BWW Reviews: How'd They Do That? Circle Players Delivers Fresh Take on HAIRSPRAY

When you're about to see the ninth production of Hairspray you've seen since the show premiered as a big ol' musical theater hit, you approach the theater with a jittery mix of trepidation and anticipation, looking forward to seeing if the creative team is able to deliver the tale of Tracy Turnblad to the stage with freshness, but fearing "the afternoon sock-hop kind of show" will be served up like so many leftovers on the family dinner table.

Luckily (for me and for you, the rest of the audience who may or may not have seen the show in any of its multiple onstage incarnations), director Patrick Kramer, choreographer Kate Adams-Johnson and musical director Randy Craft have fashioned a rendition of Hairspray-that indomitable musical about one determined and ambitious Baltimore teenager in 1962-that fairly snaps, crackles and pops with its fresh delivery, its clever staging and the laudable and thoroughly committed performances of a cast of thousands.

Actually, according to Kramer, there are but 39 bodies taking to the stage of The Larry Keeton Theatre in this production that concludes Circle Players' 62^nd season (kudos to the venerable company for making it this far and for being one of the oldest volunteer arts organizations in Middle Tennessee-it's a testament to Circle's enduring efforts that the community theater group is thriving as never before) in high style, leading to an eagerly anticipated 63^rd year.

Kramer's direction is smart and sprightly, with Adams-Johnson's eye-popping choreography ensuring a quick pace that keeps the play's action moving, while Craft's expert music direction gives the musical an enthusiastic underpinning. Particularly notable are those musical interludes that span the move from scene to scene; they are perfectly timed and superbly played by Craft's four-person ensemble.

Kramer is to be commended for bringing together a deft blend of Circle Players veterans and newcomers, all of whom perform with admirable commitment and focus, while obviously having a spectacularly good time.

Whitney Vaughn, the erstwhile Tracy Turnblad in Lipscomb University Theatre's 2011 First Night Award-winning outstanding musical, returns to the role with all her charm and talent intact, bringing the show's lovable heroine to life with vigor and vitality, refusing to simply deliver a performance by rote and instead creating a Tracy who is winningly appealing and somehow edgier than in her earlier stage triumph. Vaughn's infectious smile and lovely voice are matched by her dancing skills-all of which come together in a starmaking turn for the effervescent Vaughn, who is looking toward a future in the law. All I can say is: I wouldn't want to come up against her in the courtroom…judges and juries are likely to receive her as warmly as theater audiences do. So, consider yourself forewarned.

As Vaughn's buxom, zaftig mother Edna Turnblad, Scott Stewart delivers a performance that other Ednas-past or future-should envy and emulate. Stewart's Edna is played exactly as she should be: She is neither a towering drag queen or an overpowering harridan; instead Edna is, as she reminds us, "a woman in love." Stewart very intelligently plays Edna with style and pizzazz, infusing her with his terrific comic timing and giving her a Southern belle-inspired voice that makes her best lines even better and her most groaningly bad ones far more palatable than we've experienced before. In his very best "bless her heart" manner, Stewart brings a new interpretation of Edna to life.

But this production's most electrifying find is Vanderbilt student Nichole Forde, who may well be the best Little Inez we've seen over nine-count' em, nine-productions! With charm and stage presence to spare, Forde sings the role, acts the role and, perhaps most importantly, dances the role with impressive results. She is, to put it succinctly, a thrilling discovery. Kudos to the aforementioned Mr. Kramer for making this casting decision; the check is in the mail.

Kramer has surrounded his trio of stars with an amazing ensemble of performers who take what could well be considered shopworn and somehow frayed roles and enliven them with panache and flair. Cassidy Davis, cast as Tracy's arch-nemesis Amber Von Tussle, gives her character (who could be played as a one-dimensional, cartoonish villainess) a completely fresh portrayal, resulting in a much-funnier Amber than anticipated. Clearly, she remains something of a caricature, but Davis makes certain that Amber is both relatable and "hate-able."

Darin Richardson, cast as Tracy's paramour-the teen heartthrob Link Larson, plays his role with a deceptively sexy innocence, imbuing him with scads of appeal.  Nashville stage veteran Britt Byrd, last seen as the sly and seductive Janet in Boiler Room Theatre's The Rocky Horror Show, plays the slightly dimbulb Penny Lou Pingleton with a sassy sweetness, and she is paired with the estimable James Rudolph, who shows off his own versatility as the likable Seaweed J. Stubbs.

Ashley Bishop, perhaps too young and willowy in the way that supermodels usually are, nonetheless becomes a credible Motormouth Maybelle, delivering her character's signature tunes-the raucous and upbeat "Big, Blond and Beautiful" and the hauntingly anthemic "I Know Where I've Been"-with a confident theatricality that shows off her exquisite voice to perfection.

Olivia Lee is wonderfully vile and wicked as the Machiavellian Velma Von Tussle, which makes her eventual comeuppance all the more delicious. Macon Kimbrough, cast as Wilbur Turnblad, very smartly underplays him throughout much of the show, then showing off his own comedic sensibilities that give us a new take on Wilbur. Longtime Circle veteran Cary Street is terrific as the smothering, mothering Prudy Pingleton, and Amanda Brito, Amber-Rose Cox and Julia Nettles strut their stuff and show off their tremendous talents as The Dynamites, the Greek chorus of a sort, who make "Welcome to the '60s" so wonderfully engaging and entertaining. And Trey Palmer plays the Brylcreem-slick, white dinner jacket-wearing Corny Collins with the perfect blend of smarmy charm and on-camera sophistication.

The remainder of Kramer's cast (which includes some of my favorite stage performers-and they know who they are) give thoroughly focused performances, lending a sense of timeliness and unbridled fun to the proceedings. Howard Snyder, after years in the chorus of countless shows, is finally given the chance to show his stuff in a bevy of smaller roles (including Mr. Pinky of The Hefty Hideaway) that are ideally suited to him. Bryan Rider, as the principal of Patterson Park High School and Mr. Spritzer (the CEO of Ultra Clutch Hairspray), makes an impressive Circle debut in the process.

Robert Allen's set design is colorful and fun-as it should be-and his lighting design illuminates the musical's setting with evocative impact. Laura Higgins, charged with the enormous task of costuming the "cast of thousands," does so beautifully, drawing inspiration from the time period and adding color, style and a sense of whimsy to the production.

-  Hairspray. Book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Music by Marc Shaiman. Directed by Patrick Kramer. Choreographed by Kate Adams-Johnson. Music direction by Randy Craft. Presented by Circle Players, at The Larry Keeton Theatre, Donelson. Through May 20. For details, go to www.circleplayers.net or call (615) 332-7529. 

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