Hairspray – A PERManent Fixture!

With occasional changes to its style every now and then, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s hit musical, Hairspray, will always be a crowd pleaser because of one thing – it has a memorable opening number and one of the catchiest curtain closers in the business.

Good Morning Baltimore has the audience tapping their feet from the outset and You Can’t Stop The Beat at the end will have them on their plates of meat faster than I can run up the apples and pears!

“I bloody luv that song,” commented the lady to my left as we exited the auditorium in opposite directions and, in fairness, she was probably speaking for the majority of the people in the theatre.

But, and there is always a but, when something becomes hugely popular there is always the risk that it becomes a little flabby at the sides, and this is where I start to sound like a producer giving post show notes.

Edna Turnblad as one of the main protagonists, and Tracy Turnblad’s mum, is a bloke in drag. For the uninitiated, it was written that way. No problems there.

However, the part is not pantomime and neither is Edna Turnblad a dame.

So, whilst I applaud Neil Hurst’s professionalism in covering a very poor Act II scene change, I think he occasionally went too far by pandering to the audience’s desire for ad libs.

As I say, Hairspray is not pantomime and, to coin an expression, in a perfect world the footlights should not never be crossed or, in this case, as much as they were.

Reign in the tendency to ‘play it for (the wrong sort of) laughs’ Mr Hurst otherwise performance continuity is broken, with an over-indulgent interlude - and cringing kicks in: mine did.

But, nuff said on that.

As a show Hairspray is bubbly, joyous and does what most hit shows do…..sends you home humming a tune that you just can’t get out of your head, in this case You Can’t Stop The Beat.

Colourful, corny and more fun than a Willy Wonka bubble gum machine, it has been around since 2002 and seemingly grows in popularity with each passing year.

But, beneath its vibrant colours, OTT personalities and sheer youthful energy, there is a sinister undercurrent, for the musical was inspired by an original 1988 John Waters film with a serious theme.

Back in the 1960’s Baltimore’s home grown ‘The Buddy Deane Show’, presented by its namesake and leading DJ of the time, was a six-nights a week dance show featuring local schoolkids, including many regulars who became stars in their own right.

But it was racked in prejudice; whites only with only the occasional appearance of blacks on special Negro days, prompting Waters to tell the bigger story of the 1963 TV ‘stage invasion’ when black and white kids controversially danced together, resulting in the show’s subsequent cancellation.

Tracy Turnblad is the luckless stage teen who auditions to win her place in the evening team of performers on The Corny Collins Show, the fictional version of Buddy Deane’s weekly programme, and is the driver behind the live tv gatecrash.

Katie Brace as Tracy was full of fizzy fun and gave a great performance as the over-sized leading lady, whilst Joanne Clifton as vindictive, racist tv producer, Velma Von Tussle, let her talent show through: a real all-rounder.

And, despite my earlier comments, Hurst and his on-stage hubby, Dermot Canavan as Wilbur Turnblad, gave an excellent duo delivery of the endearing You’re Timeless To Me.

Hairspray is a great show and invariably, so are the performers. However, you can understand why producers keep an ‘eye’ on productions when they go on tour: when the cat’s away the players come out to play…..sometimes a little too much!

Hairspray
Alhambra Theatre
Until Saturday 30th November