BWW Reviews: HAIRSPRAY Misses a Couple of Beats at Lanier Middle School

In 1960's Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad's dreams are as big as her hair. She longs to be a council member on "The Corny Collins Show", her favorite TV dance show, and to meet (perhaps even marry) her long time crush, Link Larkin, a regular on the show. When Tracy hears that "The Corny Collin's Show" is looking for a new member, she is determined to audition despite the worries of her mother, Edna. Tracy's pursuit of her dream leads her to realize that the struggle for equality is more important than ever before. City of Fairfax Theatre Company and Truro Anglican Church's production of Hairspray is at times "a gas" (That's 60's lingo for a lot of fun), but its technical aspects are less than groovy.

Hairspray's cast is lead strongly by Anna Hicks as Tracy Turnblad, Jacob Nelson as Link Larkin, Hasan Crawford as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Emily Flack as Penny Pingleton, Jay Tilley as Edna, and Bruni Herring as Motormouth Maybelle. Hicks is a perfect match for the role of Tracy from her voice to her personality. The chemistry between Nelson and Hicks on stage is apparent. Hicks fawning over Nelson before he sings "It Takes Two" and Nelson's sweet gestures of endearment to Hick embrace the teenage romance. Their duet of "Without Love" along with another on-stage couple, Crawford and Flack, is harmonic. Crawford and Flack's chemistry and vocals match that of Nelson and Hicks during this song. Crawford brings Seaweed to life through his smooth dance moves and strong vocals during the song, "Run and Tell That", one of the most entertaining numbers of the evening. Flack plays Penny with a geeky charm and her quick one-liners are funny. Tilley is truly believable as Edna. He brings out Edna's mother hen instincts during her scenes with Hicks and hits all the right notes in "You're Timeless to Me" with Brian Medley as Wilbur Turnblad, Tracy's insightful father. Herring's vocal range is dynamic. Her performance of "I Know Where I Have Been" is powerful. As she sings this song, images of the Baltimore riots mixed with images of the Civil Rights movement project in the background. These references add to the powerful message of the song. Herring voice is soulful during the performance of this song. Herring's other stand out song, "Big, Blonde and Beautiful," matches the same gusto as her performance of "I Know Where I Have Been." Overall, the large cast works well together during entertaining numbers, such as "The Big Dollhouse" and "Ms. Baltimore Crabs." However, the large cast proves to be a difficult during numbers such as "Welcome to the 60's" and "I Can Hear the Bells." During these numbers, the stage becomes too crowded and makes it hard for the actors to be able to move freely.

While the cast is remarkably strong with their acting and singing, some technical aspects hinder the production. The main set is a giant television and it frames a platform. While the idea of the television is relevant to the context of the musical, it is too stationary and restrictive. During scenes in Tracy's home, the outline of the television prevents the audience from seeing the actors on the platform. Also, the large television set restricts the amount of space for the dancers to dance in. While the idea of the projections for the television is interesting, the platform's exposed metal bars overlap over the projections and this causes them to be hardly noticeable expect during the number, "I Know Where I Have Been." The lighting, designed by Jonah Hurley, is simple with hints of color in the background. However, the lighting is dark in some spots and it makes it hard to see the actors on stage. The costumes, designed by Ashley-Rose Dickey, are eye candy. From the A-line dresses to the male council member's shirts, they are appropriate for the time period and colorful. Each actor's outfit is unique and matches their characters' personalities. The choreography, by Erich DiCenzo, is seamless from the cha-cha-cha to the ever popular Madison.

CTFC and Truro's production of Hairspray, directed by Tara Taylor, is full of nifty characters and catchy tunes, but it lacks ambience to match its groove. Hairspray's run is short with showings the weekends of July 17th-18th and July 24th-25th at Lanier Middle School in Fairfax. Tickets can be purchased online.

Photo caption and credit: The cast of CTFC and Truro Anglican Church's Hairspray. (Photo by Tim Gibson)

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