Review: HAIRSPRAY at Adelaide Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Saturday 31st December 2022.

It's back to 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, for Hairspray, the stage musical based on John Waters's 1988 film. The multi-award-winning musical has music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. This production, originally directed by Jack O'Brien, is directed by Matt Lenz, with Jerry Mitchell's original choreography recreated by Dominic Shaw.

Plus-sized teenager, Tracy Turnblad, dreams of being a dancer on the Corny Collins Show, a popular dance show on local television. The show's sponsor is Mr. Spritzer, who manufactures Ultra Clutch hairspray. The Corny Collins Show is based on the real Buddy Deane Show which, interestingly, was cancelled in 1964 for refusing to integrate black and white dancers, a core theme in this musical. She and her best friend, Penny Lou Pingleton, love watching the show together after school, but her mother complains that it is too noisy, and Penny's bigoted mother refers to it as "race music".

One of the show's regular dancers, Brenda, is taking leave for (ahem) nine months, and auditions are to be held to find a replacement for her in the Council, the name given to the group of dancers on the show. Tracy's mother, Edna, who runs a home-based laundry, refuses to give her permission to audition, but her father, Wilbur, who owns the Har-De-Har Hut joke shop, is supportive and gives his permission. Velma Von Tussle, the racist producer of the show, rejects Tracy because of her size, and rejects another applicant, Little Inez, because of her colour.

Tracy gets into trouble at school for her "inappropriate hair height" and eventually ends up in detention, where she meets some of the black students, including Seaweed J. Stubbs, the older brother of Little Inez, whose mother, Motormouth Maybelle, hosts the once a month "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show and also owns a record shop. They become friends, and he teaches her some of his dance moves. She uses these to impress Corny Collins, who gives her a place in his show, infuriating Velma who wants her daughter, a mini-me, to be the star that she herself once considered herself to be, when she was Miss Baltimore Crabs. Velma wants Amber to win the Miss Teenage Hairspray competition and is determined that her rival, Tracy, falls by the wayside.

Tracy then becomes an activist, insisting that the Corny Collins Show become integrated, and leading the protest march, ending with everybody being arrested and imprisoned. After a series of trials and tribulations, all eventually ends well, with Seaweed and Penny falling in love and being accepted by her mother, Prudy, and Tracy winning the heart of the show's heartthrob, Link Larkin. The show becomes integrated, Tracy wins a competition, all sorts of problems are sorted out with more than a touch of deus ex machina, and everything ends happily for everybody, except, perhaps, for Velma.

Relative newcomer, Carmel Rodrigues, plays Tracy Turnblad, a role that she previously played in a school production. She is a bundle of energy, constantly on the move putting everything into her dancing, and singing up a storm.

Edna is traditionally a drag role and Shane Jacobson continues that tradition, having shaved his beard to do so. He adds a lot of hilarity to the performance, but also evokes sympathy for his character, and engages the audience so that we cheer at Edna's eventual newfound self-confidence.

There is no shortage of big names in this production, with Todd McKenney playing Wilbur, Rhonda Burchmore as Velma, and Bobby Fox as Corny Collins.

Todd McKenney is the ever-loving and supportive husband and father. As the eternally optimistic Wilbur, McKenney creates an infinitely likeable character. A highlight of the production is the quirky love song between McKenney and Jacobson, (You're) Timeless to Me, as Wilbur declares his ongoing love of Edna. It is so hilarious that even the two performers couldn't keep straight faces and corpse, adding some ad libs, and breaking the fourth wall, all to the great delight of the audience.

Rhonda Burchmore is wonderful as Velma von Tussle, the villain of the piece, giving us plenty to laugh at whenever her plans go awry. Her superior singing and dancing skills need no introduction to Adelaide audiences. Brianna Bishop, as her daughter, Amber, leaves no doubt that she is following in her mother's footsteps, nicely echoing the mannerisms, style, and unpleasant attitudes of Burchmore's Velma.

Bobby Fox is every bit the slick showman as the genial Corny, host of the show, and Asabi Goodman is a powerhouse as Motormouth Maybelle, bringing the house down with her vocals and contributing plenty of dance moves of her own.

Mackenzie Dunn is as bright as a button as the gawky, gum-chewing, not-too-bright, Penny Lou Pingleton, and she develops a strong rapport with Javon King, who impresses us with his exceptional dancing as Seaweed J. Stubbs. They are a perfect paring.

Ayanda Dlada is charming as Little Inez, and Sean Johnston, as Link Larkin, is every bit the teen idol, creating some very fine romantic moments with Tracy. Donna Lee and Todd Goddard work hark hard, each playing a range of roles, collectively described as 'authority figures'. There is also a marvellous ensemble.

There are so many lively numbers to which audience toes were tapping, including Good Morning, Baltimore, Tracy's opening number as she wakes to a new day, Big, Blonde, and Beautiful, a production number for Motormouth Maybelle, Little Inez, Tracy, Edna, Wilbur, and the ensemble, and You Can't Stop the Beat, another production number for Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Wilbur, Motormouth, Velma, Amber, and the company, and, of course, (It's) Hairspray, for Corny and his Council members.

The set, designed by David Rockwell, and lighting, designed by Kenneth Posner, reflect the brightness and exuberance of the performance. Musical Director, Dave Skelton, and his twelve-piece band are impeccable, and well served by Steve C. Kennedy's sound design. Jerry Mitchell's choreography is stunning. There is never a dull moment, with almost constant movement from start to finish.

No review can end without mentioning the vast number of colourful costumes, designed by William Ivey Long, and Paul Huntley's many elaborate wigs that are used in the production, and to commend the people who have the enormous task of caring for them.

Putting it all together, this is a highly entertaining evening of theatre that rightly deserved the extended standing ovation and enthusiastic applause.

Photography, Jeff Busby.