Caroline Sieren and ensemble members in Hairspray
Seeing and hearing Countryside Community Theatre's production of Hairspray has nearly stolen my words from me.
This musical adaptation of John Waters' 1988 film debuted in 2002, with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Broadway's Hairspray won eight Tonys, including Best Musical, and I'm a big fan of the original movie. (I even own it … on VHS). Usually, I believe a great story doesn't need a musical adaptation. However, this story blossoms with music. In Countryside's rendition, co-director/choreographer Steph Bley, co-director Keenen Wilson, and their enormously talented cast and crew have created a sunny, exuberant big bang of an experience. It's an ambitious choice for community theatre, and this one fulfilled – and exceeded – my already-high expectations on Friday's opening night.
Every member of this cast is fully involved, always in character, has a robust voice, and knows all the words, all the steps, all the timing. It's common, when watching large-cast shows, to spot a few people who weren't quite ready for opening night. This cast of 37, however, appeared more than ready, and clearly worked very hard in rehearsals. But performance is about so much more than technical skills. It's about exuberance, commitment – infusing everything with energy. That's why I said "Wow," aloud, after many of the numbers. (Luckily, the frenzy of cheers and applause always drowned me out.)
Caroline Sieren plays the innocent radical Tracy Turnblad, who commits the crime of wanting to dance on a local TV show while at an unacceptable weight in 1962 Baltimore. She also believes that "Negroes," in the parlance of the era, shouldn't be excluded from that show, nor from anything. Sieren's singing voice is as smooth and strong as her dancing, and the fresh, forthright optimism she gives her character, even when Tracy is at her lowest, is genuinely inspiring.
The devastatingly funny T. Green plays Tracy's mother Edna, whom, we eventually learn, is more than just a cranky housewife relegated to her ironing board. Green damn near steals the show. Cal Vo plays her husband Wilbur, and his cheerful East-Coast-middle-aged-man lumbering around is delightful. He's one of several actors convincingly playing characters who are years away from their actual ages. Another is Ellerie Hurley, playing Tracy's best friend Penny, who could've coasted by just delivering her very funny lines. But the fire in Hurley's portrayal does much more – there's that commitment again.
Rob Keech portrays Corny Collins, host of that segregated after-school teen dance show, and is the ultimate embodiment of a genuinely decent and handsome fellow who's also an egotistical show-biz aspirant. Speaking of such, Micah Roldan entertainingly plays Link, Tracy's crush on Corny's show, and as this wannabe crooner idol, he delivers all the poses and vocal embellishments you'd want – but does he have the off-camera fortitude to stick with Tracy's cause?
Keith KJ Wright, as Seaweed, dazzles with both limber moves and captivating voice, enthralling Penny – and the feelings are mutual, to the horror of Penny's mother Prudy, played by Heather Foss. A peppery Kailee McCaw is Amber, Link's crush and hopeful Miss Hairspray winner, and a girl harangued by her ambitious stage mother Velma, played by Peyton Reese. Velma's ominous musical reminiscence about being crowned Miss Baltimore Crabs back in the day is hilarious. (Cleverly, the songwriters took a throwaway line in the original 1988 film, tweaked it, and made this song a declaration of the devious lows to which Velma is willing to sink.)
In her role as Seaweed's mother and record-store owner Motormouth Maybelle, Yolanda Washington's unforgettably powerful voice brought the house up in one of her numbers, "I Know Where I've Been." The audience, clearly uplifted, erupted in cheers, and half of us leapt to our feet, while she was still singing her final note. Charleigh Weatherspoon, meanwhile, plays Maybelle's daughter Little Inez, and her impressively mighty vocals make the young performer well-cast.
Hairspray's ensemble members are as talented as the principal players. Cameron Shumpert, Dative Joy, and Marissa Bradford are The Dynamites, bringing the Supremes' harmonies, energy, and allure. Other performers, playing Seaweed's crew, the TV-show dancers, and minor characters, include: Ashley Bodkin, Bekah Riewerts, Bronson Hultmar, Camryn Hardaway, Emily Wichelmann, Grace Mottet, Heather Foss, Jillian Darland, Jizzelle Poole, John Rowe, Kate Struble, Kenneth Johnson, Madison Foutk, Melena Knutsen, Mia Roldan, Mirabella Johnson, Owen Peel, Ryenne Lacher, Saniya Mack, and Zoe Zelnio.
All aspects of Countryside's production are top-drawer. Music director John Whitson leads the phenomenal, precise, beautifully blended 15-piece orchestra, while costume designer Liz King-Powers and hair and wig designer Ashley Dekarske deserve special accolades for much hard work.
I was astonished to read in John Waters' book Shock Value, written years before Hairspray, that there really was a Baltimore teen-dance broadcast which was a battleground for integration. Unfortunately, that real-life battle was lost, and the hugely popular show was taken off the air. It's healing to watch this version of the story, in which ignorance, prejudice, and hatred lose. It's also an utterly fantastic
time at the theatre.
Countryside Community Theatre's Hairspray runs at the North Scott High School Fine Arts Auditorium (200 South First Street, Eldridge IA) through August 3, and more information and tickets are available by visiting CountrysideQC.org.
