Hairspray shakes and shimmers on stage for the opening of Drayton Entertainment’s 2018 season. The production is also the first under the new name Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge.
Drayton Entertainment artistic director Alex Mustakas welcomed everyone to the theatre on March 16, opening night, introducing John and Teri Hamilton, as well as their sons Chris and Justin and daughter-in-law Andrea.
John thanked the crowd for its continuous support of the arts, saying he was “humbled by this opportunity.”
The Hamilton family initially contributed $500,000 in 2013 during the theatre’s inaugural season, in exchange for naming the auditorium. They have since pledged another $500,000 to assume the exclusive 20-year venue naming rights, valued at $1 million.
Drayton Entertainment opened its season in a big way with Hairspray, a musical comedy about heroine Tracy Turnblad, who dreams about dancing on the “Corny Collins Show” in 1960s Baltimore.
Stephanie Pitsiladis is outstanding in her role as lovable and big-hearted Tracy. As Tracy wins her way onto the show, she falls for teen-heartthrob Link Larkin (David Cotton) and sticks up for “what’s right” in her quest to end segregation on the show.
At its core, this fun and bubbly musical is about acceptance and love, touching on intolerance with body-type and skin colour. It was a refreshing way to revisit this blockbuster musical.
Keisha Fraser as Motormouth Maybelle was spine-tingling as she belted I Know Where I’ve Been.
Vanessa Cobham (Pearl), Tiffany Derieveau (Cindy) and Antonette Rudder (Peaches) blew all others out of the water as the Motown- styled group The Dynamites.
Hailey Lewis plays spunky and sweet Little Inez.
Tracy’s best friend Penny Pingleton is played wonderfully by Laura Mae Nason, who falls for the smooth-sounding Seaweed J. Stubbs (Jeremy Carver-James), a dancer on the show’s “Negro Day.”
Wade Lynch fills the monumental role of Tracy’s plus-sized mother Edna Turnblad and Larry Mannell is her goofy and loving father Wilbur.
While Lynch slipped on a couple lines through the production, Mannell was there to pick up the pace. Even as the two broke character during their duet You’re Timeless to Me, they ad-libbed and had the crowd roaring with laughter.
Chelsea Preston plays teen queen and mean girl Amber Von Tussle with Jackie Mustakas as her villainous mother Velma Von Tussle. Catarina Ciccone (as Shelley), Sarah Vance (as Lou Ann) and Robin Warwick (as Brenda) round out Amber’s posse.
Justin Stadnyk takes the helm as the charming TV host Corny Collins. Charlotte Moore, Gerrad Everard, Sam DiGiuseppe, Malcom Messado Fletcher, George McLeary, Chris Scott and Jesse Weafer round out the cast.
The groovy musical is brought to the Drayton Entertainment stage by director and choreographer David Connolly. The ’60s are brought to life with music director Steve Lavoie, set designer David Boechler and costume coordinator Julia Holbert.
With the show as big as the hair-dos, Hairspray is sure to be a crowd-pleaser this season.
Tickets to Hairspray, which runs until April 8, can be purchased in person at the Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge, online at www.draytonentertainment.com or by calling the box office at 519-621-8000 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
