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Drury Lane teases out the whimsy in bouncy 'Hairspray'

For "Hairspray" to hold, it has to be properly sold.

Overselling the 2002 musical, about a spirited teen's attempts to integrate a local TV dance show in 1962 Baltimore, leaves you with empty camp. Underselling the show, inspired by John Waters' 1988 cult film, diminishes its message about tolerance and acceptance.

Fortunately for Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace audiences, director/choreographer Tammy Mader, music director Malcolm Ruhl and their effervescent cast are first-rate salespeople.

Genuine affection underscores Mader's bright, buoyant revival of the disarming musical by book writers Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, with lyrics by Scott Wittman, which sets the struggle for racial integration and body acceptance to composer Marc Shaiman's irresistibly bouncy rock 'n' roll beat.

The cheery, entirely charming Drury Lane newcomer Lillian Castillo stars as the plump and perky Tracy Turnblad, daughter of the diminutive Wilbur (Tim Kazurinsky), a kindly oddball who encourages Tracy to "think big to be big," and the plus-size, deeply insecure Edna, played with nary a false note by Michael Aaron Lindner, himself an imposing singer/actor with outsize ability.

Tracy is a high school sophomore with a bouffant do, a social conscience and a talent for dancing. That earns her a spot on "The Corny Collins Show," a teen dance program showcasing "the nicest kids in town" - all of whom happen to be slender, popular and Caucasian.

Not content with breaking one television barrier, Tracy sets her sights on another: integrating African-Americans into the show, which limits black dancers to one day per month. To that end, she enlists help from her best friend Penny Pingleton (the endearingly awkward Rebecca Pink) and Seaweed J. Stubbs (the wonderfully lithe Jon-Michael Reese seemingly in constant motion), a black dancer who shares his best moves with Tracy.

They find another ally in Seaweed's mother - record store owner Motormouth Maybelle, the sassy, sage survivor played by Felicia Fields, whose expressive take on the gospel-tinged "I Know Where I've Been" adds the right note of gravitas to the show's 11 o'clock number.

Opposing them is the Collins' show producer Velma Von Tussle (Keely Vasquez), the villainous ex-beauty queen turned stage mother who rebuffs their integration efforts. Meanwhile Velma's daughter - reigning teen queen Amber (Holly Laurent, a mean girl in yellow flounces) - finds her popularity dips as Tracy's rises. Making things worse, Amber's steady beau, heartthrob and Elvis Presley wannabe Link Larkin (Erik Altemus), falls for Tracy, adding fuel to Amber's fire.

Rod Thomas plays the genial Corny Collins, a character modeled after the late Dick Clark, and Holly Stauder delivers an entertaining cameo as the tough-talking, tap-dancing prison matron. Also deserving mention is the powerhouse trio of Lisa Estridge, Donica Lynn and Alexis J. Rogers, who play The Dynamites, "Hairspray's" version of The Supremes.

Mader has a keen eye for visual gags (look for the rodent cameo during the opening number) and a knack for grounding the show's inherent sense of whimsy. But it's her terrific choreography - which pays homage to the 1960s yet still feels fresh - that defines Drury Lane's bold, beautiful production.

Speaking of bold and beautiful, costume and wig designer Kurt Alger earns kudos for his vibrant costumes and his sky-high coiffures, while designer Marcus Stephens earns points for originality for his towering, if somewhat unwieldy set.

Edna (Michael Aaron Lindner), right, and Wilbur Turnblad (Tim Kazurinsky) celebrate their timeless love in Drury Lane Theatre’s revival of “Hairspray,” inspired by the 1988 cult film by John Waters.
Tracy Turnblad (Lillian Castillo), center, celebrates her hometown of Baltimore in Drury Lane Theatre’s bright, bouncy production of “Hairspray,” directed and choreographed by Tammy Mader.
TV host Corny Collins (Rod Thomas), center, showcases “the nicest kids in town” on his weekday dance program in 1962 Baltimore in Drury Lane Theatre’s production of “Hairspray,” directed and choreographed by Tammy Mader.

“Hairspray”

★ ★ ★

Location: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 530-0111 or

drurylaneoakbrook.com

Showtimes: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, 1:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Friday, 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday; through June 17

Running time: Two hours, 25 minutes with intermission

Tickets: $35-$46 (dinner packages available)

Parking: Adjacent free garage

Rating: For teens and older for some fairly tame sexual references

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