commercial parodies, and of course, the live sketches. They’re made with human hair and cost from $2,500 to $3,500 per wig. We typically have six hairstylists working during the week to create what the viewer sees on Saturday. For the live show we use 15 to 18 hairdressers. One per cast member and a crew for our extras.
Q: How many hours do you put in on a typical SNL work day?
A: I work 47-55 hours in four days. Our longest day is Friday, which can begin as early as 6 a.m. and end about 3 or 4 a.m. due to all the prep work.
Q: How do you unwind after SNL?
A: There’s usually a party afterwards in a local bar. The best ever was the wrap party after this season’s finale. Music was provided by “Chevy Metal” (the Foo Fighters) with Mick Jagger doing a couple of numbers. Held in the Rockefeller Center Summer Garden, the festivities went till 4 a.m.
Q: Why did you move to Leonia?
A: Mark was playing in the pit of “Crazy for You” and a fellow musician, John Moses, told him, “My neighbor is selling his house (in Leonia). You should come take a look.” We had visited Leonia a few times, usually parties with other musicians, so we were familiar with the town. We took a look and we decided to live here.
Q: How did you get involved in Summerstage at Leonia?
A: I auditioned for “The Music Man” in 2006 and had the role of Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn, the Mayor’s wife. The next year, I was asked to be the choreographer and hair consultant.
I love being part of Summerstage as it reminds me of my family’s own involvement with local theater when I was growing up. My parents are still enthusiastic community theater boosters and also a huge part of the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival in my hometown.
Q: What do you most like about Leonia?
A: The Leonia Schools are great and very supportive of the arts. We’ve enjoyed the sports/recreation organizations in town for our kids. I like that the town is walkable and it’s also an easy commute into New York and to Rockefeller Center.
Leonia Lives 