by Cari Lynn Pace *

Hairspray is the Tony Award-winning, Broadway-busting musical based on the same-titled 1988 movie by John Waters now running at San Francisco Playhouse. With a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Hairspray soars with music by Marc Shaiman and clever lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Whittman.

Masterfully directed by Bill English, with rock-out musical direction by Dave Dobrusky, it delivers twenty-one outstanding singers and actors who never run out of breath or energy while dancing to Phoenyx Rose’s fast-paced choreography.

The story harks back to early 1960’s Baltimore, when teens tuned in to pop dance shows on their black and white TVs. Competition to dance on The Corney Collins Show is fierce, as is the segregation of “Negro” dancers. Jeffrey Brian Adams does a standup job as the teeth-flashing show host with a great set of pipes as he introduces his stable of “the nicest kids in town” teens.

Watching TV at home (on an ingenious side set designed by Heather Kenyon), plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad dreams of trying out for the show. Tracy, marvelously enacted by Ella Ruth Francis, has a strong voice and a gift of rhythm and fairness. Her friendliness and naïve goal that all teens should be able to dance together, without regard to color or size, gets her snubbed by her classmates.

Tracy’s only friend is Penny (Samantha Rich), who joins Tracy in strong solidarity and voice. Tracy confides that she has a crush on Link (a solid Trevor March), one of the show’s teens. A fantasy staging as Tracy sings “I Can Hear the Bells” is sweetly hilarious.  

Tracy’s mother is also a plus size, plus more. It’s a signature role perfected by Jonathan Chisolm in drag. Director Bill English commented “Male actors are always eager to get this role, as it’s so much fun.”

Undaunted by her mother’s discouragement, Tracy attempts to dance at the show tryouts. She’s thwarted by pencil-thin Mrs. Von Tussle (played by Alison Ewing with perfect comedic timing), who is the show’s stiffly bigoted producer. Mackenzie Macdonald gives a viciously hilarious performance as Mrs. Von Tussle’s blond bitch daughter Amber, already an entrenched competitor on the show.

Tracy is determined to integrate the show and “The Dynamites” shimmies onstage to sing “Welcome to the 60’s” as she lands in school detention for causing trouble. She meets Seaweed (Jordan Covington), an outstanding dancer and singer who shows off moves like melted chocolate. Covington absolutely owns this role, and the audience couldn’t stop applauding.

When the party moves to Motormouth Mabel’s record store, Seaweed’s sister Little Inez, double cast and played for opening night by Suleika Onia Patton, shows it’s not just teens who can rock and roll. Mabel ( Jeannine Anderson) brings down the house as she belts out “Big, Blonde, and Beautiful” in a sky-high wig, and it’s only one of the hair creations of wig, hair and make-up designer Y. Sharon Peng. Peng has multiple wig assistants for this show, matching the colorful costume designs by Bethany Deal. 

The second act finds the teens proceeding with their protest at the televised show, and all are sent to “The Big Doll House” for causing mayhem. When Tracy’s dad Wilbur (Ken Brill) bails them out, he and Tracy’s mom share a poignant spotlight duet “Timeless to Me.” Motormouth Mabel sheds her prison duds as she shares her powerhouse “I Know Where I’ve Been” to thunderous applause. In an unusual homage, many in the audience stood up to cheer this profound anthem to Hairspray.

In a triumphant finale, the huge cast collected onstage to sing “You Can’t Stop the Beat” while dancing. What a high-spirited show!

Hairspray is a lively, brash winner…the most exuberant musical I’ve seen this year. 

Playing through September 12, 2026 at San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post Street, San Francisco (above the Kensington Hotel).

Click HERE for more information and tickets.

Photos by Jessica Palopoli

Cari Lynn Pace is a long-time Bay Area theatre critic whose reviews were regularly featured in the Marinscope Community Newspapers and a voting member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.