Performance Review Derrick Thomas Jr.

 At the Woodford Theatre, a local organization opened its season-ending musical last Friday, and it’s no surprise that this energetic production of the popular Marc Shaiman musical Hairspray was very entertaining.

The cast is a diverse group of seasoned professionals and talented college students that share the spotlight with young hopefuls and first time performers. The sense of a community coming together to put on this play and having fun is very apparent. Anyone who comes to see it will enjoy it a lot.

The star Tracy Turnblad is played with abundant energy by Madeline Williamson. Her tone and facial expressions are hilarious. She nevertheless has a commanding presence and easily carries the play.

Singing wise I’d have to say, the props go to Peter Gibbons, who plays the pretty boy Link with likable sincerity, and Darian Sanders, who plays soul-singing Seaweed with starful pizazz. Singing from all actors was good throughout the musical

Jessica Slaton Greene casted as Motormouth Maybelle projects herself good in the part. As Tracy’s parents, Robert Parks Johnson, dressed in drag as Edna, and Patrick Lee Lucas as Wilbur, are played wonderfully, and perform great in their second-act duet (You’re) Timeless To Me.

Daniel Bruington and his larger than life attitude as TV host Corny Collins. As the stuck-up antagonist Velma and Amber Von Tussle Sloan Gilbert and Rachel Jarrard present rather flat shallow characters, but are fun to watch throughout the plot. Emma Becker is good as Tracy’s friend Penny.

The cast of singers, dancers, and actors that make up the rest of the fictional town perform with obvious energy and enjoyment that touches the audience. A credit should be given to to Erica Tilford, Alicia Davila and Brittany Morton, who play a 60’s style trio called the Dynamites with gusto.

The 1960s-style choreography engulfs the theater with flashy movement from start to finish. Constant energy is the main claim for this production, and although lack of experience can be seen throughout the cast, everybody gives their all when it comes to dancing.

The staging direction by director Vanessa Becker Weig keeps the play moving along, although sometimes dialogue can seem clouded by constant motion. Even in serious moments, when stasis would help emphasize the importance of a scene, such as Link’s deciding to be with Tracy instead of Amber, or Motormouth’s speech about the struggle of racial tensions, the characters wander around mindlessly, without real dramatic purpose. But these are small flaws in the overall staging of a huge cast in an emotion filled high-energy musical. Overall the play came off as a fun family experience that the whole community could be proud of.