"Is it Brains? Is it Poise? No, It's Hairspray!"

Date of Performance: November 3

Whenever most theatre people hear a tour is non-Equity, they groan, and immediately assume it won't be a quality production. True, the actors may not have the pedigrees of Equity performers, the sets are parred down, and the orchestra is smaller, but this production of Hairspray, though not as glitzy (read: expensive) as the Equity version, proves that it is entirely possible to still present a strong, vibrant show.

Director Matt Lenz and choreographer Danny James Austin have faithfully recreated the work of Broadway's Jack O' Brian and Jerry Mitchell, and the cast, though relatively inexperienced, performs the moves crisply. A dynamic, bubbly, joyful bunch, they enthusiastically come together well and look professional.

The sets have been toned down a little and the orchestrations are not as lush, but with a show like Hairspray it doesn't matter. "You can't stop the beat," no matter the volume.

The cast overall, is quite strong. Dan Ferretti (Wilbur Turnblad) is lovable and demonstrates a genuine affection for his larger than life wife Edna, Pearl Thomas (Amber Von Tussle) has especially good comedic timing, and Christan White (Seaweed Stubbs) is a powerful singer and dancer--his Seaweed demands attention. However, the real standouts for me were Alyssa Malgeri (Penny Pingleton) and Angela Birchett (Motormouth Maybelle). Malgeri stole the show--receiving the most laughs, she stole attention from the principals even in scenes where she had only a minor role. It's a shame that the Penny in the theatre version of Hairspray is not the one we see in the film--all respect to Amanda Bynes, but she is given absolutely nothing to do in the movie. Malgeri on the otherhand, got to act dorky, spastic, and awkward, which makes her transition from a gum smacking sidekick into a sassy Checkerboard Chick all the more exciting. Birchett also stood out for me. As much as I love Queen Latifah and thought she was fantastic in Chicago, I thought she was less than satisfying in Hairspray. Maybelle is supposed to be sarcastic, wise, frustrated, soulful, but Latifah plays her like a character that could be found in Beauty Shop. Birchett's rendition of "I Know Where I've Been" is powerful and was extremely interesting to watch in Memphis, a city that has its own complex relationship between the races.

Unfortunately, as good as this show is, there were a few weak spots. Kristin Colluras, normally one of the Nicest Kids in Town, was understudying for Tracy, and it just did not work. Not only was she too tiny and skinny, which made all the references to Tracy's weight a bit puzzling, but she simply lacked the overall charisma and giddyness required for Tracy. Tracy is a leader but Colluras never made me feel like Tracy was a leader. I only knew she was inspiring other characters to take action because I was told directly. Don't get me wrong, Colluras is a good singer and able dancer, but for a character like Tracy, you need more than just good--you need great. It was my fourth time seeing Hairspray so it left me frustrated; I'm not sure what a first timer would think.

My feelings about Jerry O'Boyle (Edna) are a little hard to wrap my head around. His interpretation is far from Fierstein's cartoonish original and more like Travolta's movie Edna. His Edna is insecure and plain, which works, but I felt like some of the humor was lost.