A young girl in 60s America has big dreams, big hair and wants to be famous...
Before I tell you about Hairspray the musical, I have one thing to say about it. Wow, just WOW!
When I saw Hairspray was coming to Nottingham, I knew it was one not to miss. I had never seen the West End & Broadway musical before, just the film. Well both films, the one with Divine (1988) and the one with John Travolta (2007).
Set in 1962 Baltimore, Hairspray is about championing the underdog. A young girl, Tracy Turnblad, has big dreams and wants to be famous. She wants to be liked, she wants to be loved, she wants to get the boy! She is judged by some people for how she looks. Unfortunately, it is still very relevant to the world we're living in today where you're dealing with racial tension, discrimination and people just not being able to be themselves. Everybody has a dream, and everybody should be able to pursue that dream.
Tracy wins a role on The Corny Collins Show and becomes an overnight star, much to the dismay of Velma Von Tussle, the racist and sizeist manager of the TV station. Velma wants her daughter, Amber, to be the star. Tracy wants to have African-American dancers to appear on the show all the time and not just on monthly "Negro Day". But will she succeed?
Neil Hurst plays Edna Turnblad, continuing the tradition for the role of Tracy's mum to be a man in drag since Divines portrayal in the 1988 film. I have to say, Edna was by far my favourite character. A hard working mum, that loves and supports her daughter, firstly to be a plus sized TV star, then to fight for integration. The song "(You're) Timeless to Me" sang by Edna and Wilbur, was just so perfect and showed the love the couple have for each other.
The simple staging is perfect. It doesn't distract for what's happening on stage while easily serving as a record shop, TV studio and Edna's laundry.
Michelle Ndegwa makes her professional debut in the principal role of Motormouth Maybelle having been selected from more than 3000 people who applied to the open auditions and you can see why she was chosen, her voice gave me goosebumps.
Alexandra Emerson-Kirby made her professional debut as Tracy Turnblad. Her passion for musical theatre started at her local YMCA Theatre in Scarborough. And let's not forget the ensemble. The voices were outstanding. I was just in awe of the talent on the stage and the power of the voices.
Hairspray is an incredible musical. It's definitely worth watching if you can, because while it is very thought provoking it will also make you feel happy. As seen with everyone in stalls dancing and clapping for the encore of "You Can't Stop The Beat".
Hairspray plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Saturday 9 November 2024.
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