Cap on Hairspray

I remember being in a few musicals in school. I was a dancer in each. I can’t sing to save my life, and I don’t have the confidence to act though my mother always praised me (read accused me) of being highly dramatic. Pot, kettle, black. My mother takes the cake. She came this close (index finger and thumb-very close together) to attending the drama school at Yale but decided that she “just wanted to get married and have children.” The performance gene was passed on to her children who have all experimented with the life on/behind the stage in one way or another but have not the talent nor the drive to make a life of it. We’ll see if any of our children have inherited that gene and if that gene has mutated in such a way to include some talent.

Alas, talent has eluded me, and my performance gene lies dormant. Those that can’t do, write about those who can. So, today, I give a personal standing ovation to the cast and crew of Hairspray. Why Hairspray, Deborah? What about all the other shows that are closing on Broadway because of this Bushconomy? Spring Awakening, 13, Grease, Spamalot, Young Frankenstein, Gypsy? I stand for Hairspray because, well, we’ve got peeps in it. Hi Peeps!! And, I was invited by the Stage Manager to spend an entire show backstage to see what all goes on back there.

You know, it’s not as simple as throwing together a show in the barn, Mickey! A musical is like the ocean. Oh that’s rich, Deborah. What on earth are you going on about? Well, you look out at the ocean, and you see the sandy beach and rolling waves, and, depending on the beach scene you’re imagining, it’s pretty or hypnotic or even a bit ominous. But what you see is only a fraction of what makes the ocean such a beautiful and powerful part of nature. I’ll spare you the list of all the things you can find in the ocean. You get the picture. Like the ocean, behind and under and around the stage is a crew that makes the magic we see from our beachfront seats. Wow, it’s late.

The performance backstage is just as choreographed and finely tuned as the show on stage-except that it’s dark and death-defying. Thank goodness I had my guides to push me out of the way of oncoming sets that motor on and off stage regardless of whether or not your foot is in the way. And with every scene change, the folks back stage strike a new pose in a new spot to keep themselves out of view of the audience. There were times, when we had to scurry behind, through and even under the stage to get to the other side for the next scene. Occasionally, I’d remember that there was a show going on, and I could peek around a curtain and catch a few minutes of a song.

Even though I was neither crew nor cast, I did catch a bit of the buzz. Or maybe there was a short in the headset I was wearing. Thank you to everyone in the cast and crew who made me feel incredibly welcome, kept me out of harm’s way and allowed me to step into the machine and experience the whole megillah. Congratulations on an amazing show and the best of luck to you talented lot.

Thanks to Lois, my guide and friend.




This video was shot at an after party the week Hairspray got its closing notice. Behold Susie Mosher from the cast of Hairspray doing her thing. Hope she gets to do it more often!