Review: HAIRSPRAY at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

Prather Productions is embarking on a national tour of HAIRSPRAY, and Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is the first stop for this talented cast. The award-winning musical tells the beloved story of Tracy Turnblad as she fights for what she believes in.

Tracy is played by Caroline Eiseman, who truly brought the character to life. Eiseman sang, danced, and brought a lot of personality to the role. She did a fabulous job and was a joy to watch. Her best friend, Penny Pingleton, is played by Scarlett Jacques. Jacques was also excellent, and the perfect fit for Penny. I really enjoyed their friendship. Tracy's love interest, Link Larkin, is played by Skyler Shields. They had great on-stage chemistry, and Shields is a wonderful singer and dancer as well. Josiah Rogers plays Seaweed, Penny's love interest, and I think he was perfect for this role. He brought a lot of charisma to the character, and his dancing was fun to watch.

Tracy's parents, Edna and Wilbur, are played by Greg Kalafatas and Ralph Prentice Daniel, respectively. Edna and Wilbur have a very sweet relationship, and they both did a great job portraying such. Kalafatas was a fabulous Edna, and was absolutely hilarious. 

The rest of the cast includes Andrew Scoggin as Corny Collins, Caroline Portner as Amber Von Tussle, Sarah Hayes as Velma Von Tussle, Deidre Lang as Motormouth Maybelle, and many, many more. Each cast member had a shining moment in the production, and it was fun to see. They all were great singers, dancers, and actors, and did a terrific job bringing this well-known show to life. 

This production was directed by Matt Lenz with choreography by Robbie Roby, alongside scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Russell A. Thompson, sound design by Abbey Dillard, video adaptations by Chris McCleary, wig and hair design by Paul Huntley and Bernie Ardia, orchestrations by Harold Wheeler, music supervision by Keith Thompson, musical coordination by JP Meyer, musical direction by Lizzie Webb, and much more. This show is a big undertaking, and this team did a great job with it. I appreciated how colorful everything was. 

Hairspray is playing at Broadway Palm now through October 28. I recommend checking out this fun, fabulous production if you are in the area before it hits the road. It is a joyful show that tells a great message of equality. From "Good Morning Baltimore" to "You Can't Stop the Beat," you'll be dancing in your seat and cheering Tracy and her friends along.

It is also worth noting that opening night of HAIRSPRAY was also Broadway Palm's belated 30th Anniversary celebration, which was postponed because of Hurricane Ian last year. There was a lot of joy, energy, and support in the room, which made the show even better. There were some technical issues during the show, but they were handled with professionalism and were fixed quickly. Overall, it was a great night out.

Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Don't Miss a Ft. Myers/Naples News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...