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HAIRSPRAY is a 2002 American musical with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with the book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on John Waters’s 1988 film of the same name.
Many people will be more familiar with the movie remake in 2007 starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken and Zac Efron.
Set in 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, it tells the story of dance-loving teenager Tracy Turnblad who has one dream – to dance on The Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star and she must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin all without denting her hairdo.
Prominent music theatre producer John Frost, for Crossroads Live Australia, has picked a wonderful cast to bring this revival to the stage.
It doesn’t get much better a leading cast as this. Shane Jacobson, played beloved housewife Edna Turnblad, and the wonderful Todd McKenney played her devoted husband Wilbur Turnblad,
Rhonda Burchmore is perfectly cast as the villainous Velma Von Tussle, veteran music theatre performer Bobby Fox was ever reliable as Corny Collins,
Asabi Goodman was great as powerhouse motormouth Maybelle, Javon King as Seweed J Stubbs and Little Innex as Avanda Dladla were awesome as her two teenage children.
Sydney’s own Carmel Rodrigues shone as the unstoppable, irrepressible Tracy Turnblade. Just 23 years of age, the role marks her professional musical theatre debut. In what is a remarkable full circle moment Rodriguez played Turnblad in her high school’s production of the musical.
Sean Johnston was great as pop idol and Tracy’s love interest Link Larkin, as was Briana Bishop as the bitchy and snooty Amber von Tussl, the current Teen Queen and Link’s girlfriend.
Thematically, the show’s strongest theme was the rise of Black Power, as Afro Americans started fighting back against the segregation and lack of equality that they had experienced for so long.
The score was a great pop score. My favourite numbers were ‘Good morning Baltimore’, ‘Big Blonde and Beautiful ‘ and the show stopping final number ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’.
Leading the creative team were original Director Jack O’Brien together with the show’s current director Matt Lenz and original Choreographer Jerry Mitchell and current Choreographer Dominic Shaw.
William Ivy Lng’s sixties period costumes were spot on and fantastic as were the wigs and hairdos.
I had just one reservation about the show. There was a scene involving Jacobsen and McKenney where they appear to lose it on stage, breaking into laughter on stage during what is supposed to be a ‘regular’ scene. In. theatre speak, it is called corpsing.
Corpsing rarely happens, it is a spontaneous thing, and audiences love it when it happens.
The audience did love it. The only thing is a friend of mine saw the show on the last preview and exactly the same scene/exchange happened, which means that the scene was scripted.
To the director. This revival works just fine without a scripted corpsing. Can we please leave corpsing to when it actually happens, between actors, in the moment, live on stage!
Finally, I am just wondering why, before the show, over the P.A, why wasn’t there an acknowledgement of country, and that the play was being performed on Aboriginal land?! I thought that all theatres are now doing this?!
HAIRSPRAY is currently playing the Lyric Theatre at Star City. If you love a good musical, go see!
