Review: HAIRSPRAY at Washington Pavilion

The national non-equity touring company of HAIRSPRAY was a hit at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with an audience full of fans of this musical classic. From the opening moments to the finale, the electricity of a youthful and enthusiastic cast is contagious. I found myself wondering how they could maintain that pace and level of energy for the whole show, but they did it.

HAIRSPRAY is set in 1962 Baltimore, and a chubby Tracy Turnblad has a dream to dance on The Corny Collins after school dance show on television. She longs to express herself physically, joyfully, and rhythmically to the music she hears on the radio, on turntables, and on tv. There are detractors to her quest, and therein lies some of the conflict. Body shaming, racial ignorance in society, and people's personal agendas keep all the kids of Baltimore, (black and white) from enjoying the opportunity to dance together on the show. Tracy decides to change that, and finds advocates in her own parents and Motormouth Maybelle.

As the show opens, we are introduced to the talents of unerstudy Faith Northcutt as Tracy Turnblad. I could feel a little tension in the audience as some of the women around me looked to each other to confirm, "hey, isn't Tracy supposed to be chubby?" Ms. Northcutt certainly brought the vocal chops and youthful idealism and energy to the character, and so, ultimately, the audience loved every inch of her.

Andrew Levitt comes to this touring company with a lot of great credentials, and it is obvious that he was born to deliver the sass and sizzle of Edna Turnblad as she finds her own voice and her own vision for herself. The fashion makeover by Mr. Pinky is sensational, and I found myself more than a little envious of the psychedelic grand exit from the boutique. Edna's costumes worn by Mr. Levitt are a masterful expression of the plus sized woman. We can all learn a thing or two from a drag queen about confidence and owning the dazzle. Thank you, Mr. Levitt, for the inspiration.

It's no surprise that the audience members were singing along to the anthems of GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE and the bebop strains of YOU CANT STOP THE BEAT, but, frankly, I couldn't hear them because the combined volume of the sound was so high from the orchestra and the body microphones on vocalists. This brings me to an observation about something that was lacking, but seemed like it should have been pretty basic to the sound design: balance. There were so many times throughout the production that we were subjected to amplification feedback, which in this case is probably caused by having too many live microphones in one area. I only noticed it in large group vocal numbers and halfway through act two, I was visibly shaking my head and saying "hell no" out loud, (not that anyone could hear me.)

Fortunately, there were show-stopping moments, like the duet YOU'RE TIMELESS TO ME by Wilbur and Edna. Kaleb Jenkins stepping in as understudy to portray Wilbur Turnblad, and Andrew Levitt as Edna, were perfectly charming and endearing in their love for one another. Their comic and physical connection during the choreography was delightful. I have to admit, this song did nothing for me in the movie versions, but this staged duet is "off the chain" good stage work.

Sandie Lee as Motormouth Maybelle, is an extraordinary addition to this cast with her rich and resonant vocals and commanding presence onstage. She brought a beautiful character to life with her expert delivery and casually powerful presence in the show.

HAIRSPRAY was forced to cancel the matinee and evening performances due to illnesses in the cast and crew. I hope that means the troupe makes a return appearance for those two sold out shows because they are a talented cast and Sioux Falls audiences would love an opportunity to "feel the beat".

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