Review: New Village's ‘Hairspray' is fun but uneven

In the 1988 film “Hairspray,” the role of 1960s Baltimore housewife Edna Turnblad was famously played by the drag queen Divine. But since the film became a Broadway musical in 2002, the role has usually been inhabited by male actors less versed in drag, including John Travolta, Michael Ball and even “Cheers” alum George Wendt.

So it’s a pleasure to see “Hairspray” going back to its roots with Luxe the Drag Queen starring as Edna in New Village Arts’ new production, which opened Saturday in Carlsbad. Luxe is the most feminine, graceful and natural Edna I’ve seen in a San Diego production, and she glams up well in Act Two.

“Hairspray” is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a plus-size teen activist aiming to integrate the city’s all-White dance party TV show, with the support of her progressive parents, Edna and Wilbur, and Baltimore’s Black community.

Directed by Kali Boston, the super-size production was a little wobbly on opening weekend, with dropped lines, prop misfires, singers not always syncing up with the pre-recorded music, microphone issues and one actor taking a tumble during Sunday’s matinee. With 25 performers in the cast, including understudies, it’s a huge show to stage, so hopefully these issues will work themselves with more performances.

Linsey Schreck is sweet and ebullient as the plucky Tracy. Vocal powerhouse Eboni Muse sparkles once again as Motormouth Maybelle, the role that earned her a San Diego Theatre Critics Circle award in San Diego Musical Theatre’s 2018 staging.

Dennis Peters gives a tight and polished performance as Corny Collins, the secretly progressive host of the TV show. Alexander J. Brown has the show’s best dancing chops as Seaweed J. Stubbs. Max Leadley plays Tracy’s teen crush Link with gentle sincerity. Max Cadillac does quadruple-duty as Wilbur Turnblad and several other Baltimoreans. And as the mother-daughter duos, Mikayla Kelley and Alyssa Anne Schechter play the evil VonTussels and Irelynn Terranami and Jonni Garro, are the more open-minded Pingletons.

The show’s choreography was designed by Kara Mack with music direction by Erin Vanderhyde-Gross.

With so any actors to get on and off the small stage, the show’s physical production is minimal. Scenery and projections desiger Jesus Hurtado created just a handful of push-on scenic elements and lets the 1960s-inspired projections do the heavy lifting.

Salisha Carr designed lighting, Malick Ceesay designed sound. San Diego drag queen Amber St. James designed the wigs and Maricela Alaniz designed the ’60s-style costumes.

“Hairspray” may be set in the 1960s, but its themes of racial inclusiveness and body positivity are still relevant today.

‘Hairspray’

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through July 19.

Where: New Village Arts, 2787 State St., Carlsbad

Tickets: $35-$70

Phone: 760-433-3245

Online:newvillagearts.org

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 10:19 AM.