Review: Hairspray

THIS IS HOW A LIGHT MUSICAL SHOULD BE PERFORMED

Hairspray as the subject of a musical? Yes, and the strangest thing is that the topic works just fine. The text is not Shakespeare, but I have seen more owlish stories on stage.

It’s 1962 in the United States, a fat and bullied teenage girl Tracy wants to be on TV on a Corny Collins show to dance and compete with skinny and rich girls for the title of Miss Hairspray offered by a hairspray company. And of course, Tracy also has to compete for the favor of the handsome youngster.

Another thread in the story is the equality of blacks and whites and love that transcends racial boundaries when Penny falls in love with the black Seaweed, much to her mother’s horror. The viewer does not have to worry too much about the fate of the heroes at any point. Musical comedy now includes the fact that everyone is doing well, except the bad guys.

The story is told smoothly and with inventive sets. Unnecessary time is not wasted on speeches, but people start dancing and singing when there is even a little reason to do so. There are enough musical numbers and they are good. Marc Shaiman has mastered the entire tradition of American musicals, and when he combines 60s rock, soul and white entertainment music, the result is a tasty combination.

Shaiman also has a rare skill in creating wistful emotionality and fun in the same number: Tracy’s father and mother’s love duet You Are Ageless is irresistible performed by Pertti Koivula and Mikko Kivinen . Yes, the overweight mother is indeed Mikko Kivinen. You can guess if his role makes the audience laugh a lot or a lot.

The number of performers is of a consistently high standard. Actually, the only flaw is the pronunciation of Caron Barnes , who otherwise performs so incendiary, Mikko Koivusalo’s Finnish translation is so clever that you wish you could understand it. American Gary Revel Jr has also learned Finnish, and when he dances loosely and sings excellently, the role is a perfect fit.

Another similarly brilliant performance is Petja Lähde’s TV presenter Corny Collins. In the lead role of Tracy , Johanna Heimonen sings convincingly. Mikko Leppilampi is well suited to the role of the soft rock hero he plays, and judging by the screams, he is very much liked by female viewers.

The structure also works, as the atmosphere accelerates all the time towards the end and there is a Broadway-style musical element in the finale. Down to the small roles, everyone knows how to dance strictly to the same beat.

That’s how a light musical should be done: precise and fast-paced dancing, effective singing, spectacular sets, colorful costumes and really handsome playing. Fans of the genre don’t have to be disappointed, as it can be difficult to perform a musical like Hairspray better than this.