Hairspray The Musical in Canterbury is one of the pit stops for the Hairspray UK Tour. Rarely does a light-hearted musical tackle a rather edgy subject through relatable characters. No other musical the way that Hairspray did. The best way to explain it is music. Music transcends generations and races. It makes harmonies easier for open-minded societies.
And it all started with a simple girl’s quest for fame. Usually a girl would chase fame and that’s it. Not in the case of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray The Musical in Canterbury. Sure, she’d like to be on TV and be with her biggest crush, Link Larkin. But she would like to make every opportunity she had on The Corny Collins Show to enjoy song-and-dance numbers with the black American community. It was the 60’s. And this is considered as a rather radical move.
In Hairspray, black-themed episodes are more of a novelty in the fictional program The Corny Colliins Show. The kind of special edition available only once a month. It can easily be viewed as the program’s attempt for racial variety. But their increasing influence in dance moves and music is undeniable. This prompted Tracy to help them get increased exposure on TV. This new-found purpose for fame got her discovering her courage to fight for the down-trodden in a way she knew best. By dancing her way to fame as to be expected in Hairspray The Musical in Canterbury.
The transition from a segregated culture to a harmonious society was a turbulent one. But not that turbulent to cause bloody riots. The main antagonist in Hairspray The Musical in Canterbury is Velma Von Tussle. Very influential, cunning and manipulative. At first it may seem like she just wanted the spotlight focused on her daughter. But she ended up hating everything that Tracy represented. Her efforts at racial harmony only aggravated the lack of star quality and community relativity in Velma’s daughter, Amber. Tracy and Velma served as characters that presented reasons behind fame. Tracy’s attempts at fame gave birth to a nobler purpose. Velma just wanted the spotlight to herself and to her daughter, Amber.
Of course the main novelty fans are looking forward here in Hairspray The Musical in Canterbury is Tracy’s mom, Edna Turnblad. The Hairspray tradition dictates that Edna be played by a man in drag. While the role of Tracy will be assumed by Freya Sutton. Edna’s role will be assumed by Tony Maudsley. The mother-and-daughter tandem also serves as the character contrast to Velma and Amber. Just when you thought Hairspray The Musical addressed only the racial issues. You realize that both Tracy and Edna are plus-sized women. Happy to be plus-sized because personality still takes the cake. Pun intended.
Hairspray The Musical in Canterbury starts on 25 April 2016. The Canterbury leg lasts until 30 April 2016. Tickets are now available for purchase. Just click here while supplies last. To check whether The Hairspray UK Tour comes over to your city, click here. Like The Hairspray UK Tour’s Facebook page by clicking here for more info.
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