The 2010-2011 theatrical season roared into the Paper Mill Playhouse last weekend with the opening performance of Hairspray. From the very first “uh, uh, oh” of “Good Morning, Baltimore” to the energetic finale, “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” the expansive auditorium shook to its rafters. By the time the curtain rang down, the entire audience was on its feet, cheering the efforts of the talented singers and dancers, all of whom looked like they had had a great time performing themselves! You may have seen the original John Waters’ film, the Broadway musical production or the recent movie starring John Travolta, but I promise you that this blockbuster of a production meets and even surpasses them all. And it’s a great show for your kids to see, for the energy is infectious, the rhythms will get your toes tapping and you’ll want to get up and dance in the aisles.
The plot of Hairspray is goofy, charming and life-affirming. It’s 1962 and Baltimore hasn’t yet accepted Civil Rights, which means that only white kids get to dance on a local television dance show, except for one day a month, designated as Negro Day. The producer of the show, Corny Collins’ Dance Party, wants to ban all Negro music and keep the kids “on the white track.” When one of the girls leaves for a nine-month hiatus, chubby nebbish Tracy Turnblad auditions to fill the open spot. That she might not fit in with the skinny, rich “nicest kids in town,” never occurs to Tracy, so filled with confidence in her specialness is she. When she uses moves she learned from black friend Seaweed Stubbs and suggests that Negro kids be allowed to dance on the show every day, she upends the social apple cart, causes a ruckus, winds up in jail and eventually triumphs by sticking to her guns when the boy she loves abandons her. With satire and good humor, Hairspray confronts prejudice against “Negro music,” special ed students, and social status and appearance to judge the worth of others.
On a stage bathed in pink and wreathed by a haze of Ultra Clutch hairspray, a lithe group of dancers and singers crisply perform Michele Lynch’s re-created choreography, while wearing outlandish wigs and sixties-style costumes designed by Mark Adam Rampmeyer and Brian Hemesath, respectively. Tracy’s bump-it out bumps Snooki’s! Set designer Michael Allen even gets the Baltimore signature stone facing right!
As for the actors themselves, all did an outstanding job portraying John Waters’ original characters. Christine Danelson is a wonderfully wide-eyed, adorable Tracy, supported by her friend Penny, played by Alex Ellis with a palpable loyalty. Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone is Mean Girl Amber von Tussle; as the male in the romantic triangle, Link Larkin, Constantine Rousouli looks and moves like an Elvis clone, but shows his heart of gold in the clutch. The antagonists include Susan Mosher as Prudy Pingleton, as buttoned-up as her name suggests; Kevin Meany as a mean principal; and the former Miss Baltimore Crabs now producer of the dance show (and Amber’s mother) Velma von Tussle, played by Donna English as the embodiment of ambition, a mother who will do anything—and I mean anything—to give her daughter a leg up on the fame ladder. Leroy Reams as Tracy’s dad Wilbur is as adorable as she is; he’s so supportive of the women in his life. And Natasha Yvette Williams as Motormouth Maybelle reminds us of the importance of Civil Rights as she sings “I Know Where I’ve Been.”
But Christopher Sieber as Tracy’s mother Edna steals the show. The role has always been played by a male (the cross-dressing Divine played it in the original film; Harvey Fierstein created the role on Broadway and John Travolta was Edna in the film version of the musical), so the casting isn’t odd. When I watched Travolta on the large screen, I was always aware that he was John Travolta and was impersonating a woman. Sieber, however, never simpers or acts prissy, the way a man might to portray a woman. He wears the role easily and has great fun dropping his voice to a male register to make a point. He brought down the house every time he did it! He’s also very light on his feet and has a great voice.
Director Matt Lenz is to be commended for keeping things moving along at a great clip and for getting outstanding performances from a large cast.
While at first glance, Hairspray appears to be as insubstantial as a spritz from a can of Ultra Clutch, a sense of humanity exists at the musical’s core. Ultimately, like all good drama, Hairspray teaches us something about the human condition. Tracy Turnblad is a terrific role model for all of us, not just kids. That’s why the show received a standing ovation. It deserved one.
Hairspray will be performed Wednesday through Sunday at 7 PM; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 PM. There is no performance October 20, but the run has been extended through October 24! The Paper Mill Playhouse is located at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn. For information and tickets, call 973.376.4343 or visit http://www.papermill.org/.
