The performers didn't just do a good job with their own parts, but developed fantastic partnerships with each other that really told the story well. Hazel was great throughout, but some of her best moments came as she sang with her on-stage mother Edna, played by Anne Larcom. Their version of Welcome to the 60s was beautifully done and deserved the applause it got from the audience on opening night.
Theirs wasn't the only mother daughter pairing that created some beautiful moments on the night, and the rendition of Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now by Grace Wakeling-Frank (Penny Pingleton), Catherine Hurly (Prudy Pingleton), Ella Coulton (Amber Von Tussle), Bethan Upton-Hansen (Velma Von Tussle) along with Anne and Hazel was one of the highlights of the show on the night. All six held their own, giving their own character's unique stamp on the lyrics while staying in harmony with each other, musically and theatrically.
Ella's perfectly pouty and mean Amber was one of the best interpretations of the character I have seen, and her solo Cooties showcased her incredible talent on the night. In Ella's skilled hands, Amber became more than a two-dimensional "mean girl" who commanded attention throughout.
Ella's portrayal of Amber was well matched by the casting of Maia Henderson as Baltimore's teen heartthrob Link Larkin. Maia made the role her own, and managed to balance the heartthrob side of Link with the idea of him also being "the nicest kid in town" helping ensure the audience, not just Tracy, fell for Maia's version of him.
A fantastic job was also done by Casey Hayes as the smooth-talking, slick, yet socially aware, Corny Collins. Whenever Casey was on stage she demanded, and got, attention, whether she was front and centre or standing to the side, just as Corny would have. Creating such a convincing and appealing Corny was key to ensuring the audience understood the desire Tracy and her cohorts had to be on the show, and Casey rose to the challenge perfectly.
With such great main characters in the show, it can be easy for some of the other roles to get lost, but thankfully Samantha Hatcher (Little Inez Stubbs) and Grace Wakeling-Frank (Penny Pingleton) didn't give that a chance to happen. Their talent shone through, and ensured the spotlight stayed on them throughout. Samantha was perfectly cast as Little Inez Stubbs and she holds her own in the song Run and Tell That alongside Terrilee Paul's Seaweed Stubbs.
Of course, the success of any production is down to more than simply good casting and this production is no exception. Great choreography, simple but effective lighting, great costuming and a well done stage backdrop all ensured this show was the stand-out it was.
Word limits make it impossible to name every single actor in this show, a shame as they are all talented young people who deserve their moment in the spotlight. One name that must be mentioned however is Jewel Kimi, who played Motormouth Maybelle.
Jewel is a standout star with a talent and voice that belies her age. When she sang I Know Where I Have Been I cannot have been alone to get goosebumps hearing the amount of power and raw emotion Jewel put into the solo. It was at this point, listening to the gospel style song that Jewel managed to hit every note of so perfectly, I found myself transported out of the school hall and fully into the Baltimore of the 60s.
The whole show is a jewel in its own right, and the cast and crew of Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls' production of Hairspray have put on a polished performance that had toes tapping long after the final curtain.
