On Tour: Hairspray

We’re twisting and shouting and going all the way back to the 60s to talk about Hairspray on tour!

If you’re new you’re new to my blog, you might not know that Hairspray was like a gateway to musical theatre for me growing up. When I was young, most of my exposure to musical theatre came through movie musicals, and I was enamored with the 2007 film adaptation of Hairspray like no other.

Hairspray became a pivotal piece in my love for musicals and live theatre, and it has such a special place in my heart. I used to play the CD of the cast album every morning while I got ready for school and every night while I was doing homework. Hairspray was one of the first musicals I knew of that had that big Broadway feel, and I wanted more.

I sadly never had the opportunity to see the stage version either on Broadway or on tour. It was just not feasible at the time. So I’m really glad I was able to catch this new tour because it really felt like a moment that I was seeing it equally as an adult and as the 12-year-old girl who used to dance around her room to “Good Morning Baltimore” and “Mama I’m A Big Girl Now.”

I am very familiar with the movie, so I was a little bit surprised to see what they changed from the stage adaptation for the film. For one thing, I was surprised by how small and minimalistic some of the sets were. Granted, this is a non-union tour, which means they probably travel more cost-effectively with smaller set pieces, but still, it was a point I found interesting. Especially in more recent years, we’ve seen this film vs. stage debate where more minimalistic musicals are getting full set backdrops for film and it’s changing the feeling of the movie musical (a la Dear Evan Hansen or Everybody’s Talking About Jamie). I was surprised to see fewer scenes in Hairspray taking place at the school and almost entirely taking place at the studio. I always felt like the movie showed them at school as one of the main settings of the story, and it was strange to see the plot revolve around the TV studio.

I am also surprised how much I enjoyed “The Big Dollhouse” and how I had no idea about it because it was cut from the film. When the movie came out, I remember there being grumblings that “The Big Dollhouse” was cut, and I could finally see why, opening the second act on a big, jazzy dance number.

This brings me to talk about how I also really love the camp elements of Hairspray. Now when I say Hairspray left an impression on me growing up, I think it not only was an impression on musical theatre but also an appreciation for campy media. The original Hairspray film—on which the stage musical is based— is a John Waters film, for which Waters has been known to use elements of camp in his work. I feel this is something I have gained an appreciation for and especially in musicals always love to see the over-the-top and outrageous elements used on stage.

It was interesting to watch this show that was very popular in the early 00s after nearly two decades. I feel like when I watch these types of shows that were written in the early 2000s or are based on media from the 80s, there is a level of understanding of the humor that was used in the book and lyrics that is reflective of the period for which it was written. However, I think Hairspray is also a piece that is intentionally uncomfortable because it forces the audience to sit with that discomfort. Of course, it does approach the discomfort with comedy, but I think it uses humor to soften the blow of discomfort.

Is Hairspray perfect? No, of course not. But I think even though it is a comedy, it forces you as an audience member to reckon with the fact that this was a reality in the United States not that long ago. I say that as a 20-something, but I am sure there are audience members for who this is in their living memory.

Now let’s dig into this cast because the cast putting their hearts into these characters is what makes this show a blast.

We can’t talk about Hairspray without our Tracy Turnblad, Niki Metcalf. Metcalf brings Tracy to life with charm and poignant humor. This show lives and breathes on Tracy, and Metcalf carries the story so well. This is now over a year into the tour, and you can tell Metcalf wears this character with ease after nearly 200 performances on tour. I loved her spunky “Good Morning Baltimore,” heartfelt “I Can Hear the Bells,” and crowd favorite “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now.”

Andrew Levitt (aka Nina West) gave a standout performance as Edna Turnblad. I thought he did a fantastic job capturing Edna’s worries and her love for Tracy. I felt like the musical version of Edna was much softer and more understanding than the Travolta version of the character from the film, which was surprising to me. I also love how much more supporting Levitt’s Edna was to Tracy. Levitt has great on-stage chemistry with both Metcalf and Ralph Prentice Daniel (Wilbur Turnblad), and “You’re Timeless to Me” was an audience favorite.

Emery Henderson gave a standout performance as Tracy Turnblad’s punchy best friend, Penny Pingleton. Henderson was one of my favorite performers to watch on stage and she had impeccable comedic timing. I loved watching her interactions with Charlie Bryant III, playing Penny’s heartthrob, Seaweed J. Stubbs. Emmanuelle Zeesman, who carries a handful of characters in the show with such ease, also excelled with Handerson as Penny’s overbearing mother, Prudy Pingleton.

I am so happy I was able to see this show! The nostalgia and good laughs it brings were much needed, and it feels like accomplishing a little childhood dream of mine.

You can still catch Hairspray on tour! Check out HairsprayTour.com for more info.