Reviewed by Joe Blenkle/Sacramento
Stage & Theatre
Austin Miller
(left), Chandra Lee Swarts, Alan Mingo, Jr. and Keala Settle star in
HAIRSPRAY at the Community Center Theatre through Oct. 10, 2004. Photo
by: Chris Bennion.
It's easy to
see why HAIRSPRAY won eight Tony Awards. The musical, based on a 1988
movie of the same name, is both funny and fast-paced, has strong
characters and catchy music.
HAIRSPRAY takes us back to the early 60s when
bouffant hairstyles were the rage (and required lots of hairspray).
The plot revolves around a young teenage girl -
Tracy Turnblad (Keala Settle), a pleasantly plump fan of "The Corny
Collins Show," the most popular teen dance show in Baltimore.
Wnen one of the dancers announces she will be gone
from the show (for nine months), Corny tells all the teens of Baltimore
that the show has an opening for a dancer, and Tracy jumps at the
chance to audition for the spot.
But Tracy soon finds out that while she can dance
with the best of them, she is quickly dismissed by the producer because
of her weight and short stature.
A determined Tracy doesn't give up, however, and
after catching the eye of the show's star Link Larkin (Austin Miller),
she goes on to realize her dream - but not without a lot of comedic
obstacles along the way.
Settle does a great job as the plump, but
fast-on-her-feet teen Tracy, as does Miller as Link Larkin, Baltimore's
answer to Elvis. The supporting cast is superb, especially John
Pinette - in drag - playing Tracy's mom Edna Turnblad; Chandra Lee
Swarts as Tracy's friend Penny Pingleton; Alan Mingo, Jr. as Seaweed J.
Stubbs, who turns Tracy on to her winning dance steps; and Worth
Williams as Amber Von Tussle, Tracy's ditzy blonde rival for Link's
affections.
HAIRSPRAY is definitely worth a
look. It will leave you stuck in your seats like....hairspray.
HAIRSPRAY will be performing at the Sacramento
Community Center Theatre, located at 1310 L Street, through Oct.
10. Single show tickets are priced from $15 to
$65 and are on sale at the Community Center box office (916) 264-5181;
the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street (916) 557-1999;
online at Tickets.com; or www.SacBroadwaySeries.com.
