Hairspray show shows fans you can’t stop this beat

“To keep your audience, you got to keep up with the times” is one of the many relevant lines said in the current touring production of the Broadway musical, Hairspray, which opened on Tuesday at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse. The tour commemorates 22 years since the Tony Award-winning Best Musical opened on Broadway, and audience members can still hear the bells and crystal-clear whistleblowing of social issues…many of which ring even more true today.

Before the iconic “Good Morning Baltimore” opening, a pre-show announcer welcomes the crowd back into the 60s, a place and time when cell phones didn’t exist –teasingly hinting to the audience that they should silence their own. After a few announcements and some anticipatory applause, the lights are dimmed, the curtains come up, and the guests hear the first few drumbeats of the now-omnipresent opening number. 

A spotlight shines centerstage on an upright pink bedroom set piece, as the first “Uh, Uh Oh’s” are heard from Tracy Turnblad, played by Caroline Eiseman. Eiseman stands upright on the vertical platform turned bed. As she wakes up, the audience is indeed taken back in time, both to when the musical is set and to a more recent era as the 1988 movie, turned 2002 musical, turned 2007 movie has been seen globally and spanned a generation. 

Courtesy of Jeremy Daniel

Tracy Turnblad (Caroline Eiseman) sings “Good Morning Baltimore” in the opening scene of the musical.

Hairspray is set in early 1960s Baltimore and follows the journey of plus-sized protagonist, Tracy Turnblad. Turnblad is othered for her build, big hair and lively personality. After fulfilling her dream of dancing on the segregated Corny Collins Show, her challenges only escalate as she fights for self-acceptance and advocates integration on the show she loves. 

The recent tour stop in Syracuse gave strong performances led by Eiseman, who carries the production from beginning to end. Supporting Eiseman in the cast include Syracuse University alumna Caroline Portner as “Amber Von Tussle,” Sarah Hayes as the rigid and ruthless “Velma Von Tussle” and Greg Kalafatas and Ralph Prentice Daniel, who play Edna and Wilbur Turnblad –and give a sweet and sincere rendition of “(You’re) Timeless to Me”. 

Billed as “Motormouth Maybelle,”  Deidre Lang was out for the opening night in Syracuse, but the role played by the youthful Leiah Lewis did not disappoint, specifically regarding the stand-out number “I Know Where I’ve Been.” 

The original choreography by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, reimagined by Robbie Roby, stands out and remains a highlight of the musical production. The ensemble’s vocals soar (despite apparent technical issues with sound in the almost 100-year-old Landmark Theatre.) Original scenic and video designs by David Rockwell and Patrick W. Lord fit the production’s current touring nature with seamless moving set pieces, well-lit backdrops, and 21st-century video projections. Finally, costume, wig and hair design by William Ivey Long, Paul Huntley and Bernie Ardia pay homage to the original production. 

With the musical’s many iterations and countless performances, its body positivity/fatphobia and race relations themes still resonate with today’s audiences. This Syracuse production felt particularly modern, as lines like “You can’t manipulate our judicial system to win a contest” are stated by Eiseman. It’s safe to say quotes like these continue to strike a nerve concerning recent politics and current events. While reigning for a particular social relevance, the show and its music remain classic, timeless fun for its audience. From the 60s to the 2020s, you just can’t stop the beat this musical continues to bring. 

The production will run in Syracuse until Saturday at the Landmark Theatre.