Live stage is really where it’s all at. I had the great fortune to see a really fantastic production of ‘Hairspray’ live on stage at Dallas’ Fair Park Music Hall. One of the most magical things that can happen during a stage production is the transportation of the audience to the story that is taking place with the help of some lighting, a few props and the gorgeous voices of the actors and actresses on the stage. In this respect, the current tour of “Hairspray” is a smashing success. 
We sat just a few rows back as the story of Tracy Turnblad, a plump Baltimore teenager aspires to join her favorite show ‘The Corny Collins Show.’ Tracy is a typical teenager with typical dreams, but she doesn’t quite fit in. She’s always getting sent to detention and she makes friends with the other kids sharing detention with her. The kids happen to be African-American and they encourage her to go further and farther with her dreams – in other words, put her money where her mouth is.
So Tracy does exactly that. She wins a role on the dance show and becomes and overnight celebrity. Tracy uses her newfound fame to campaign for racial integration, so she can dance with her friends – the very same ones who encouraged her – on national television. That Hairspray is a social commentary on the 1960s is a real treat, because they don’t beat you over the head with a mallet to get the point across.
The Good
There were no bad actors in the bunch. From the rousing opening number of “Good Morning Baltimore” to “You Can’t Stop the Beat” – this is a show that can’t be missed. The audience was on their feet by the last number, dancing with the cast that performed on stage.
The Great
The touring companies Wilbur and Edna Turnblad were just phenomenal. In their duet “(You’re) Timeless to Me,” a moment occurred towards the end of the song where the actors were cracking up. The laughter rippled across the theater because they were so genuinely enjoying their performance and we the audience were enjoying it as well. Jerry O’Boyle and Dan Ferretti are both Chicago based actors. If you get a chance to see a production of Hairspray with them in it, jump on it. Definitely worth the wait.
Did You Know?
For some reason, I always thought that John Water’s film Cry Baby was based on Hairspray, little did I know that it’s exactly the opposite. The musical is based on the film. Divine played Edna Turnblad in the movie, thus that’s a tradition that’s been maintained in the musical that even had John Travolta putting on an apron in the feature film version.
For more information on Hairspray the Tour, visit their website.