| Audience Review |
The following review contains opinions that are the author's alone. "Hairspray" review - Cast 2 Having enough actors who wish to be a part of a production is a daunting task for any community-based theater organization. Having enough to perform more than one incarnation of a show is noteworthy. The Pied Piper Youth Theater achieves this with remarkable regularity, often producing two, and sometimes three cast productions of the same show. Each, invariably, achieves the overarching goal of pleasing and delighting audiences with its own skill, energy and style. When a theater company fields two productions of the same show, comparisons may seem inevitable. But, when the Pied Piper Youth Theater produced "Hairspray!" for a second run with changes to the cast, what could have been seen as just another spate of performances was transformed into something truly memorable on its own merits. Hairspray, a story set in 1962 Baltimore, pokes fun at social stereotypes while lambasting the dominant culture for its overt racism and fear of change. The show itself is a cartoonish fable of injustice and retribution, casting the popular kids as wholly self-centered and petty, while portraying the "rainbow" kids as noble, downtrodden heroes of virtue. Our hero is Tracy, a normal teenager who doesn't fit in with the "pretty people", who finds that chasing her dreams leads to championing a cause much larger than the pursuit of her own desire for local fame. Jessica Bulzacchelli, as Tracy, infuses the character with the gushing exuberance befitting the role, while her considerable vocal talents give life to each song and scene. Her buoyant personality shines through here, as theater directors John and Bonnie Ryerson once again cast the perfect actor for the role. Reprising his role of Seaweed J. Stubbs, Carl MacDonald performs with a confidence born of his natural ability to handle stagecraft, and a fearless approach to the physicality of the role. Noteable here as well is his foray into choreography, designing the dance steps that Seaweed, along with his fellow castmates, perform to help Tracy land a spot on the local teen dance show in the story. Also returning in his role of Link Larkin, teen heartthrob and Tracy's love interest, is William Velek II. Portraying someone who dares to risk their social status for love provides the chance to really stretch as an actor, and Velek takes on the challenge with likability and ease. Pied Piper audiences have grown to expect solid performances from the troupe, and Velek illustrates once again why that expectation is well deserved. The character of Motormouth Maybell provides an anchor to the show, delivering both the main point of the story in "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" and the underlying plight of the "rainbow" society as a whole in "I Know Where I've Been". Josie Correo, as Motormouth, delivers both songs in a effort that is at once both earnest and elegant. Victoria Francis, playing lead antagonist Velma, delivers her portrayal of the character's smugness and unapologetic racism as if on the point of a spear, jabbing our heroes, along with the audience, forcefully at every opportunity. The supporting cast in "Hairspray" handle most of the humor, with Eric Mueller returning for his role as Tracy's father, Wilbur. The charm and grace exhibited in his run with the previous cast is magnified here, as he plays against Tracy's mother, Edna, performed by Tim Hebert. Towering over the diminutive Wilbur, Hebert's deadpan delivery and forthright approach provides sparks of hilarity in an already very funny script. Natalie Scofield as Penny offers up a level of sweetness and light, giving a three dimensional quality to a role that could have simply lapsed into slapstick. Kim Hengel, as Amber, the leader of the popular kids, lets the fraility of her social position shine through her mean-spirited dialogue in a performance that actors with years more experience could envy. The ensemble, often overlooked but never disregarded in a Pied Piper show, was tight and energetic. Support for musical numbers and larger scenes is crucial to establishing a show's sense of environment, and the cast here was polished as well. The Dynamite Girls, a Greek chorus-styled trio reminicient of "Little Shop of Horrors" served to pump up the audience through some of the show's rowdier songs. Daphne Alicia, Kim Hebert and Kayla Hamilton sang and swayed to perfection, taking theater-goers along for the ride on songs like "Welcome to the Sixties". Kayla Hamilton, it is worth noting, also performed some of the choregraphy chores to great effect, as part of the Ryerson's effort to allow their performers more of a sense of ownership in each production. Polite and enthusiastic applause is to be expected in a children's theater production, due to the high percentage of parents as audience members. Roaring belly laughs, gasps over "A-ha" moments and standing ovations are a bit less common.
|
Previous Reviews |
site design by JD Savage Productions