Neither wind, turbulence or weight distribution problems will keep me from a musical!

I went down to see the opening night of the regional premiere of HAIRSPRAY at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. I flew down to Manchester, NH (to stay with a friend of mine) in a turbo prop and there are only 18 seats and no flight attendant! Boy, can you ever feel the "motion of the ocean" in a small plane like that!

HAIRSPRAY was written by Marc Shaiman (Music and Lyrics), Scott Wittman (Lyrics), and Mark O'Donnell/Thomas Meehan (Book). NSMT's production was directed and choreographed by Barry Ivan, and music directed by Dale Rieling.

Jon Kimbell, the NSMT Artistic Director and Executive Producer, says in the Playbill:

It is such an honor to be the first regional theater in the country to produce HAIRSPRAY. Over the years, North Shore Music Theatre has built a strong reputation both regionally and nationally for taking Broadway musicals and tailoring them for the regional theater market. We introduced you to THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and RAGTIME, both regional theater premieres, and next season we are one of only six regional theaters in the country, and the only one in the Northeast, to produce Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.

It's a relatively new phenomenon for licensing companies to allow regional theaters to produce musicals that are also currently running in New York, and North Shore music Theatre is leading the way in this new trend. HAIRSPRAY is a prime example.

Barry Ivan, Director/Choreographer of NSMT's HAIRSPRAY, says in the Playbill:

Whether it's a premiere or a revival, North Shore Music Theatre's unique space is a challenge, but it's one that I relish. HAIRSPRAY celebrates the concept of 'not fitting the mold', and NSMT's space couldn't be more appropriate. Being in-the-round may be unconventional, yet it provides an intimate experience that is unrivaled in proscenium theaters. In HAIRSPRAY the oddballs are the heroes, and that's unusual in musical theater. This musical is also about embracing tolerance and it's my responsibility to keep everyone in the cast focused and grounded because it's very easy to fall into a trap where campiness overwhelms the core themes.

This production starred Paul C. Vogt (from MAD TV) as Edna Turnblad, Bridie Carroll as Tracy, David Larsen as Link, Todd Dubail as Corny Collins, Dana Zihlman Harshaw as Amber Von Tussle, Sarah Elizabeth Nischwitz as Penny, Deb Lyons as Velma Von Tussle, Dick Decareau as Wilbur Turnblad, Dashaun Young as Seaweed, and Inga Ballard as Motormouth Maybelle.

I also recognized Valerie Fagan (who played a number of roles brilliantly, including the gym teacher and Prudy Pingleton) as one of the Paisley Sisters in the NYMF 2006 production of THE PAISLEY SISTERS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

This was a wonderful production of HAIRSPRAY. I saw a great production in Boston a long time ago and was anxious to see how it would be done "in-the-round". Just like Barry said, the in-the-round format provides a really nice intimacy, that draws you deeper into the story, and therefore lets you get past any campiness. I love it when the chorus is spread all over the theater, singing their back up parts. I especially enjoyed "Timeless To Me", the duet between Edna and Wilbur. In Boston it felt like a bit of a throwaway or "filler" number, but here it had great heart and it was a highlight of the show for me. Broadwayworld.com also gave it a rave review here, and I agree!

I'm looking forward to next year's season at NSMT, which includes CRAZY FOR YOU, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, FOREVER PLAID and the mystery "Broadway Blockbuster musical" which will be announced later in November...hmmm...

My flight back was on the same kind of plane, but this time we had so many bags that the pilot was having weight distribution issues. So they made all the "ladies" (I almost felt like saying, "I ain't no lady") board first and sit at the back and then the men sit at the front. That kind of spooked me since I'm not usually so intimately involved with the physics of the plane I'm in!

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