Every hair is in
place for Wheelock Family Theatre’s raucous, outrageous HAIRSPRAY (playing
through Feb. 23rd). I must admit, I wondered if HAIRSPRAY was really
family fare but the children in the audience giggled nonstop at the goofiness on
stage and swayed deliriously with the high energy choreography (Laurel Conrad’s
ingenious take on the twisting, flailing gyrations we called ‘dancing’ in the
‘50s and ‘60s). And John Waters’ famous naughty double entendres went right
over their heads!
What comes
through loud and clear in director Susan Kosoff’s charming production is that
the strength and support of your family (no matter what the configuration) will
see you through. Not to mention Waters’ message that you can be whatever you
want to be. (The O’Donnell/Meehan/Shaiman musical happily remains faithful to the
Waters movie.)
The deck is
stacked against Tracy Turnblad (Jenna Lea Scott). She dreams about dancing on Baltimore’s version of American Bandstand but the
teenagers they choose are thin and “cool” (not to mention lily white) and Tracy’s a “cute, big
girl.” Although Waters’ version of the struggle for integration is mighty
simplistic, it has at its core an honest message AND of course, it has the drag
role created by Divine!
Robert Saoud is
a sensation as Edna Turnblad, oh so modestly protesting, then finally consenting
to dance…and you know s/he can cut a rug. So can Scott and we are overjoyed
when Baltimore
discovers it, too. Even more joy when she gets the boy (Michael Notardonato) and
she gets the TV show to integrate!
Mark Linehan is
a hoot as the self centered, head bopping, “stricken chicken” dancing “Corny” host
of the television show. Kevin Fennessy, too, is hilarious in several roles but
especially as the deer-in-the-headlights sponsor of the show. Aimee Doherty
makes a wonderful villain (hysterically funny in her signature song, punctuated
with “crab hands”). Peter A. Carey and Saoud have a delicious duet (You’re
Timeless to Me) and character actresses Jane Staab and Cheryl McMahon get
to strut their comic stuff.
The sweetest,
melt your heart couple in HAIRSPRAY, though, is Jennifer Beth Glick and Jon
Allen. Glick plays Tracy’s painfully shy best
friend and Allen is Tracy’s pal from after
school detention…who just happens to have the best moves on the dance floor and
teaches them to Tracy.
And Allen has one of the best songs in the show. (Run and Tell That:
“The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice” song)
Gamalia Pharms
has one of the other ones, the powerful I Know Where I’ve Been. And she
gets to deliver the sagest bit of wisdom in the show to the young, mixed-race
couple: “Brace yourself for a whole lota ugly from a long line of stupid.” Of
course, the best, foot stomping, hand clapping number (thanks in part to
Matthew Stern’s sizzling orchestra) is the unstoppable finale, You Can’t
Stop the Beat. Don’t miss out.
