You Can't Stop The Beat

Last night a bunch of us went down to see Hairspray, the stage musical. Having only just watched the film(s) a couple of months ago for the first time, I was an instant convert, and I knew I just had to see it in the theatre. Straight off I just want to say that it met every expectation and I have not seen such an energetic and enjoyable show, ever!

What do I look for in a musical? Well, like any other medium, it really does depend on the style of the show. For instance, as you know, I am a major fan of Chess, and the reason I think it is a great musical is that the songs are melodic and memorable, the storyline is believeable and emotive, and at the end of the day I leave humming a few tunes and feeling like I have been through something worthy.

Hairspray is not the same as Chess. For one it is uncompromisingly happy; and this is even when it is trying to address the important social issue of racial segregation, and by proxy, and through some none-too-veiled hints, about being happy with who you are and showing some (gay) pride. The songs are all danceable, and the characters from Tracy to Link, to Mr. and Mrs. Turnblad and even the Von Tussels are big and overblown but easy to feel empathy towards.

The original John Waters film which starred a fresh-faced and even larger Ricki Lake as Tracy and a 5 o'clock shadowed Divine as Mrs. Turnblad was pretty weird as films go, and included the memorable scene of Mrs. Von Tussel trying to pop her daughter's facial pimple. If you have not seen this version of the show there is a terrible close up of dripping pus best watched on an empty stomach.

The musical came after this, followed by the film of the musical, so by the time you get this far down the line the whole experience is sanitized. It is still thoroughly enjoyable, but partly thanks to Zac Efron who playes Link in the second film, reminds me more of High School Musical than the original film's Bride of Frankenstein.

Thankfully, the musical itself strikes the delicate balance between the two. Yes, the pimple crushing scene is preserved (although since we were in the gods, we were spared the visuals) and Mrs. Turnblad was more Divine than John Travolta. Indeed, much is made of Michael Ball is Edna, and I have to say that it is entirely justified. As a wonderful musical tenor, Mr. Ball is forced to since in a slightly higher register than usual and manages to keep the slight raspiness of man obviously pretending to be a woman. The other stand out performances for me were Ian Talbot as Mr. Turnblad, Adrian Hansel as Seaweed (what a voice!), Leanne Jones as Tracy, and an utterly outstanding Johnnie Fiori as Motormouth Maybelle.

Did I think the stage show better than the film? You betcha! The actors were clearly enjoying themselves, the dancing was electric, and at the end you just could not help getting up and doing a little boogieing. I was eyeing some of the choreography and definitely think that if the Pinkies can convey even half the amount of excitement on stage this Saturday we will have given a truly outstanding performance.