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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The nicest kids in
town carry Beck Center’s ‘Hairspray’<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The
Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
American Theatre Critics Association <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
review will appear in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">7/15/11</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hairspray</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> is a spritz of
aerosol in the wind; an airy, uplifting musical comedy that takes hold on
contact.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Based on a low-budget
nonmusical film by king-of-camp John Waters, the stage version of <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Hairspray</I> shares the storyline of a big
girl with big dreams against a backdrop of the civil rights movement in 1960s
Baltimore.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Tracy Turnblad lives to
dance and, despite her unfashionable girth, unpopular parents and liberal views,
lands a spot on a local TV teen dance program, which she helps integrate with
her high school detention buddies. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">One of the campy
conventions that made its way from celluloid to stage is casting Tracy’s Mom,
Edna, as a man in drag.<SPAN style="COLOR: black"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, w</SPAN>ith its lightweight
book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, upbeat music by Marc Shaiman, and
playful lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Hairspray</I> was transformed into a
rollicking, pop-rock infused good time. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The musical's
original Broadway production, which opened in 2002 and ran for over 6 years, won
eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Under the direction
of Scott Spence, The Beck Center for the Arts’ production places particular
emphasis on the good time vibe and is at its best during the rollicking ensemble
numbers that feature its talented core of dancers and singers.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The company flat out
nails <STRONG><SPAN
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in">Martín
Céspedes’ </SPAN></STRONG>breezy, high-energy choreography, belts with
enthusiasm to the accompaniment of Larry Goodpaster’s superb orchestra, and
works as a disciplined, unified whole.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Their zeal is contagious, particularly during “The Nicest Kids in Town,”
“Welcome to the ‘60s,” “Run and Tell That” and “You Can’t Stop the
Beat.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Talented and
energetic also define most of the featured players.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Matthew Ryan Thompson as Corny Collins,
host of the TV dance program; Tina Stump as Motormouth Maybelle, host of the
program’s “Negro Day;” Antwaun Holley as her son Seaweed; Alexis Floyd as his
sister Little Inez; and Anna Bradley as Penny Pingleton, Tracy’s best friend,
are absolutely wonderful. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In fact, Stump’s
“Big, Blonde & Beautiful” and “I Know Where I’ve Been” are
show-stoppers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>The tender duet “You’re Timeless to Me,”
between a hilarious and pleasantly understated Kevin Joseph Kelly as Edna
Turnblad and a thoroughly charming Mark Hefferman as Wilbur Turnblad, is
delightful. Kelly and Hefferman have great chemistry, which allows for the
man in drag gag to play out as a fun part, rather than a defining feature, of
this play's festivities. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">While Spence excels
at filling Ben Needham’s wide-open stage space with well orchestrated group
activity, other scenes are less well developed and less disciplined.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The entire jail cell
scene at the start of Act 2 is a bit of a mess.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here Tracy and friends are imprisoned
when it is learned she intends to integrate the TV dance program.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The set is situated deep in the back of
the stage, where <STRONG><SPAN
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt; PADDING-TOP: 0in; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in">Céspedes’
</SPAN></STRONG>most inspired choreography is lost in the distance and Spence’s
attention to detail takes a hit as actors breech and awkwardly move around
imaginary prison bars.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Brittany Eckstrom—a
gifted, adorable but relatively undemonstrative Tracy—is regularly upstaged by
ill-timed expressions of Little Inez’s hyperactivity and Penny’s spasticity
during her musical numbers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They
mean well, but draw attention when all eyes should be focused on the lead.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Laurel Held and
Sharon Pearlman as Velma and Amber Von Tussel, the snobbish producer and the
featured female dancer on the TV program, serve as the counterpoint to all the
rollicking good times in this show.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Unfortunately, they are too tepid to carry this off effectively,
particularly Held during her rather flat “Miss Baltimore Crabs” number.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Cody Zak as hunk Link
Larkin, Tracy’s love interest, offers little to love.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Coupled with
microphone and spot light mishaps, these challenges would be more problematic if
not for the saving graces of the ensemble, the otherwise strong featured
players, and the sheer exuberance that defines this production.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These flaws are nonfatal distractions in
a show that rides the jet stream of aerosol entertainment, and rides it well.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hairspray
</SPAN></I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">runs
through August 14 at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For tickets, which range from $10-$28,
call 216-521-2540 x 10 or visit <A href=""><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.beckcenter.org</FONT></A><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">.</I></SPAN><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
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