Musical Theatre Review

Show Title: Hairspray

Author: John Waters

Director: Matt Lenz

Venue: Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Run: November 11-16, 2008

Reviewed By: Xanthe Couture (Edmonton Correspondent)

Despite opening night reviews that gave Hairspray thumbs down, the following night's performance received a standing ovation. So, either the kinks were ironed out and the cast relaxed, or the critics had expected something completely different. Hairspray is a fun campy musical that deals with racial segregation, body image and growing up in the sixties all in light hearted way that still drives the point home.

Broadway Across Canada's production achieves the same tone of poking fun at stereotypes while having an important message of acceptance underneath. For the most part, it strikes all the right notes as Tracy Turnblad (Brooklyn Puvler) tries to make it on to the after school dance show, the Corny Collins show, and ends up accomplishing something that will get her a lot more attention.

The casting of Brooklynn Pulver as Tracy fits the role of the spunky girl who doesn't care what other people think of the size of her hair or her waistline perfectly. Her upbeat personality motivated the people around her to do what is right, a lesson even the most hunky aspiring teen music sensation, Link Larkin (Matthew Ragas) could take heed of.

There were a few hiccups along the way such as a fumbled line here and there and the encore backdrop screen defaulting into a Mac desktop image instead of flashing lights.

But the jokes had the audience laughing and hooting throughout the performance. One punch line in particular, when Edna Turnblad (Jerry O'Boyle) and Wilbur Turnblad (Drew Davidson) sing the touching duet 'Timeless to Me' had the audience alive with raucous laughter and they too could not resist the urge to crack up on stage…perhaps out of relief knowing the audience was thoroughly enjoying the show.

The man to give Tracy the ego boost she needs to catch Corny's eye and get a spot on the show, is the groovy African American Seaweed J. Stubbs (Christain White), whose infectious dancing and great voice make for great scenes between his character and Tracy's flighty friend, Penny Pingleton (Amber Rees) as he croons "The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice."

Seaweed's mother, Motormouth Maybelle (Angela Birchett) also has some powerful pipes that brought a soulful sound as she and the dancers of the Corny Collins Negro Day sang of their efforts to integrate the segregated show. The uplifting lyrics of 'I Know Where I've Been', even had more significance due to the recent election of the first African American president.

Hairspray may not be a serious musical, but it gets across subject matter that people still find difficult or politically incorrect to discuss openly today. As Tracy and her friends and family proved, putting the fat jokes and stereotypes out in the open can shrug off their negative meaning for good.