I got to see a preview of "Hairspray" last night and had the best time! I haven't seen the stage show, so I was not familiar with the music, which is a spot on recreation of those 1960's tunes popular when I was in junior high and high school. The adorable cast simply kept singing and dancing practically nonstop, and although the plot deals with serious stuff like racism and stereotypes, it was handled so adroitly and with such a light touch that it didn't get bogged down like it might have.
The girl they found to play Tracey, Nikki Blonsky, is just right--irrepressibly good-natured, full of life and of course plump, and she sings and dances beautifully. As her parents, John Travolta and Christopher Walken are an utter hoot. Michelle Pfeiffer does a great job as the villainous ex-beauty queen, and the small roles are perfect cameos: Jerry Stiller as the cheesy owner of a shop for big girls, Queen Latifah as a soulful record shop owner, and Allison Janney as an evangelical terror of a mom. John Waters and Ricki Lake, the writer and star of the original movie, made quick (and appropriate) appearances, too.
It was so energizing, what with one catchy number after another, that I went in feeling tired and sleepy and came out wanting to dance down the street! Go see it when you need a pick-me-up.
