Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...The national tour of "Hairspray" running through Feb. 13 at the CIBC Theatre uses essentially the same staging as the eight-time 2003 Tony Award-winning musical that debuted roughly 19 years ago on Broadway. But while director Matt Lenz and choreographer Michele Lynch used original director/choreographer duo Jack O'Brien and Jerry Mitchell's work as their template, the reboot comes across as a copy of a copy of a copy. As for the show itself (based on the 1988 movie musical of the same name by John Waters) it hasn't aged as gracefully as you might think."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...By the end of the opening number, "Good Morning Baltimore" this winning, baby-faced cast of mostly newcomers hits all the right steps, proving this Hairspray still holds solid. Highly recommended, you will shake away all your Covid inspired doldrums with this electrifying show. The only thing contagious here is the fun. Book your tickets today while they still last. This dynamic production rings all the right bells!"
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...Featuring the hit songs including "Welcome to the '60s," "Good Morning Baltimore," and "You Can't Stop the Beat," Hairspray is a two-hour festival that will keep you rocking and rocking all night long. But, of course, you can't miss the title of this play with all of the Ultra Glow hairspray cans and aerosol spray on stage."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...A show like this only is as good as the script ( terrific), the musical numbers ( dynamite) and the dance numbers ( Michael Lynch took Jerry Mitchell's choreography to a new level). The direction by Matt Lenztook some liberties with the original by Jack O'Brien, but it all works great. What adds to the greatness is the ensemble. They are wonderful, many playing several roles. Two that stood out to me were Greg Kalafatas who played the Principal, Harriman Spritzer, Mr. Pinky and a guard. The other Emmanuelle Zeesman as Prudy Pingleton, the gym teacher ( a funny bit) and the prison matron. This actress is funny!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The whole evening overflows with broad comedy, heartbreaking optimism and a lot of can't-sit-still, toe-tapping music. Act I opens with this talented company bidding a happy "Good Morning Baltimore." Act II begins with a bevy of babes-behind-bars tapping away in "The Big Dollhouse," and the show concludes with the infectious, high-octane "You Can't Stop the Beat," that sends the audience up the aisles and out of the theatre dancing and singing. Amid the bitter cold temperatures and piles of snow outside, this hot production is a musical gift to Chicago audiences reminding us of how much fun it can be, even masked and vaccinated, to return to the theatre once again."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...In a non-Equity tour where no one on- (or back-) stage misses a beat, Metcalf wows as Tracy, and her option up at the end of "I Can Hear the Bells" is to die for. Thomas is a magnificent Motormouth Maybelle, whose "I Know Where I've Been" is particularly moving with the directorial decision to have only Black actors singing while their white contemporaries look on. Stalling is a smooth and rubbery Seaweed. Levitt and Swan are a lovable Edna and Wilbur; their "Timeless to Me" is spot-on, even if that belabored tag should be dropped in all productions of this show. But it's the overall energy from this enthusiastic cast of terrific singers and dancers that's the key takeaway. That's evident in, among others, "Good Morning Baltimore," "Welcome to the '60s," "Big, Blonde & Beautiful," "Without Love," and "You Can't Stop the Beat.""
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Psychological simplicity defines Hairspray. What keeps the musical from sliding into cartoon territory is its characters’ pursuit of emotional fulfillment. Tracy’s mother Edna, a role played in drag by such outsized personalities as Divine (original film), Harvey Fierstein (on Broadway) and John Travolta (musical version of the movie), is here given irresistible joie de vivre by Andrew Levitt. The visual gag of enormous Edna and her diminutive husband Wilbur (Christopher Swan) can’t hide their bond, one that everyone else onstage seeks in their own lives."