I attended the DCPA’s production of Hairspray on Friday, March 8th. It was an incredible performance with lots of energy and joy. Hairspray is a quintessential musical with bright costumes, lots of dancing and a sweet message. Caroline Eisman portrayed the protagonist Tracy Turnblat. Tracy is a teenager in 1960’s Baltimore who comes into her own throughout the production.
In the show, young Tracy dreams of being on a dancing show but is rejected due to her looks. She eventually gets on the show and achieves her dreams. However, the show is notoriously exclusive and will not allow African American kids to join. Tracy organizes a protest against this policy. While this ends with Tracy spending time in jail, it ultimately succeeds. The plot is somewhat predictable but along the way the various auxiliary storylines and characters keep the viewers highly entertained.
I loved watching Hairspray. It is a very elaborate show but I most enjoyed the offhanded humor. While the themes of this show are fairly obvious, there is also a tenderness in the simplistic idealism. Looking around the theater, I saw many many types of people get caught up in the music and energy and forget the real world for a couple of hours.
This production utilized bright colors and eye-catching visuals to highlight the gaudy atmosphere of 1960’s TV culture.The actors all shone in different ways, from the not-so-subtlety evil Ms. Von Tussle to the hilariously strange prison warden. This show was so interesting because the ensemble members all had their moments to shine.
Overall, I would totally recommend Hairspray to anyone who gets a chance to go. It was unfortunately only in Denver for a limited time, but it is a classic and is often onstage. This show truly has universal appeal and the audience was on their feet by the end.
I would advise taking the lightrail if you are planning to go to any DCPA show in the future (parking is a nightmare). Finally, I would like to thank my uncle who got me these tickets for Christmas!