MUSIC THEATRE
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman; Book by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan
At Regent Theatre (Closing date NA)
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***1/2
This review is published only on this blog. KH
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| Mackenzie Dunn, Javon King, Carmel Rodrigues, Sean Johnston-pic Jeff Busby |
Hairspray, the musical, is a heady blend of singable tunes, 1960s dance routines and bouffant hairdos (and hair don’ts), high gelato colour palette and the fumes of Ultra Clutch hairspray.
This sparkling, new Australian production directed by Matt Lenz (original direction by Jack O’Brien) features choreography recreated by Dominic Shaw (original choreography by Jerry Mitchell).
The musical is based on John Waters’ 1988 kitsch, camp movie starring drag queen Divine as the overeating, reclusive laundress, Edna Turrnblad (played in this production by Shane Jacobsen), but composer Marc Shaiman, co-lyricist Scott Wittman and writers Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, created a commercial hit show featuring Edna and her daughter, Tracey (Carmen Rodrigues).
Rodrigues, a newcomer to the professional stage, is perfectly cast as the cheerfully plump, relentlessly optimistic and rebellious Tracey. She opens the show with the chipmunk-sounding song, Good Morning Baltimore which encapsulates Tracey’s dream of finding love, dancing on The Corny Collins TV Show, and her hope for social harmony between whites and blacks.
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| Brianna Bishop, Rob Mills, Carmel Rodrigus & cast--pic Jeff Busby |
The cast is studded with Aussie celebrities: Jacobsen is suitably blousy and self-effacing as Edna wearing drab housecoat and slippers in early scenes, but later launches into bold and brazen campery in glitzy gowns. Todd McKenney has fun playing Wilbur, Edna’s adoring, practical joker husband, Rhonda Burchmore is glamorous Velma Von Tussle, the blonde, bouffant, bigoted TV producer and former Miss Baltimore Crabs (yes, crabs!), while Rob Mills is appropriately cheesy as TV host, Corny Collins.
Asabi Goodman is charismatic as Motormouth Maybelle, matriarch of the black kids’ community, singing the sassy Big, Blonde and Beautiful and the poignant and electrifying I Know Where I’ve Been. Brianna Bishop plays Velma’s obnoxiously ambitious daughter Amber, Mackenzie Dunn is quirky as Tracey’s slightly dim pal Penny Pingleton and Sean Johnston plays Tracey’s TV star love interest, Link Larkin.
But let’s say it: Javon King’s portrayal of Seaweed J Stubbs almost steals the show with his liquid hips, snappy dance moves and impeccable singing of Run and Tell That. We are privileged to see this young, US triple threat here.
This updated production attempts to ensure that white gal Tracey is not the sole instigator of the uprising of the black kids who demand to be accepted on every night of the Corny Collins Show. That responsibility is shared between black and white kids.
The 2010 Australian production featured a dizzying digital design that was so complex it distracted from the actors on stage. This production has a simpler, non-digital design so any slow patches are more obvious and sometimes we are waiting for dialogue to finish so another song can liven up the stage.
The casting of Australian celebrities will put bums on seats, but a celebrity is not always the optimum performer for the role. However, Hairspray is virtually bulletproof because of its gleeful story, ebullient characters and electrifying songs. The show is high camp with raunchy, saucy, memorable songs and vivid, high gelato design and costumes and the finale of the rousing You Can’t Stop The Beat had the opening night audience dancing in their seats.
by Kate Herbert
Cast
Carmel Rodrigues as Tracy Turnblad
Shane Jacobson as Edna Turnblad
Todd McKenney as Wilbur Turnblad
Rhonda Burchmore as Velma Von Tussle
Rob Mills as Corny Collins
Asabi Goodman as Motormouth Maybelle
Brianna Bishop as Amber von Tussle
Sean Johnston as Link Larkin
Donna Lee, Ayanda Dlada as Little Inez, Brianna Bishop as Amber von Tussle, , and Todd Goddard.
Originally Director Jack O’Brien
Originally Choreography Jerry Mitchell
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| Todd McKenney, Asabi Goodman, Mackenzie Dunn, Shane Jacobson, Carmel Rodrigues-pic Jeff Busby |
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