5-Star Theatricals concludes its 2025 season with an irresistibly entertaining revival of the 2002 Broadway smash Hairspray, directed by none other than the show’s original Tracy Turnblad, Best Lead Actress Tony winner Marissa Jaret Winokur herself.

Based on John Waters’ 1988 cult film of the same name, Hairspray tells the tale of full-figured teenager Tracy’s dream to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a 1962 Baltimore version of American Bandstand.

Anyone familiar with Waters’ movie or its multiple Tony award-winning musical adaptation knows that Tracy is the daughter of a woman of ample proportions and a heart of mush named Edna Turnblad, a role originated on film by John Waters drag diva muse Divine and on Broadway by the one-and-only Harvey Fierstein.

 Despite some extra pounds and a then shockingly progressive attitude towards integration, Edna’s pride-and-joy does indeed make that dream come true, leaving only two more tasks for her to accomplish: a) making “Negro Day” more than a once-a-month Corny Collins Show event and b) winning the heart of local teen heartthrob Link Larkin.

Since Hairspray is the quintessential happy-ending musical, there’s little doubt about our pleasingly plump heroine’s success in both endeavors.

There’s also little doubt that if ever there were a Broadway musical with staying power, it’s Hairspray, a show so nonstop delightful, it can be seen and savored again and again and again (I’ve now seen nineteen productions and counting) with scarcely a moment of anything less than total bliss.

Not only does Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan’s book retain every iota of its charm and Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s songs their hummability and humor, there’s not a single dance number that doesn’t thrill, from “The Nicest Kids In Town” to “You Can’t Stop The Beat” to everything else that Clarice Ordaz has choreographed with oodles of oomph in between.

Director Winokur brings out the best in a show she must know like the back of her hand, though with performers as perfectly cast as the 5-Star bunch, a lot of her work was already done from the moment she picked adorable ball-of-fire Lexie Martin to play Tracy, a character the TikTok star has us loving from the opening words of “Good Morning, Baltimore” to her standing-ovation-worthy curtain call.

An absolutely fabulous Ryan O’Connor gives Edna so much femininity and inner grace, it’s no long a “drag role” but  a woman we fall in love with from the get-go, and never more than when she shares the stage with Travis Joe Dixon’s wonderfully wacky (and still utterly smitten) Wilber.

Garrett Clayton graduates from Hairspray: Live teen idol Link Larken to teen dance show host Corny Collins, a role he plays with undeniable slickness and charm, Jennifer Leigh Warren sings the living daylights out of “Negro Day” host Motormouth Maybelle’s two big numbers, Becky Lythgoe chews the scenery to overblown perfection as Corny Collins Show producer Velma Von Tussle, and Rachel McLaughlin and Michael Baker steal scenes right and left as every single other adult character.

Link Larken has never sizzled like bulging-biceped Bobby Hogan makes him sizzle, Hannah Sedlacek is the epitome of geeky adorableness as Tracy’s best friend forever Penny Pingleton, Alexander Brown’s Seaweed gives Penny plenty to get hot and bothered about (emphasis on hot), Logan Eliza is mean-girl delish as Amber Von Tussle, and Malia Johnson is an on-fire Little Inez.

Dara Adedara, Rezia Lander, and Luz Rodriguez are dynamite as girl group trio The Dynamites, while John Candelaria (IQ), Luc Clopton (Fender), Wyatt Larrabee (Sketch), Madison North (Shell) Charlotte Scally (Tammy), Brody Tarrant Sitton (Brad), Amy Smith (Brenda), Irelynn TerraNami (Lou Ann) sing and dance up a storm as The Nicest Kids In Town and the same can be said for Detention Boys Christian Tyler Dorey (Duane), Almand Martin Jr. (Thad), and Matthew Smith (Gilbert).

Music director extraordinaire Anthony Lucca conducts Hairspray’s sensational live orchestra, instruments and vocals expertly mixed by sound designers Jonathan A. Burke and Julia Pinhey, and Brandon Baruch lights the whole shebang with pizzazz.

Rented sets are nothing else if not colorful though Tanya Apuya’s rented costumes and quite a few of the women’s wigs look rather the worse for what I’m guessing are years and years of wear.

Luis Martinez is in charge of hair and makeup and Alex Choate is responsible for props. Vernon Willet is production stage manager and Olivia Riddle is assistant stage manager. E.K. Dagenfield is production manager, Brian Hashimoto is technical director.

Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. David Elzer is publicist.

I was lucky enough to see Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tracy Turnblad when Hairspray’s First National Tour played the Pantages back in 2004 and I’ve been in love with the musical ever since.

Whether you’ve been around long enough to actually remember the ‘60s or so young that the decade seems as ancient to you as the Greeks and Romans, no show provides more guaranteed feel-good fun than Hairspray. Check it out at 5-Star Theatricals and you’ll see why.

5-Star Theatricals, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks.
www.5startheatricals.com

–Steven Stanley
October 11, 2025
Photos: Veronica Slavin

Visit www.theatreinla.com/nowplayingrs.php for a review roundup of what’s now playing in theaters around Los Angeles.

Tags: 5-Star Theatricals, Marc Shaiman, Mark O'Donnell, Scott Wittman, Thomas Meehan, Ventura County Theater Review