A lot of theater productions crank up the fog machine in order to fill the stage with an atmospheric haze, but in "Hairspray" it's the freely dispensed title substance that fills the air. Every beehive hairdo is kept in perfect shape, and, by hair extension, the show itself holds up really well at Toby's Dinner Theatre.
Based on a John Waters film, this Broadway musical has been done before at local theaters including Toby's. Itsupbeat score, heartwarming social message andnumerous Baltimore references make it a real pleasure to experienceagain. So, settle into your seat and prepare to return to Baltimore circa 1962.
The plus-sized protagonist of "Hairspray" is Tracy Turnblad, awhite East Baltimoreteen who watches a local dance program on TV andwishes that its host, Corny Collins, would someday let her join the cool kids on the show. Tracy's personal aspirations soon lead her to the civil rights-related wish that the local black kids won't be relegated to one day per month on the show and will be allowed to fully integrate the "Corny Collins Show."
"Hairspray" really has the sweetest approach one can imagine to tackling the often-ugly civil rights battles of that era. Although serious political points are made, the storyline is so silly that the point is made without any stern lectures or violent acts. This chubby white girl and her black friends are determined to get on the "Corny Collins Show" and won't allow any cartoonishlymean adults get in their way.
As Tracy, Christie Graham has the perky personality and earnest singing voice to make her shine in the role.That's what really counts, of course, and so it's easy enough to overlook the weighty fact that Graham does not exactly have a hefty build. When she sings the wonderfully assertive song "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now," you might find yourself thinking, well,she's actually not such a big girl. This might seem like odd advice to give, butthis actor should take advantage of the dinner theater venue and get in the buffet line.
Graham's otherwise totally endearing performance is nicelycomplemented byLawrence B. Munsey's performance as Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad, who spends her days ironing clothes and eventually watching Tracy on the small black-and-white TV set in her rowhouse living room. Munsey, whohas played this role before, truly embodies Edna — and not just because he tips the scales at an admirably high number.
In a showbiz traditiondating back to when the late Divine played Edna in the original John Waters film, this is a drag role in which you soon forget that a man is playing a woman. The affection between Edna and Tracy is palpable, as is Edna'shope that her daughter can have all the things in life that Edna went without in order to maintain the modest home they share with Edna's husband, Wilbur (David James), a joke shop owner whose good humor makes him the nicest spouse in town. Their marital affection is touchingly conveyed when Edna and Wilbur sing a duet titled "You're Timeless to Me."
"Hairspray" makes you laugh with the Turnblad family as much as at them. They're outcasts, at least from the perspective of the cool kids who rule on the TV airwaves, and so we root for the Turnbladsas they lobby to get black kids and, er, their own fat daughter onto the show.
This musical's book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan is so incisive that it does not waste a word. Characters are neatly defined and the social agenda is clearly stated. Likewise, the score by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman cleverly define the characters and issues involved, while also immersing us in the pop sensibility of the pre-Beatles early '60s.
One of this musical's many strengths is thatits secondary characters are such zesty stereotypes that they ironically transcend that status and give us a sense of the real people within the stereotypes. These include the snooty rich girl who is the dance show queen, Amber Von Tussle (Gabriella DeLuca); Amber's ruthless mom, Velma (Heather Marie Beck), who also is a producer of the TV show; the slick host of the show, Corny Collins (Jeffrey Shankle);the most popular guy on the show, Link Larkin (Justin Calhoun); ayoung black man, Seaweed J. Stubbs (Andre Hinds), who wants to appear on the show; and a black woman who has survived her share of civil rights battles, Motormouth Maybelle (Kelli Blackwell).
The large cast has greatfun with such roles. They collectively join voices in such cheerful numbers as "Good Morning Baltimore" and "You Can't Stop the Beat." Although some of the singing has a shrill tone, you can't blame them for being so hyperactively engaged with this material.
They're smoothly guided through their moves by director and choreographer Mark Minnick, musical director Ross Scott Rawlings and other members of the crew. It's worth noting that Lawrence B. Munsey helped Mary Quinn do the costumes, because you just know that Edna will have a say in what she's wearing.
"Hairspray" runs through Sept.4 at Toby's Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road in Columbia. Tickets are $41.50- $60. Call 410-730-8311 or go to www.tobysdinnertheatre.com