Synopsis
Programme
WARNING SPOILER!!! - Click here for Short Synopsis (Teaser)
ACT I
In the summer of 1962, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad awakes in her bed and proclaims "Good Morning Baltimore". Later that day Tracy rushes home from school with her best friend, mousy Penny Pingleton, to see their favourite dance show on local TV - "The Corny Collins Show" featuring a gang of teenage regulars, "The Nicest Kids In Town". Tracy's mother, Edna, who takes in washing to make ends meet, complains about the noise and Penny's mother, there to pick up he washing, complains that it is race music. On the show an announcement is made that auditions are to be held to fill a vacancy among the "Nicest Kids" and Tracy begs her mother for permission to audition. Edna, fearing that Tracy will be laughed at because of her size, refuses. Elsewhere, Penny and Amber (the fractious leader of the "Nice Kids") each rebel against their overbearing mothers leading to a trio of argumanents in which the girls protest "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now". Tracy seeks support instead from her father, Wilbur, who encourages his daughter to pursue her dream.
The next day Tracy and Penny arrive late at the audition and the "Nice Kids" are scornful of Tracy's ambition to become one of them. The show's teenage hearthrob, Link Larkin, arrives and literally runs into Tracy who has long held a candle for him. Tracy is mesmerised and dreams of him becoming her boyfriend (I Can Hear The Bells). Velma Von Tussle, Amber's mother and the bigoted producer of the show, contemptibly rejects Tracy on account of her size ([The Legend of] Miss Baltimore Crabs), and similarly dismisses another hopeful, Little Inez, because of her colour.
Back at school, Tracy is held back for detention because her built-up hair was obstructing the blackboard. There she meets Seaweed, the son of Motormouth Maybelle who hosts "Negro Day," the one day a month dance show for black teenagers. Tracy laments that they cannot all dance together, regardless of race, and Seaweed teaches her some new dance moves. At the school Sophomore Hop then next day, Tracy hopes to impress Corny Collins, who is hosting the event , with her new moves and joins enthusiastically in the first dance, 'The Madison'. Corny is impressed and gives Tracy a place on the TV show.
At the TV studio, Tracy is introduced at the start of the show as the newest member of "The Nicest Kids In Town", watched on the TV at home by her parents and Penny. Corny suggests, over Amber's petulant objections, that Link sings "It Takes Two" to Tracy. After the broadcast Mr. Spritzer, owner of "Clutch" hairspray, the sponsor of the show, complains to Velma about Tracy's inclusion. Velma threatens to fire Corny if he doesn't get rid of her but Corny counters by threatening to take the show to a rival channel. Defeated for the moment, Velma determines to ruin Tracy.
At the Turnblad home, Edna is fielding calls from fans who saw tracy on the show. One caller is Mr. Pinky, owner of a plus-size dress shop who wants Tracy to be his spokeswoman. Tracy agrees to meet him at the shop and begs her mother, who hasn't left the apartment in years because she is self-conscious of her own appearance, to come with her. Edna reluctantly agrees, and when they arrive at the shop Mr. Pinky gives Edna a confidence boost with a huge makeover as a Welcome to the 60's.
At school, Tracy's new fame is beginning to influence the other students who are copying her distinctive two-tone hairstyle but a jealous Amber deliberately knocks Tracy out during a game of dodge ball. Seaweed and Penny, who have developed feelings for each other, go to fetch the school nurse whilst Link, to Amber's annoyance, stays to look after Tracy. As she leaves, Amber instructs Link to meet her later under the bleachers. Seaweed and Penny return without the nurse, who is sick, but Tracy recovers and Seaweed suggests they all go to his mother's record shop to have fun (Run and Tell That [I]). At the shop, they have a party (Run and Tell That [II]), reinforcing Tracy's belief that black and white should be allowed to have fun together. Edna and Wilbur arrive as do Amber, in search of Link, and Velma, who has followed her daughter. Link refuses to leave with Amber who goes off in a huff. Tracy then rallies everyone to march on the studio the following day, which is Mother-Daughter Day on the show, to protest against racial segregation. Edna is reticent, only because she fears appearing in public, but Motormouth Maybelle convinces her not to be afraid of her appearance (Big, Blonde and Beautiful).
During the protest, the police are called and everyone, including Amber and Velma who are countering the protest, is arrested.
ACT II
Eveyone has been taken to The Big Dollhouse, Baltimore's prison, but Velma's contacts with the Governor, who she knew in High School, secure her and Amber's release. Wilbur arrives and bails out everyone else, having mortgaged his joke shop to raise the money. Everyone is released except Tracy who the Governor, after more of Velma's machinations, has ordered to be held without bail in solitary confinement. Left alone, Tracy wishes that Link could be with her (Good Morning Baltimore).
Back at the Har-De-Har Hut (Wilbur's joke shop which he stands to lose over the bail money), Wilbur and Edna reflect on broken dreams and Edna reveals that she once dreamed of being a queen-sized dress designer. They take comfort from knowing that that most important thing, however, is that they have each other (Timeless to Me).
During the night Link sneaks inside the jail and, finding Tracy in her cell, he admits that he loves her. They cannot kiss through the bars, but Link improves a blowtorch from a can of hairspray and a lighter and breaks Tracy out of her cell. Elsewhere, Penny's mother ties Penny to her bed as punishment for being arrested without permission. Seaweed climbs in through the window and releases her. Both couples affirm their love (Without Love) before going on the run and ending up at Motormouth Maybelle's record shop. Tracy still wants to fight for equality but the coloured kids are less enthusiastic this time after their spell in prison. But Maybelle reminds them that the struggle has taken many years already and they should never give up (I Know Where I've Been). With the help of Edna and Wilbur they hatch a plan to invade the TV station during the Miss Teenage Hairspray competition.
Suspecting a trick when she recognises Wilbur bringing a prop huge can of hairspray on to the stage, Velma calls for guards to surround the can. Corny Collins, who is in on the plan, then starts the show with a song about Hairspray. The two leaders in the voting for the Miss Hairspray competition are Amber and Tracy, who is now a wanted fugitive after her jail break. Amber shows off her talents and runs down her absent opponent (Cooties) then snatches up the trophy which she is sure she has won. But then Tracy appears and takes over the stage, joined by the others - some of who had been disguised as the guards. Tracy pleads her case and wins the voting for Miss Hairspray by a massive landslide. Spritzer then appears, thrilled with the public response and congratulates Velma for the idea behind the show then appoints her as vice-president in charge of his new line of products, "Ultra Glow" beauty products for women of colour! Penny's mother arrives and seeing the change in her daughter, who has gone from timid mouse to sexy fox, accepts her choice of boyfriend if he can truly make her happy. Tracy receives a special pardon from the Governor who has seen the show, and Link is offered his dreamed of recording contract. Even Amber and Velma join in the celebrations, proving once and for all that You Can't Stop the Beat.
Impressions/Performances
Set in Baltimore in 1962, Hairspray is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and a big heart who dreams of winning a place on a local television dance programme, "The Corny Collins Show". Ignoring the objections of her overly protective, equally large mother, Edna, but encouraged by her father, Wilbur, Tracy sets about realising her ambition and succeeds in winning a spot on the show only to fall foul of its reigning princess, Amber Von Tussle, and her scheming mother, Velma. It's a lightweight story that never-the-less carries the joint messages of perseverence in pursuit of your dreams and the evils of discrimination - in the latter case, the size issue being overshadowed by the much more contentious issue of racial inequality. But it is so full of fun that it's messages never feel at all preachy but rather just an affirmation of the obvious - and are all the more powerful because of that.
Top of the billing are popular comedians Brian Conley (Edna) and Nigel Planer (Wilbur) who both turn in great performances, but it is relatively unknown Laurie Scarth as Tracy who is the undoubted star of the show. It is difficult to say how much, if any, of Laurie's plus size was the result of padding (one suspects there may have been some at least) but it certainly didn't detract from the energy of her performance - not exactly pocket-sized, but a real dynamo of non-stop energy regardless of that. A pretty face, bubbly personaility and great singing voice, and hot moves on the dance floor are ample demonstration that plus-size girls can be sexy too. It is a tremendously exuberant performance that really drives the show along at breakneck pace. It is clear that she feels every moment and in that cannot help but empathise with her completely. Liam Doyle sings and acts well as Tracy's love interest, Link Larkin - initially well under the thumb of spoilt brat Amber, his character grows substantially through his attachment to Tracy.
A dragged-up Conley is hilarious as the frumpy but feisty Edna, using his well-honed comic timing to great effect - just the simple expedient of delivering his punch-lines in a deep basso voice, at just the right moment, triples their impact. He even looked quite glamorous in his sequined, post-makeover, dress as well as being remarkably light on his feet in high heels. Planer is essentially Conley's straight man but also gets plenty of laughs of his own too. Their duet of "Timeless to Me" was hilarious, so much so in fact that they themselves could barely complete the scene through their own fits of laughter.
Clare Halse is terrific as the exceedingly pretty but irredeemably spoilt Amber - the girl, according to Tracy, with "acne of the soul" (delivered in a rumbling drawn out voice). Her churlish tantrums and childlish machinations are exceedingly funny and her rendition of "Cooties" was one of the funniest moments in the show. After Tracy it was Penny, however, played by Emma Dukes who was by far the most interesting character. Her dorkish behaviour was great fun and the transformation from dowdy little mouse to gorgeous vamp in slinky, sparkling dress at the end was nothing less than stunning - easily the sexiest girl in the show. Danny Bayne is deliciously corny as the aptly named Corny Collins. Sandra Marvin looked and sounded the part as the larger than life record store empress Motormouth Maybelle, and garnered the laurels for best individual vocal performance for her rendition of the emotionally powerful ballad "I Know Where I've Been" - which could have literally blown your socks off.
The sets are excellent, the costumes first class, but where this show really stands out from the morass of other similar offerings is in the vitality of the music and cleverness of the lyrics. All of the songs have a catchy beat and infectious rhythm and the lyrics are crammed with gags and witty references that are well worth listening out for. It is an ebullient feel-good show with great choreography and really catchy music that is really easy to get lost in so that the time flies by in seemingly the blink of an eye and at the same time delivers it's serious message with a real deftness of touch.
Verdict
A high octane romp with great music, memorable songs, and dazzling choreography all laced with a generous helping of humour. The feel-good show of the year.
Don Gillan - www.stagebeauty.net