Hairspray and Opera Glasses: A Musical Play Review
The musical Hairspray is set in June in the year 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland. The main character, Tracy, is an overweight young girl. The young girl dreams of becoming famous. If you do not have front row seats, you will want to bring your opera glasses so as not to miss a heartbeat of this fast-paced musical.
Tracy hears on the television that The Corny Collins Show is having a dance contest and she excitedly wants to enter the contest. Her overweight mother frowns at the idea. (You may have heard actor John Travolta played this part in the movie Hairspray.) Tracy’s mother is just trying to protect her dear daughter out of love as she does not want people to make her daughter a joke for being overweight. Plus, her mother thinks the show plays racist music.
Finally Tracy makes it to the big dance audition, thanks to the permission of her father, Wilbur. As she is auditioning she meets a popular boy named Link Larkin. At this point you will want to make sure you use your opera glasses, as you will want to catch the expression on Tracy’s face, you will see her face light up, maybe in the same way yours did in high school. Our hero begins to daydream that she and Link will end up together. At this point in the musical, she sings a wonderful song about her dream. But as you knew would happen, her dream is shattered when she finds that she did not make the cut on the show, for the same reason that her mother suspected, her weight.
After the audition, Tracy returns to school down trodden, but as luck would have it, her troubles do not end just yet. Tracy is given detention simply due to the fact that her hair is just so big, her big hair causes such a problem, because those that sit behind her in class are not even able to see the chalkboard. For this reason, the musical Hairspray, is named Hairspray.
While Tracy is in detention, she meets a nice black boy named Seaweed who is kind enough to teach Tracy some dance steps and hot moves. There is a dance party scheduled for the school and the owner of the Corny Collins Show, Corny Collins himself, sees Tracy’s slick moves. He loves how she dances and lo and behold she is chosen to be a dancer on his popular show. This moment will be the perfect time to put on your opera glasses as of course Tracy is ecstatic as this is her big dream!
Tracy gets more good news, Link Larkin is to sing a romantic song to her. Another character, Amber, who is the snobby pretty girl is quite upset. At school Amber does some mean things to Tracy which includes whacking her head with a volleyball and knocking Tracy out.
As the play continues, Tracy and others are invited to the record show that Seaweed’s mother owns, A party is planned for all that attend. All during this time, Tracy becomes close friends with Seaweed, and is enraged to find out that blacks are only allowed to attend the Corny Collins T.V. Show once a month on “Negro Day” Tracy begins to fight for blacks rights. To find out how Hairspray ends, you will have to attend, but it will be a wonderful experience for all who go.
Hairspray is a delight to attend, and a bigger delight to hear, it is no wonder it made such a run on Broadway, Remember to bring your opera glasses to catch every last expression, and the wonderful costumes. This is truly a performance to cherish.
Jeff Bridges has always loved the theater and opera, he currently helps run an opera glasses retail site where they sell opera glasses. Including Opera Glasses with handle, flashlight, chain and more!
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