I figured I’d change pace a little to tell you about the musical Hairspray, which I was lucky enough to see at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre last weekend. I talk about rock concerts on here all the time, so why not a bit of musical theatre?
I came to Hairspray a little late in the game I suppose, on the release of the John Travolta movie in 2007. I instantly fell in love with the sweet but often naughty John Waters penned songs and the unwavering optimism of the story, so when I heard it was heading to the Sydney stage I couldn’t refuse.
I had high expectations, which were happily met. In many cases the performances were better than the ones we saw on the big screen. I guess that’s what happens when you can choose your players based on talent rather than their box office power. Esther Hannaford definitely outperformed Amanda Bynes’ insipid Penny, and while Queen Latifah was no slouch I think Cle Morgan brought added soul to Motormouth Maybelle. I’d also take the all-singing, all-dancing Jack Chambers over Zac Effron’s Link Larkin any day, and my inner teenager went nuts for Tevin Campbell’s Seaweed. I thought Nikki Blonsky was a wonderful Tracy Turnblad, but the Sydney star Jaz Flowers was every bit her equal.
The stars were standouts, but the clever lighting and staging was what really made the show for me. Images projected on plain screens created the Technicolor world of the 60s in a way that no old-fashioned stage scenery ever could. Elevating platforms added to the fun, giving more depth to the relatively small Lyric Theatre stage. I was swept up in the world created as you should be in any musical, and I relished it.
Hairspray will stay in Sydney until September 11, unless the season is extended. If you’ve been considering getting yourself along, I would highly recommend it. This musical is a whole lot of fun.
Image source: Hairspray The Musical Australia website