OGDEN — Before I even had a chance to settle into my seat at Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden Musical Theatre‘s production of Hairspray made an impression. Rather than jumping straight into the show, director Daysha offered a thoughtful pre-show announcement acknowledging the musical’s portrayal of racism, discrimination, and prejudice. Daysha explained the production would remain faithful to the script presenting these difficult realities without softening them. It was an excellent way to frame the evening—not simply as an entertaining musical comedy, but as a reminder of how far society has come and why these lessons continue to matter. Hairspray has always balanced exuberant fun with an important message, and this introduction prepared the audience to embrace both.
Set in 1962 Baltimore, Hairspray follows optimistic teenager Tracy Turnblad, whose dream of dancing on The Corny Collins Show unexpectedly places her at the center of a movement to integrate local television. Since premiering on Broadway in 2002, the Tony Award-winning musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan has become beloved for its infectious score, energetic choreography, and timeless themes of acceptance, equality, and celebrating what makes us different.
From the opening notes of “Good Morning Baltimore,” Aspen Michelle Cambrie immediately established herself as an exceptional Tracy Turnblad. Her voice effortlessly filled the theater, while her boundless enthusiasm made Tracy impossible not to root for. One of the evening’s highlights came during “I Can Hear the Bells,” where Cambrie’s physical comedy was every bit as entertaining as her vocals. Every exaggerated gesture, nervous fan, and lovestruck expression perfectly captured Tracy’s overactive imagination after a single encounter with Link Larkin. Her expressive body language elevated an already delightful performance into one of the show’s biggest comedic triumphs.
The production is filled with strong casting choices, and nearly every principal performer delivers memorable moments.
Mickey Larson is delightfully dreadful as Velma Von Tussle. Larson leans fully into the character’s arrogance, delivering cutting insults with impeccable comic timing while never sacrificing the character’s intimidating presence. Larson’s delivery of the act one reprise of “Miss Baltimore Crabs” ends with an unforgettable sustained note that brought down the house.
Bee Higgins proves equally entertaining as Amber Von Tussle. Higgins and Larson create an incredibly believable mother-daughter duo, mirroring each other’s mannerisms, shrill vocal inflections, and exaggerated expressions with remarkable precision. Their synchronized reactions to anyone they deem beneath them become recurring comedic highlights throughout the evening. Higgins also shares wonderful chemistry with Cambrie, making Amber and Tracy’s sarcastic exchanges consistently hilarious.
Eric Payton is sensational as Seaweed J. Stubbs. Payton’s smooth confidence immediately commands attention, and his dancing is among the strongest in the production. Then he begins to sing, and somehow becomes even more impressive. Payton’s effortless vocals, charisma, and stage presence make this one of the strongest portrayals of Seaweed I’ve seen.
Jayden Wright settles comfortably into Link Larkin as the evening progresses. While I would have liked a little more confidence and star quality early on, Wright becomes increasingly charismatic during the second act. His scenes opposite Cambrie, particularly during “Without Love,” are both heartfelt and genuinely funny.
Lily Allen is wonderfully cast as Penny Pingleton. Her vocal performance, physical comedy, and impeccable comedic instincts consistently earned laughs. Unfortunately, microphone problems throughout much of the first act prevented many of her funniest lines from landing with the audience. The audio improved after intermission, but the sound mix still occasionally worked against an otherwise terrific performance.
Austin Payne completely embraces the iconic role of Edna Turnblad. Traditionally portrayed in drag, Edna requires an actor willing to fully commit to the character’s warmth, humor, and larger-than-life personality. Payne does exactly that. Combined with Citlati Urquiz’s outstanding costumes, the result is an Edna who is both hilarious and surprisingly touching. Payne’s performance alongside Lance Smith‘s lovable Wilbur during “Timeless to Me” became one of the evening’s biggest crowd-pleasers.
Laura Robbins brings warmth, strength, and commanding vocals to Motormouth Maybelle. More than anyone else, Robbins grounds the musical’s emotional core, delivering its message of courage, dignity, and standing up for what is right with sincerity and heart.
Andrew Reeser remains consistently engaging throughout the evening as Corny Collins, serving as the energetic emcee who keeps the show’s momentum moving.
Young performer Halle Jo Jensen is perfectly cast as Little Inez, confidently showcasing impressive singing and dancing well beyond her years.
The supporting performers deserve recognition as well. The Dynamites—Cearah Larry, Carmen, and Jessica Christensen—are outstanding, moving with remarkable precision and infectious joy. Every dance number feels like the music is flowing through them. Likewise, Seaweed’s friends bring tremendous athleticism and personality to each appearance.
Michael Hernandez‘s choreography deserves enormous praise. Every production number bursts with energy while remaining clean, polished, and visually exciting. “The Nicest Kids in Town” is especially exhilarating, with the ensemble seemingly never stopping their movement. Hernandez also stages the large production numbers exceptionally well, ensuring the stage always feels alive without becoming cluttered.
That choreography is complemented beautifully by Taylor Sachs‘ lighting design. Moving spotlights, vibrant wall lighting throughout the historic theater, and lighting cues synchronized with the music amplify the excitement and keep the audience fully immersed. The extended catwalk into the audience is also used effectively throughout the production, bringing performers even closer to the crowd.
The blocking throughout the show deserves recognition as well. The dodgeball sequence is particularly well staged, allowing the comedy to shine while maintaining constant visual movement.
As much as I enjoyed this production, opening night did reveal a few technical issues that should be relatively easy to address.
The most significant concern is the sound. Microphone inconsistencies affected several performers throughout the evening, occasionally making dialogue and lyrics difficult to understand. Penny suffered the most from these issues, but she wasn’t alone. During the jail sequence, numerous jokes failed to land simply because the audience couldn’t clearly hear them. Considering how dependent Hairspray is on rapid-fire humor and witty one-liners, improving the audio mix would greatly strengthen an already entertaining production.
A few cosmetic details could also use refinement. While many of the wigs looked great, several needed adjustment or additional styling. In a show literally titled Hairspray, the hairstyles should always look polished. Likewise, some stage makeup—particularly for Edna, Tracy, and a few members of the ensemble—could be applied more boldly to prevent faces from disappearing under the stage lighting.
Finally, although the ensemble danced with nonstop enthusiasm, there were moments when the demanding choreography left them vocally winded. This was most noticeable during the opening of “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” where the vocals initially lacked their usual power before building into the strong finish the audience was hoping for.
Even with those opening-night imperfections, Ogden Musical Theatre has assembled a tremendously entertaining production. The outstanding cast, energetic choreography, heartfelt message, and nonstop humor create an evening that reminds audiences why Hairspray remains one of musical theatre’s most enduring crowd-pleasers. Better microphone consistency will only make these already terrific performances shine even brighter. If you’re looking for a musical that will leave you laughing, cheering, and perhaps reflecting a little on the importance of acceptance and unity, this production is well worth the trip to Peery’s Egyptian Theater before it closes on August 15.
MORE INFO: Hairspray with Ogden Musical Theatre runs until August 15th, 2026. Performances are at Peery’s Egyptian Theater (2415 Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84401) on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Saturday matinees at 2:00 pm and a Sunday matinee on August 2nd at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $28-$33. To view more information and buy tickets, visit https://ogdenpet.com/events/category/series/hairspray/peerys-egyptian-theater/.
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