Hairspray Blows Into Brunswick Like a Technicolor Hurricane

There are musicals you enjoy. There are musicals you admire. And then there are musicals that grab you by the hand, drag you into the aisle, and dare you not to dance. Maine State Music Theatre's production of Hairspray is firmly in that last category.

Opening the 2026 season at the Pickard Theater, Hairspray arrives in Brunswick with enough energy to power half of Midcoast Maine. Directed and choreographed by Kenny Ingram, this production understands exactly what makes the show endure. Beneath the beehives, bright costumes, and infectious score lies a story about belonging, courage, and the stubborn insistence that the world can be better than it is.

The cast is stacked from top to bottom. Eden Franco's Tracy Turnblad is everything audiences hope for. She is funny, fearless, and utterly lovable, bringing a sincerity that keeps the character from becoming merely cartoonish. Her voice soars, her timing lands perfectly, and she anchors the evening with infectious optimism.

Tarra Conner Jones delivers a powerhouse Motormouth Maybelle, bringing both vocal firepower and emotional weight.  She knocked the place down and had a mid show ovation that  carried on and on! Lawrence Flowers shines as Seaweed, while Trevor Wayne's Link Larkin possesses enough charm to cause spontaneous swooning in several rows of the audience.

Penny Pingleton (Eileen Ray Brady) gets a special nod. Her endearing charm and amazing physicality and timing were the icing on the cake. What a treasure!

The ensemble deserves its own standing ovation. Every dance number feels alive. Every corner of the stage is filled with movement, personality, and joy. The MSMT Singers prove once again why they are among the finest young companies anywhere in summer theatre.

But now comes the part where I must offer full disclosure. I adore Robert Anthony Jones. Not just as an actor. As a human being.

Many years ago, before Broadway credits and national tours, before Finding Neverland, Phantom of the Opera, and a remarkable career that has taken him across the country, Robert was part of the family at Boothbay Harbor's beloved Carousel Dinner Theatre. There he worked alongside the unforgettable Domenic Garvey. To this day, I cannot hear the man's name without wanting to shout "DAAAMMINICK!" at inappropriate volume.

Those of us lucky enough to know RAJ have watched his career rise while somehow remaining exactly the same generous soul we always knew. He is one of those rare performers whose heart seems every bit as large as his voice.

And as Edna Turnblad? He is magnificent. Edna can easily become a collection of jokes and costumes in lesser hands. Robert gives her warmth, dignity, vulnerability, and a delightfully wicked sense of comic timing. His scenes with Joel Newsome's Wilbur are among the sweetest moments in the production, reminding us that at the center of all the spectacle is a family that genuinely loves one another. That they cracked each other up – twice- in their romantic number and the audience was screaming with laughter – not at but with them, was beautiful.  Everyone fell in love at that moment- if not before.

Robert Anthony Jones never asks the audience to laugh at Edna.  He invites us to laugh with her.

That distinction matters.

It is also impossible for me to watch Robert without thinking of his mother, Ann Jones. Tiny in stature and enormous in spirit, Ann was one of those women who could light up a room and organize it before the light finished arriving. She cheered for people. She encouraged artists. She believed in possibilities. Long before social media became a shouting match, Ann used it as a gathering place for kindness.

Watching Robert command the stage, I found myself thinking how proud she would be.

Actually, scratch that. She probably already knows.

The production itself looks terrific. Jeffrey D. Kmiec's scenic design keeps things moving at a brisk pace, while Cody Von Ruden's costumes provide exactly the burst of color the show requires. The orchestra under David Fiorello delivers Marc Shaiman's beloved score with infectious enthusiasm.

Most importantly, the show's message remains surprisingly fresh.

Set in 1962 Baltimore, Hairspray celebrates people willing to challenge unfairness and demand a seat at the table. In an era when division often seems to dominate headlines, that message lands with renewed force. The show never lectures. Instead, it wraps its ideas in melody, laughter, and enough dance breaks to make a cardiologist nervous.

By the time "You Can't Stop the Beat" arrives, resistance is futile. The audience around me was grinning. Some were clapping. A few appeared to be experiencing medically significant levels of happiness. That's what good theatre does.

That's what Hairspray does.

And that is exactly why Maine State Music Theatre could not have chosen a better way to launch its 2026 season.

Go see it. Take your friends. Take your teenagers.

Take that neighbor who insists they don't like musicals. Especially take that neighbor. If they aren't smiling by intermission, check for a pulse.

Hairspray runs through June 20 at the Pickard Theater in Brunswick.

And yes, somewhere in the middle of all that singing and dancing, you'll find Robert Anthony Jones reminding us that talent matters, kindness matters, and sometimes the nicest people end up stealing the show.

Hairspray, runs June 3 through June 20, 2026, at the Pickard Theater on the campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.

The production features scenic design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, costume design by Cody Von Ruden, lighting design by Sam Biondolillo, sound design by Shannon Slaton, wig design by Kevin S. Foster II, video design by Luis Garcia, props design by Katelin Walsko, casting by Jamibeth Margolis, CSA, production stage management by Mark Johnson, assistant stage management by Liz Patton, and dance captain Kevin Ivey Morrison.

Tracy Turnblad – Eden Franco Edna Turnblad – Robert Anthony Jones Wilbur Turnblad – Joel Newsome Corny Collins – Dan DeLuca Link Larkin – Trevor Wayne Motormouth Maybelle – Tarra Conner Jones Penny Pingleton – Eileen Ray Brady Seaweed J. Stubbs – Lawrence Flowers Velma Von Tussle – Amy Bodnar Amber Von Tussle – Tori Heinlein
Little Inez – Mikayla White Prudy Pingleton / Gym Teacher / Matron – Charis Leos
Spitzer / Principal / Mr. Pinky / Guard – Peter Matthew Smith The Dynamites Mya Rena Hunter, Brianna Johnson,Erica Wilkins Ensemble Jalen Kirkman., Dylan Loraw, Kevin Ivey Morrison With MSMT Singers Audrey Andrews Marguerite Benham Grace Browning Lucy Ferguson Sebastián González Layton Keehnon J. Jackson Aden Pettet Owen Saalfrank and Understudy for Tracy Turnblad Maria Boissonneault (scheduled performance Friday, June 5)

Produced in partnership with the Fulton Theatre of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Hairspray features a book by Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and is based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters. The production is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

For tickets and subscription information, visit MSMT.org or call 207-725-8769.