Fifty wigs. A giant, twinkling, pink hairspray can. Mad Men’s Bryan Batt in a sparkly dress and heels. The Muny cut no corners in this season’s production of Hairspray, and the result is a toe-tapping two hours packed with teenage angst, clever jokes, and—you guessed it—dozens of aerosol cans of Ultra-Clutch. You might be a little concerned about the state of the ozone layer above Forest Park, but you will still want to hop onstage and do the Strickin’ Chicken and the Dirty Boogie alongside the cast.
Set in 1962 Baltimore to the tune of 17 Marc Shaiman hits, Hairspray tells the story of the pleasingly plump Tracy Turnblad (Ryann Redmond), who goes to Patterson Park High, watches The Corny Collins Show, and does “absolutely nothing else.” After learning some smooth moves from Seaweed (Gerald Caesar), a black student she meets in detention, Tracy lands a spot on the show, dancing alongside high school dreamboat Link Larkin (John Battagliese). Soon, however, Tracy realizes that she doesn’t want to dance unless the show is integrated, and she begins a difficult fight to “make every day Negro Day.”
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Hairspray is just as visually strong as last week’s My Fair Lady, with intricate wig design and flamboyant costumes. Video designer Matt Young makes innovative use of The Muny’s typically tacky video screen by projecting The Corny Collins Show through a live-streaming camera crew, so even those in the free seats can see the beaming faces of the “nicest kids in town.”
The show was carefully cast, with a massive ensemble that attacks each high-energy dance number. Kennedy Holmes (Little Inez) boasts a surprisingly big voice, Caesar brings a sensual, liquid quality to Seaweed’s signature dance move “The Payton Place After Midnight,” and Taylor Louderman (Amber Von Tussle) is a truly nasty villain under her perfect hair and petticoats.
In heels and a towering hairdo, Batt—the most anticipated performer of the night—is equal parts hilarious and touching as Edna Turnblad. Muny veteran Lara Teeter’s lankiness and lovable eccentricity make him both the perfect Wilbur Turnblad and an ideal counterpart to Batt. Supportive, loving, and completely blind to skin color, Batt and Teeter make Edna and Wilbur into two of the most likeable parents in musical theater.
Finally, newcomer Ryann Redmond brings unapologetic dorkiness to the role of Tracy Turnblad, singing and dancing along with The Corny Collins Show in front of her TV set. Redmond’s performance is refreshingly genuine—Tracy’s argument with her “so fifties” mother about her inappropriate hair height feels like it could happen in any family’s living room, and the hilarious desperation of her crush on Link Larkin will strike a familiar chord with those audience members who have ever screamed themselves hoarse at a concert or secretly kissed the boy band posters in their bedrooms. Redmond is as unpretentious as leading ladies can be.
Beneath Hairspray’s sequins, innuendos, and rollicking dance numbers, however, lies unmistakable poignancy.
First, there’s the scene where Little Inez isn’t allowed to dance even one step at the auditions for The Corny Collins Show. Then there are the powerful visuals of the Act I finale, when Tracy and the Negro Day dancers get wrapped in police tape as they chant “2, 4, 6, 8, TV’s got to integrate.”
The showstopping moment, however, is Liz Mikel (Motormouth Maybelle)’s performance of “I Know Where I’ve Been.” For a moment, the lights dim, the hordes of ensemble dancers disappear, and the audience falls silent. It becomes clear that Mikel sings simultaneously to 1962 Baltimore and 2015 St. Louis, and on opening night, her voice was tinged with the huskiness that comes along with holding back tears.
At The Muny this season, Hairspray makes a call for justice, without losing any of the silliness that made the show such a hit in the first place. There is no preaching, just singing and dancing, but the message rings loud and clear. The cast is packed with talent, the music is vibrant, and the message could not be timelier.
See Hairspray at The Muny (#1 Theatre in Forest Park) from June 23-30. Tickets are free-$87, and can be purchased at The Muny box office or online.
