BWW Reviews: MTW's Joyful HAIRSPRAY Revival Charms in Long Beach

Almost ten years after its triumphant debut on Broadway, the eight-time Tony Award-winning musical HAIRSPRAY is making quite a resurgence lately, thanks to the plethora of regional theaters across the country that now have licenses to mount their own versions. It's a good thing, too, because the show is, for all intents and purposes, one of the funniest and most entertaining stage musicals of the modern era, and one that deserves an afterlife with a new crop of the nicest kids in town. Bursting with laughs and ear candy from heel to coif, the musical comedy is so infectiously joyful that it's really difficult to even nit-pick its miniscule flaws (and, seriously, there are very few to find).

With those imbedded traits already working in their favor, the wonderful folks over at Musical Theatre West have put on a very worthy, slam-dunk of a revival to open its 59th season. Recreating HAIRSPRAY with impressive moxie and a staggeringly talented cast, the production retains the original stage musical's high-energy, laugh-a-minute vibe while enveloping it with a freshness that new choreography and direction can bring. The show continues its brief run at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach, California through November 13.

While not as gargantuan of a production as, say, this past summer's star-studded but highly truncated iteration at the Hollywood Bowl, MTW's revival is still the grand, undiluted, full-tilt stage version (with a few scant trims here and there) that incorporates pretty much all of the original book and score, as well as the colorful sets and costumes that are remarkably on par with the Broadway and national tours that followed. Frankly, this revival is actually the preferable, better way to see the show—in all its intended unabashed glory—especially if you've never seen it live, or if you've only seen the well-received 2007 big-screen adaptation that starred Nikki Blonsky and John Travolta.

And as far as regional productions go, MTW's Broadway-caliber HAIRSPRAY is a genuinely enjoyable one, besting even the last batch of shows from the closing national tour that have rolled into the area in the past few years. With winning direction from Larry Raben coupled with fresh new dance moves from choreographer Lee Martino, this revival feels like a well-balanced combination of what worked in the original production and what this cast and venue bring to the material. Helped tremendously by the memorable songs penned by the brilliant songwriting team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the show is an aural delight as much as it is a visual extravaganza, channelling the sounds of the 60's with reverent honor (here brazenly referred to as "race music" by one of the more out-of-touch characters) while still being playfully of-the-moment. By the time we get to the dazzling finale of "You Can't Stop The Beat," you'll be stuck tapping that very beat even as you boogie out the door.

At the heart of this fun musical comedy—adapted from John Waters' cult 1988 film of the same name—is the always welcomed scenario that tracks the triumphant trajectory of an outcast. It's 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland. Happily rotund teen Tracy Turnblad (played wonderfully by So. Cal. newcomer Victoria Morgan) is a high school student with big dreams, big hair, and a refreshingly open mind. She and her sweet but dim-bulbed best friend Penny (scene-stealer Erin Watkins) are obsessed fans of the local TV program The Corny Collins Show, a daily pop music and dance showcase (with a once-a-month "Negro Day" for rhythm and blues music) aimed at teenagers. As expected, Both teens' mothers are disgusted by such televised "vulgarity."

Full of self-confidence that most girls today could use a huge dose of, Tracy—spurned by the possibility of dancing alongside her crush, Corny Collins dancer Link Larkin (heartthrob-y Derek Klena)—decides to audition to be on the show against her mother's wishes. But, eventually, proud mamma Edna (played convincingly by TV's Jim J. Bullock) changes her own mind once Tracy, to everyone's surprise, becomes a featured dancer on the show—with a little help from forward-thinker Corny Collins himself (David Engel).

The new cast addition, naturally, angers Link's snobby girlfriend Amber (Lauren Smolka) and her equally fame-hungry mother Velma (the awesome Tracy Lore), the show's producer. Both are livid considering how downright mean they were to her at the open auditions. It doesn't help that the pleasantly plump Tracy becomes an overnight sensation, either. But now that she's conquered folks wary of her weight and looks, Tracy turns her sights to a new problem to dissolve: the unfair, racial segregation on the show (and, by extent, society).

Though met with much resistance, her defiant stance that racial integration is "the new frontier" that all of Baltimore should embrace, Tracy pushes to right a long-standing wrong with the help of new friends Seaweed (song-and-dance showman Todrick D. Hall) and his hip mom, "Negro Day" host Motormouth Maybelle (the amazing Gwen Stewart—the show's most awe-inducing vocalist).

Aside from the terrific, memorable score ("Welcome to '60s" and "Run and Tell That" are among the many standouts in a playlist that will get you humming the tunes for days) and the wit-laced book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, HAIRSPRAY succeeds because it's a heavy-message theater piece cloaked in the guise of a gut-busting, hysterical musical comedy. It helps that the ensemble cast assembled for MTW's production is a stellar one, led by the mother-daughter team of Bullock and Morgan.

Carrying on the tradition of Waters' original film—where Tracy's mother is always played by a male actor—Bullock really charms as the plus-sized gal with a knack for clean laundry and a well-cooked ham. Bullock gives such a sweet and lived-in performance as Edna, a complete 180-degree turn from when I saw him playing Edna's husband Wilbur in the show's national tour stop at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood many moons ago. The spot-on transformation is so stunning that the Spaceballs / Too Close For Comfort actor really disappears into Edna's muumuu dresses. You will also no doubt be utterly beguiled by the cute duet between Bullock and Barry Pearl, the delightful actor who plays Edna's joke shop owning-hubby Wilbur in this production. Seemingly improvised (it's scripted to feel spontaneous), the two veterans truly upstage all the pretty young'ins leaping wildly on stage.

And, my, what great young'ins they are! The quartet of Smolka, Klena, Hall and irrepressible scene-stealer Watkins all give great interpretations of their respective roles. Combined with the rest of the Corny Collins kids, the dance numbers burst with energety and are fun to watch. Chyka Jackson, reprising the role of Little Inez that she performed at this past summer's Hollywood Bowl concert staging, is equally great here. And as our giddy, low-gyrating heroine Tracy, Morgan is really quite winsome.

But, surprise (!), in a show over-populated by teens, this HAIRSPRAY's adult actors prove to be an even more outstanding bunch. Besides Bullock and Pearl, Lore gets lots of chances to paint very bold, large strokes with her devilish role of Velma. And, wow, what a voice on this dame! Engel has a less-showy role but does great work, especially while dancing up a storm with his TV "children."

Even Karla J. Franko, who appears in the show as Penny's mother Prudy, the Gym Teacher, and the Prison Matron, gets the hugest laughs with each brief new appearance. The trio of ladies that form the soul supergroup The Dynamites (Kamilah Marshall, Emily Mitchell, and Tiana Okoye) also has the audience cheering.

And, finally, in what is possibly the best, most perfectly-delivered live version of HAIRSPRAY's 11 o'clock anthem "I Know Where I've Been" I have heard in a fully-staged production in a long time, Broadway vet Stewart provides the show with a spine-tingling, gospel-tinged showstopper that will floor and inspire you. Just incredible.

With just a few more performances left, you may want to do yourself a favor and drive over to Long Beach and experience this well-done, highly-entertaining production of this great musical comedy.

Follow this reviewer on Twitter: @cre8ivemlq

All photos by Ken Jacques. From top: Victoria Morgan (Tracy); Morgan and Jim J. Bullock (Edna); Derek Klena (Link) and Morgan; Bullock; Gwen Stewart (Motormouth Maybelle).

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Final remaining performances of Musical Theatre West's HAIRSPRAY continue through November 13 and are scheduled Thursday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $30, with last-row seating available at an additional discount. There is a $3 service charge per ticket. Prices are subject to change without notice. Group rates are available for 15 or more.

Musical Theatre West performs at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center located at 6200 E. Atherton Street in Long Beach, CA.

For tickets or for more information, please call 562-856-1999 x4 or visit online at www.musical.org.

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