Hairspray flies into Baltimore

The exuberant Broadway musical comes home this month to kick off its national tour.

Broadway producer Margo Lion has a little secret. At the end of the day-when the show is over and her work is done-she hums the infectious tunes from her hit musical Hair spray all the way home.

"I do," she admits sheepishly. "I really do."

By now, most people in the area have at least heard about the phenomenal success of the musical comedy, the campy John Waters tale set in 1960s Baltimore. It opened on Broadway in August 2002 to rave reviews and recently earned eight Tony Awards, including one for best musical. Margo says the show's success has been nothing short of miraculous.

"I never expected this kind of reaction," the Baltimore native says. "As a producer, you can hope that the show is well crafted and that the audience responds to it. But you can never expect, plan, or even hope for the overwhelming response that we've received. It really isn't an exaggeration to say that it's a miracle."

When Margo began working on the project in 1998, she had no way of knowing that ambitious plus-size girls, bouffant hair, and the color pink would resonate so well with audiences. "This type of reaction or welcome for a show really comes when the material, the chemistry of the creative team, and the tenor of the times intersect," she explains.

"I wanted to produce a show that would appeal to young audiences as well as traditional theatergoers, and one that was very celebratory like the musicals I remember seeing when I was young," Margo continues. "Hairspray has all of the qualities that a musical comedy needs: a larger-than-life heroine who wants something very much but must overcome obstacles before she finally succeeds."

Judging by how many Baltimoreans have made the trip to New York to see the musical, Margo feels sure many more will want to see the show when the national tour kicks off in Baltimore this month. "They've been coming by busloads to New York," she observes. "We can always tell when there's a Baltimore group in the audience, because certain references get a much bigger laugh."

Margo is no stranger to success. She has brought some of the biggest hits to Broadway, including The Crucible, both parts of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, and Elaine Stritch at Liberty. Even before Hairspray, her productions had won 11 Tonys, 19 Drama Desk Awards, 6 Obies, and 1 Pulitzer Prize. Still, one of the highlights of her career was getting the key to the city of Baltimore from Mayor Martin O'Malley after the debut of Hairspray.

"Who would have thought it?" Margo muses. "When I was working off demerits by painting field hockey balls on the weekends, who could have imagined that they would give me the key to the city?"

Margo plans to be on hand when Hairspray starts in Baltimore on September 9. "I find the whole thing such a wonderful blessing," she confides. "I feel so fortunate to have been brought home in the arms of such a loving and joyful experience. It's an unlikely success, but it's thrilling for all of US." CASSANDRA M. VANHOOSER

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Sep 2003
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