Written by Mark O’Donnell & Thomas Meehan
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Whitman & MArc Shaiman
Directed by Matt Lenz
Musical Direction by Dave Skelton
(and about 100 other creatives to put on this fabulous show)
Crossroads Live
@Lyric Theatre
Middle Stalls, close to Stage
2 Mar, 2023
5 out of 5 fans
Y’all, Hairspray was so good, it broke me!
I wrote about ten pages of notes on how brilliant the show was – we were out of our seats dancing by the end, and it was such a love fest during World Pride.
I’ll share an abbreviated version of my highlights, because this was just such an incredible show.
Unfortunately, my review is out later than I’d intended due to some travel, but hopefully many of you got to enjoy this spectacular production.
First, the cast:
Seaweed (Javon King). I’ve got to start with this person because he was insanely talented – he almost looked bored (in spite of his glowing smile), belting and sustaining notes that would be a challenge for most. He’s the consummate triple threat, as his dancing was on par with his singing, and this boy has range.
Amber (Brianna Bishop) was a scene stealer – when she was onstage I forgot she was a villain. I was so absolutely enthralled by her barbed lines. I’m used to seeing Amber von Tussel as a snotty brat, but Ms Bishop made her desperately likeable? Charmingly toxic?
Edna (Shane Jacobson) & Wilbur (Todd McKenney) – this was the best duo I’ve seen. Yes, I know, they are high profile stars and part of the huge draw in coming to see this production, but can I just say, the investment was so worth it.
The chemistry between Jacobson and McKenney was 🔥🔥🔥. I’m not sure if the break is part of how they’ve staged it, but they cracked during “You’re Timeless to Me” and had the audience in stitches for a good five minutes trying to get back on track.
There were so many talented vocalists in this cast (including the trio who have solos during “Welcome the to the 60’s”) – I can’t find the characters/actors listed in the program, but they were gifted. [EDIT: They are called the Dynamites!]
There were many more talented performers, including Carmel Rodrigues in what I believe was her debut role. Well done to Rodrigues! She certainly made Tracy her own, which isn’t an easy feat when it is a role that has famously been done so many times on stage and on screen.
Overall the production was brilliant. The pace was nonstop – I kept having the experience of ‘oh, we’re already at the THIS number?’. In my experience that is the best way to do this sort of musical, keep it tight and pushing toward the finale..
The sets were pretty standard, but vibrant, and the costumes had your usual 60’s deliciousness.
There were a few lyric changes, most notably in the finale (singing of a future that “sees both white and black” as opposed to “don’t know white from black”). It’s been a while since the original Broadway recording I’ve memorised by heart, so this might be standard now.
I have a great appreciation for how they’ve made the production more self aware given the times. None of the white characters sang as part of the chorus during “I Know Where I’ve Been”, which I feel like hasn’t always been the case in productions I’ve seen, but it felt right & appropriate.
To be fair and balanced, I’ll point out a couple of things I didn’t love love:
First, the cast skewed a bit older than I’ve typically seen. The ensemble gave me college rather than high school, and some of the principals were a bit more seasoned than I’ve seen. They were talented and it was still fun, but I had to suspect a bit of belief there.
I WILL say, I didn’t love Rhonda Burchmore’s wig. I found it a bit distracting, but I think that’s just because I was expecting her signature red mane.
The only other thing I didn’t love: I never realised that Motormouth speaks in rhyming pairs in all her dialog. I hated it 😂 it took me out of the moment. But I will say that once Ms Motormouth Maybelle started singing, everything was absolute gold. What an incredible talent!
This was a hugely special show, and I’m so delighted I was able to catch it. ❤️