Steadstyle Chicago
October 2009 Theatre Review by Joe Stead
Hairspray
Take one of the happiest feel-good musicals of all time, assemble an all-star Chicago cast under the directorial genius of Marc Robin, sprinkle in a couple of talented New Yorkers and call it "Hairspray," the most consistently rousing hit of this year's Marriott Theatre season. This is exactly the kind of splashy song and dance spectacular the Marriott does so well, and judging from the feedback of the subscribers in the audience surrounding me, it was sorely needed. You'll be hard pressed to find a peppier production or a more likable cast.
The original 1988 film was camp king John Waters' valentine to the 1960's, big dreams and big hair. Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman added a toe-tapping score for the 2002 Broadway musical sensation, which made it full circle back to the big screen in 2007 with an entertaining if oddly cast John Travolta taking up drag diva Divine's well-padded corset. Those who want to do a little Chicago star gazing can direct their attention to the Marriott's center stage where such supreme veterans as Ross Lehman, Heidi Kettenring, Johanna Mckenzie Miller, Hollis Resnik, Gene Weygandt, Bernie Yvon and E. Faye Butler are providing all the luster this great big bouffant "do" could ever need.
Lehman doesn't have the girth to hit "the motherload" as Edna Turnblad, but he is a tremendous comic force and his surprisingly restrained performance is charmingly warm and maternal. Hot off the Broadway production is Marissa Perry, the fifth and final Tracy Turnblad, our plus-sized rabble rouser who dreams of dancing on a Baltimore TV show and winds up bringing integration and a new attitude with her. Who couldn't love this little gal whose motto is "You gotta think big to be big". Perry certainly is a big talent who easily wins us over with her sweet spirit and go-get-'em determination. Handsome Billy Tighe is the teen crooner who makes Tracy's great big heart skip a beat, and I'm sure the feeling will be mutual with many in the audience as well.
The wonderful Bernie Yvon personifies Mr. Suave as the Dick Clark of Baltimore TV land, Corny Collins. And there are excellent standout performances from Gene Weygandt as the supportive dad and partner anyone would love to have, Heidi Kettenring and Josh Breckenridge as a pair of checkerboard lovebirds, and the fabulous E. Faye Butler, who could light up several football fields with her mega voltage talent as Motormouth Maybelle.
While some of the cute visuals of the proscenium production are gone, the Marriott's in-the-round vesion compensates with a stage brimming over with energy, sass and soul. It also gains a clarity and intimacy that allow the lyrics and dialogue to be heard crystal clear, a credit to both Sound designer Robert E. Gilmartin IV and the outstanding diction and voices of the cast under Ryan T. Nelson's musical direction. As always, Patti Garwood's orchestra sizzles and gets every color of this ebullient score. "Hairspray" is like a giant triple decker ice cream sundae with all the fixings. It is also a confection with a great big heart and welcome message of embracing diversity and change and appreciating one another's uniqueness. That's a message that can never go out of style no matter the time period. The Marriott's production is a bona fide "can't miss" treat!
"Hairspray" plays through December 6, 2009 at The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire. The show runs 2 hours 30 minutes with intermission. Performances are Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. With the purchase of a $55 ticket on Wednesdays and Thursdays, dinner in either Kings Wharf or Fairfield Inn restaurants is included. This special offer is based on dining availability. All other performance ticket prices are $45.00, excluding tax and handling fees. A $5.00 discount for students and seniors is valid on Wednesday and Sunday matinee performances. Dinner packages for Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances range from $32-$43 per person. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets with a major credit card, call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at (847) 634-0200 or visit www.marriotttheatre.com.
About Joe Stead
Joe
Stead has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the theatre, which has
involved acting, directing, producing, designing and reviewing for
the past twenty-five years. He served as founder, producer and
Artistic Director of Curtain Up Productions in Baltimore, Maryland
and Four Star Players in Tampa, Florida. Favorite productions
have included "Life With Father," "Deathtrap,"
"The Odd Couple," "The Miracle Worker,"
"Brighton Beach Memoirs," "You're A Good Man, Charlie
Brown" and "Godspell". He has also performed
leading roles in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Pippin,"
"The Phantom of the Opera," "The Front Page," and
most recently as Hucklebee in "The Fantasticks" for
Waukegan Community Players. Joe holds a degree in Commercial
Art from Tampa Technical Institute. As a critic, he has
reviewed everything from Broadway to community theatre and major
regional theatres throughout the United States including the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C., Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey,
Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and the Asolo Theatre in
Sarasota, Florida.
Since 1998, he has been a proud resident of Chicago, the greatest theatre city in America. He served for two years as Theatre Editor for College News and Central Newspapers. He created the website Steadstyle Chicago in 2000 to showcase the city's outstanding and diverse theatre scene. Joe was proud to serve alongside a distinguished panel of theatre professionals as a judge for two seasons of Speaking Ring Theatre's "Vitality" Festival of original short plays. His most fulfilling role, in addition to reviewer and all-around theatre fanatic, was as director of the 2007 production of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" at Actors Workshop (now Redtwist) Theatre, which was nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Award Citations and won for Best Actor (Peter Oyloe).
Second Thoughts by Alan Bresloff
Every time that I think Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire will have a difficult time taking a show from a large production and putting it in the round on their tiny stage, they prove me wrong. Their current production is an astounding version of "Hairspray," the wild and energetic look at the 1960's that fills the stage with some of Chicago's finest musical talents. This Tony Award winning musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan is a bright and powerful look at Baltimore in the 1960's. TV Dance shows were in. Big hair was in. Segregation was in. This was before the Civil Rights movement and tells the story of how one young girl, with a strong desire to dance changed the look of Baltimore. Tracy Turnblad is a heavy girl, an underdog of sorts who loves to dance and loves music and sees everyone as just people. She is real up against a world of "beautiful people". Marissa Perry gives a brilliant and powerful performance as Tracy. She is something special, recreating her Broadway role.
As the story progresses, we see her mature from a kid who wants to get on the local TV dance show to someone who wants to open the door for all races to have the same opportunity and for whites and negroes to be able to dance together. This was a time of social unrest and Marc Robin (the magician) transforms this wonderful high spirited show to the small stage with his knack. I call him the magician because he performs magic on any stage that he brings his talent to. He is the ultimate choreographer/director in town, and his direction and knowledge of how to stage a show in the round is pure magic for the audience. No matter where you sit, you get a full picture and his cast couldn't be stronger.
Corny Collins, the sort of Dick Clark character who hosts the dance program, is played by Bernie Yvon, who as always gives 110%. Tracy's best friend, the nerdy Penny Pingeton is played by the extraordinary Heidi Kettenring and Tracy's parents are played by Gene Weygandt, a true comedian who handles song and dance with great ease, and the hysterical Ross Lehman who can do anything on stage and do it to perfection as Edna, her mother. For those of you who do not know the history of why a man plays the mother, it started with the original movie where a drag queen, Divine, played the mom as sort of a joke and has continued through the making of the musical, which then became a movie musical. With the right comic actor playing the role, it works and with Lehman, it doesn't get any better!
There of course is the beautiful girl, the teen Queen (Johanna McKenzie Miller) and her mother, the devious Velma Von Tussle (deliciously played by Hollis Resnik, another local talent who can belt it out with the best, but brings character to every role she plays). The boy they are both after does make the right choice in the end and Billy Harrigan Tighe is adorable in this role. Josh Breckenridge is a strong Seaweed, and his mother Motormouth Maybelle is deftly handled by E. Faye Butler. Watching her onstage is always a pleasure and what a voice! There is an old saying that even a small role can be memorable to an audience and one of the ensemble members, Scott Calcagno made quite an impression in his roles as the principal (getting an ovation), Mr. Spritzer, the owner of the "hairspray" company, and Mr. Pinky. He also plays a guard in the prison scene.
Speaking of ensemble, this is a strong ensemble show and you know how I feel about the importance of these actors/singers/dancers. They make the musical work. Catherine Lord, Jazmine Reynolds, Caitlainne Rose Gurreri, Danielle G. Herbert, Brandon Koller, Christian Libonati, Benjamin Mapp, Cessalee Martinez, Vanessa Panerosa, Malika Petty, Danielle Plisz, Max Quinlian, Matt Rafferty, Ryan Reilly, Laura Scheinbaum, Leslie Taylor, Travis Turnet and Demi Zaino, well done.
The set by Thomas M. Ryan works well and has some clever twists. They sure know how to use the small stage at Marriott and Diane Ferry Williams' wonderful lighting effects, costumes by Michael Bottari and Ronald Case and wig designs by Gerard Kelly complete the picture painted by Robin. The music under the direction of Ryan T. Nelson fills the theater perfectly. If you have never seen the play before this is a production that will leave you with a lasting memory, a theatrical experience to remember. If you have seen it before, see it again. This one will knock your sox off and while the Travolta movie version was fun, this entire production is a much better experience as it is live. It has great energy and allows you to use your own imagination and feelings. Do not miss this opportunity. You only have until December 6 to get out to the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.