Mirror Review: Hairspray

I'd never seen any form of Hairspray prior to taking my seat in the DHS auditorium, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. To my delight, the whole production felt high energy. It was exciting and spunky thanks to the talented actors, the first-rate set, and vibrant music.

The performance begins with an audience participation-fueled introduction from director Wyatt Jackson. The opening number, Good Morning Baltimore, introduces Tracy Turnblad (Katarina Uhrmann), a plus-size teen girl on her way to school in 1962 Baltimore. Tracy often gets in trouble at school for her very large hair. After school, Tracy and her best friend Penny (Maddie Aucoin) tune into the Corny Collins show, which was introduced in the number The Nicest Kids in Town. Corny Collins (Aaron Tober) announces that auditions will be held to be one of the Council Members on his show. Tracy sees this as a huge opportunity and despite her mother, Edna’s hesitance (Connor Loughlin) with the support of her father, Wilbur (Brendan Greeley), Tracy tries out for the show.

At the audition, Tracy meets Council Member Link Larkin (Ben Pfeifer), who she completely falls head over heels for in I Can Hear the Bells. However, Tracy is then rejected for her size, and a young Black girl is also rejected by the racist producer of the show, Velma Von Tussle (Kate Tocci). Her daughter, Amber Von Tussle (Maeve Keogh), is one of the Council Members and she takes an immediate dislike to Tracy.

After being put in detention once again for her hair Tracy meets and befriends Seaweed J. Stubbs (Myrah Valmyr), a Black dancer who teaches her several new dance moves. Seaweed is also the older brother of Little Inez (Sophia Vaz), the Black girl who was rejected at the Corny Collins audition along with Tracy.

Armed with the new moves, Tracy aims to impress Corny Collins with her dancing ability. It works, and Tracy is put on the show. She becomes a sponsor of a plus-sized clothing brand and her mother Edna receives a whole new look in the flashy song Welcome to the 60’s.

Tracy and Link develop a deeper relationship due to being on the show together, much to the hatred of Amber, who Link had previously given his Council ring. As thanks to Seaweed for teaching her the dance moves, Tracy organizes a protest to integrate the station with the help of Seaweed’s mother, the famous producer Motormouth Maybelle (Hilen Miralda).

After Tracy is locked up for protesting but then busted out by Link, the pair admit their love for each other in Without Love, and Tracy still plans to help integrate The Corny Collins Show.

Amber is about to win the Miss Teenage Hairspray competition when Tracy returns with Motormouth Maybelle, Seaweed, Little Inez, and everyone else to perform the number You Can’t Stop the Beat. With this performance, Tracy is crowned Miss Teenage Hairspray and announces that the Corny Collins show is now officially integrated. The public responds ecstatically to the television show, and Tracy and Link share a kiss.

The musical ends with an explosive number named You Can’t Stop the Beat 2, which was met by a standing ovation by the audience.

Hairspray presents a really important message- that no matter what we look like, no matter what size or race we are, we should be treated equally. Though times have improved since the 60s, this message is still equally important and we should do our best to remember it.

The actors did a tremendous job embodying their roles, and their bright outfits and dated hairstyles added a lot of charm. I felt like I could fully understand the personalities and motives of the characters. Tracy had loads of personality in her voice and actions, and so did her mom, Edna, who left people laughing with all her comments. The actors were able to tell a really interesting story, and I think all around it was a talented cast.

The voices of the actors themselves were also terrific. In particular, the song I Know Where I’ve Been was incredible. A Motormouth Maybelle solo, Miralda stunned the audience with a powerful voice. The song was sung so beautifully that it caused several members to stand up to give their applause.

One of the aspects of the musical that should get a lot of credit was the student-led pit orchestra, which couldn’t stop the beat. There’s something about hearing live music for musicals that make them especially memorable, and this performance was no exception. It was clear that the musicians had put a lot of effort into their playing, and their sound quality was impressive to hear. They were able to play a variety of genres fluently- from swing to bossa nova to rock, and the beat had the audience clapping along countless times during the show.

The tech crew also deserves a shout out- they did a great job with both props and lighting. Along the wall of the auditorium was a line of shops, which added to set the scene. Several props, including one very oversized can of hairspray, were well constructed and transformed the stage into the 60s. The lighting was impressive and accurately reflected the mood of both characters and songs.

I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews- during the intermission, after the show, and at school on Monday morning. I think it’s safe to say that DHS’ production of Hairspray was a success.