Dance party!
“Hairspray,” the beloved 2002 show about a smart, fat teenage girl who gets the sweet, hunky guy and wants to save the world by integrating a teen dance TV show, is back, and oh so fun.
Ready and still mostly relevant for a new generation, the new North American tour in San Francisco for a brief run features direction by Matt Lenz and choreography by Robbie Roby following the original by director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell.
The 2003 Tony Award winner for best musical champions social causes with cornball jokes, catchy tunes (though the sound was extremely loud opening night at the Orpheum), vibrant colors and a heart larger than the poundage of chunky protagonist Tracy Turnblad.
“Hairspray” remains a giddy 1960s-era delight, with great melodic songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan is based on John Waters’ 1988 film starring Ricki Lake, Divine and Jerry Stiller, which was adapted again into the terrific 2007 movie musical with Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta and Christopher Walken.
Here, Caroline Eiseman plays Tracy, the amply coiffed, teen powerhouse from Baltimore who dreams of appearing on Corny Collins’ (Andrew Scoggin) TV show and meeting its most gorgeous dancer, Link Larkin (Skyler Shields).
She finds support from queen-sized mom Edna (Greg Kalafatas); prank-wielding dad Wilbur (Ralph Prentice Daniel); sweet but dim pal Penny (Scarlett Jacques); a new Black friend Seaweed (Josiah Rogers); and his mom, record store owner Motormouth Maybelle (Deidre Lang).
Hanging out with Seaweed in detention, Tracy learns soulful new moves that get her noticed at auditions for a spot on the TV show and finds herself in the running for the “Miss Teenage Hairspray 1962” Award.
Things take a turn for the complicated when, on the air, Tracy calls for every day to be “Negro Day” and makes up her mind to bring Black dancers to the show. The evil producer Velma Van Tussle (Sarah Hayes) and authorities aren’t keen on the plan.
“Hairspray” maintains a flawless pace, its energy mounting from one big, bouncy Motown-esque number to the next and tunes that sound straight from the hit parade of the early ’60s.
Eiseman grabs the audience from the get-go with opener, “Good Morning Baltimore.” She and her cohorts magically keep up the energy in plentiful, awesome dance scenes showcasing the uniformly vivacious chorus that can do no wrong.
Edna and Wilbur’s ditty “(You’re) Timeless to Me” has a bawdier tone than that of the sweet movie version with Travolta and Walken, and Motormouth belts effective solos in “Big, Blonde & Beautiful” and “I Know Where I’ve Been.”
Funny Emmanuelle Zeesman also stands out in multiple roles, playing Penny’s mom, the gym teacher and jail matron.
Mention also must be made of the kitschy sets (by David Rockwell), swingin’ costumes (by William Ivey Long) in a rainbow of hues that would make the Crayola folks jealous, and, of course, the amazing wigs by Paul Huntley and Bernie Ardia.
Though “Hairspray’s” corny jokes are straight from its era (“I’m like a book of green stamps — beyond redemption,” Edna deadpans), its themes promoting race relations that resonated at its 2002 inception may have less appeal to some 2024 audiences sensitive about a white protagonist “saving” the Black community.
Still, contemporary audiences certainly can’t quibble about the propriety of inclusive dance parties. Another thing that hasn’t changed in years: On Tuesday’s opening night performance, when Tracy asserted that “manipulating our judicial system just to win a contest is un-American,” folks in the audience roared with knowing laughter, just as they did decades ago.
“Hairspray” runs through April 21 at the Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St., San Francisco. Tickets are $55–$161 at broadwaysf.com.