Hairspray

In 1960s Baltimore, dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad auditions for a spot on "The Corny Collins Show" and wins. She becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion. Perhaps her new status as a teen sensation is enough to topple Corny's reigning dance queen and bring racial integration to the show.

Hairspray is no doubt a vibrant show, colourful and energetic and has a real ‘feel-good’ factor. From the moment the band struck up, I knew we were in for a very entertaining afternoon. The set was just as expected, very 60s and well designed, costumes also matched the period along with very appropriate hairstyles!

Joanne Perry, as Tracy Turnblad opened the show from her bed welcoming us all to Baltimore. Joanne certainly looked the part and played her character with confidence, owning the stage whenever she appeared. It is a demanding part vocally and Joanne did not falter in any of her songs.  Her mother, Edna Turnblad, traditionally the ‘drag act’ in the cast, was expertly played by Craig Smith. With hints of Mrs Doubtfire, Craig looked at home playing the dominating mother! He had a good rapport with husband Wilbur, played by Paul Ingles, and together they performed memorable scenes and duets, none more so than ‘Timeless to me’, which was a real crowd-pleaser. Brett Dewsbury as Corny Collins, was very convincing, oozing cheese with every sentence, backed up by commanding vocals in his songs. Link Larkin, the ambitious rising star of TV, was well played by Matthew Windsor, an obvious proficient dancer, his vocals were also crystal clear and was someone else who commanded the stage with every appearance. Penny Pingleton, played by Eleanor Shephard, is a super part, and Eleanor extracted every ounce of humour from it with her ’dizzy’ portrayal. Bea Coleman and Emily Daniel, playing mother and daughter Velma and Amber Von Tussle, were a great double act. Bea is a joy to watch on stage, not only with clear diction and vocals but also never misses an opportunity for visual humour. Emily was the perfect example of the spoilt child, who got everything she wanted.

Mention must be made of Jennifer Graham, Motormouth Maybelle gets to sing the big gospel-style numbers in the show and Jennifer did not disappoint. Her rendition of Big, Blonde and Beautiful and I Know where I’ve Been were showstoppers, even a failed radio mic did not put her off her stride. Jonathan Blake looked completely at ease playing the fleet of foot character Seaweed Stubbs, he made dancing look easy!

There was not a weak link in the entire cast, principal characters were extremely well supported by a more than competent ensemble. Intricate dance moves were carried out with precision and vocal harmonies were crisp and tight. Here I must congratulate Cat Sambrook (Choreographer) and Ian Room (Musical Director) on their expertise in these departments, there had obviously been hours of work put in to perfect musical numbers and dance routines. 

Finally, a big congratulations to the director, Steph Coleman. Everyone on stage, and those working behind the scenes, knew exactly what they were doing and when they were supposed to be doing it, it is never an easy task with so many people involved in a production.

It is always a pleasure to come and see Walsall Operatic perform, we are blessed to have so many excellent societies in this area and Walsall are certainly one of them. Congratulations to all involved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.