Hairspray is being presented by OFC Creations and stars Amy Rodriguez as Tracy Turnblad, Jay Falzone as Edna Turnblad, Tripp Hanson as Wilbur Turnblad, Mykal Sanders as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Gianni Saverio as Link Larkin, Cameron Clements as Penny Pingleton, Adam Marino as Corny Collins, Monique Franz as Motormouth Maybelle, Lianna Marie Crisci as Amber Von Tussle, Jeannine Trimboli as Velma Von Tussle, Kaitlyn Baldwin as the Female Authority Figure, and G’Nai N. Curry as Little Inez.
The supporting cast includes Sydney Wicks as the alternate Little Inez, Lillian Jarzabek as Shelley, Dillon Nowatchik as Sketch and Mr. Pinky, Noah Alexander Price as Brad and Mr. Spritzer, Jack Sisk as I.Q., Jordan Malik Johnson as Gilbert, Owen Gainer as Fender, Shannon Beel as Tammy, Chakira Clark as Lorraine and a Dynamite, Catherine Gregory as Stooie and a Dynamite, Kelsey Madison as Brenda, Arrione Magee as Cindy and a Dynamite, and Rebecca Tobin as Lou Ann.
The show runs from September 24 through October 11, 2026. To check showtimes and purchase tickets, visit ofccreations.com or call 585-667-0954. OFC Creations Theatre Center is located at 3450 Winton Place, Rochester, NY 14623.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH
Hairspray is set in 1962 Baltimore and follows Tracy Turnblad, an effervescent, plus-sized teenager who wins a spot on the segregated Corny Collins Show on television. She quickly becomes a local celebrity, falls in love with the show’s heartthrob, Link Larkin, and uses her newfound fame to fight for the racial integration of the show, overcoming the racist station manager, Velma Von Tussle.
Tracy and her best friend, Penny Pingleton, have always dreamed that they might one day dance on The Corny Collins Show, which they watch religiously every afternoon. Tracy goes down to the studio to audition and, despite rejection and ridicule from Velma—mostly because of her weight—manages to get on the show with help from some new friends, including Seaweed J. Stubbs, whom she meets in detention after her hairdo is deemed too high.
After Tracy sees how Seaweed and his sister, Little Inez, are treated—and witnesses the racism inherent in a system that relegates Black teenagers to dancing only once a month on “Negro Day”—she initiates a protest to integrate the show. She is supported by Motormouth Maybelle, a DJ, local celebrity, Black business owner, and mother of Seaweed and Inez, as well as Link Larkin and Tracy’s loving parents, Edna and Wilbur.
Tracy overcomes every obstacle that comes her way. She integrates the television show, wins the title of Miss Teenage Hairspray, and unites the community, as celebrated in the jubilant finale, “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”
RUNTIME
Approximately two hours and 35 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
THE PLAY, THE PLAYERS, AND THE PRODUCTION
Unless you have been living under a rock—or a bridge—for the last twenty-some-odd years, you probably know that Hairspray is a big, bright, dance-heavy, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
It has a fantastic score by Marc Shaiman, with lyrics by Shaiman and his writing partner Scott Wittman. The book is by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, and it is based on John Waters’s 1988 film of the same name, starring Ricki Lake and Divine.
The musical was a huge hit, running for more than six years on Broadway and playing more than 2,600 performances. Since then, it has spawned national tours, a West End production, numerous international productions, and countless regional theatre productions.
Hairspray was adapted into a 2007 musical film with a star-studded cast that included John Travolta as Edna, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma, Christopher Walken as Wilbur, James Marsden as Corny, Zac Efron as Link, Amanda Bynes as Penny, Brittany Snow as Amber, Allison Janney as Prudy, Queen Latifah as Maybelle, and then-newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad.
I have been lucky enough to see many different casts of this show, including the original Broadway and West End casts, as well as their replacements. Most recently, MusicalFare Theatre in Buffalo presented a very successful production of Hairspray with a top-notch cast. Needless to say, it is one of my favorite feel-good shows and generally always leaves me happy.
OFC Creations’ production delivers the goods when it comes to high energy and happy feelings. The opening-night audience was thrilled to welcome Hairspray to Rochester, albeit in a somewhat unbalanced production.
These now-classic songs stick in your head, and the talented cast bounces with glee through numbers including “Good Morning Baltimore” and “Welcome to the ’60s.” The show moves at a nice pace thanks to director Eric Vaughn Johnson’s sharp vision.
The sets are squeaky-clean and bright. I loved all the novelty items and props used during Wilbur’s Hardy-Har Hut scenes. The love is in the details, and they were particularly fun and amusing. The sets, coupled with a splashy and highly effective lighting design by Hunter E. Vaughn and Eric Vaughn Johnson, make the look of the show pop.
Hannah LaRuez’s costume design is on point. The cast looks amazing in the vibrant rainbow color palette she has bathed them in. I particularly loved Edna’s sparkly, shimmering, sequined blue showstopping dress in the finale.
The period costumes are also on point. The young men look handsome and dapper, while the women’s dresses swish and swoon as they dance up a storm. These outfits complement the performers and add to the overall enjoyment of the show.
To do Hairspray right, you must have killer wigs. This team knocks it out of the ballpark. The wigs were designed by Kevin S. Foster II, assisted by Lauren Lampe and the wig-run crew, and they execute the looks beautifully. Tracy Turnblad, Amber Von Tussle, and their cohorts look perfectly coiffed—and that is what you want and expect when you come to see Hairspray. Bravo to the wardrobe and wig teams.
Before I get to the performances, I want to acknowledge the creative, fun, and fresh choreography Jason N. Wells has created here. He also appears in the ensemble and is a fluid and entrancing dancer.
It is clear that he loves what he does and can inspire brilliant dancing from his troupe. His choreography is jazzier, flirtier, funkier, and more diverse than any I have seen in previous productions of Hairspray, all while remaining cohesive and moving the story forward.
The multitalented cast executes the choreography with precision, vitality, and gusto. There is not a single weak link in the ensemble, from the dynamite Dynamites to the sharp Nicest Kids in Town. It was pure joy watching these exceptional creatures dance their hearts out.
From the moment Amy Rodriguez appears onstage as Tracy Turnblad, smiling and singing her way through “Good Morning Baltimore,” her adorable and infectious energy makes it obvious that the audience is immediately smitten and in for a great time.
Rodriguez, who has donned the high hair in a few previous productions of Hairspray, is a dynamo with seemingly boundless energy, matched only by her powerhouse vocals. She fully embodies the sweet and outgoing Tracy.
Whether Tracy is declaring her independence in “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now” or falling head over heels for Link in “I Can Hear the Bells,” Rodriguez draws you in with her playfulness and vocal clarity.
As Tracy is ridiculed and mocked for her size by Velma, Amber, and their groupies, Rodriguez conveys both vulnerability and strength. She shows that Tracy knows her worth and that scorn, criticism, and body-shaming from her peers will not get her down.
Rodriguez sets the tone of the show immediately with her vivacity and optimism. Her talent and stage presence make it easy for her castmates to build upon her performance. This is especially true during the spoken scenes, where she appears to have developed natural relationships between Tracy and the other characters. She also sings with such sincerity in “Without Love” that she could wiggle her way into the heart of even the most jaded critic.
Two more standout performances come from Jay Falzone and Tripp Hanson as Tracy’s loving parents, Edna and Wilbur Turnblad.
I could not wipe the smile off my face as these two consummate performers crooned through their big number, “You’re Timeless to Me.” The sweet, tender chemistry between the two makes you instantly fall in love with them, and it melted my heart. It is a touching salute to mature, time-tested love.
There is such an organic synergy between these two actors that you feel as though they truly are a longtime married couple. This was easily my favorite number in a show packed with highlights.
Falzone uses his deft comic sensibility to great effect. His Edna is the anchor of the show, balancing sharp wit and sarcasm with genuine maternal warmth. Edna’s protectiveness toward Tracy and the pride she takes in her daughter make Falzone’s performance believable.
Edna’s makeover during “Welcome to the ’60s” is triumphant. Her journey is fun and heartwarming to watch as she grows from a somewhat cynical, shut-in housewife into a confident, glamorous woman on television. Falzone’s Edna struts across that stage. For the first time, she feels pretty and knows it, and the audience eats it up.
Edna is central to the show’s themes of acceptance and understanding. The interplay between Hanson’s Wilbur and Falzone’s Edna, as well as their relationship with their daughter, Tracy, provides a touching and genuine example of familial love and support.
Hanson’s zany and kindhearted Wilbur provides essential comic relief and serves as a grounded, loving counterpoint to the slightly more passionate and temperamental Edna.
Gianni Saverio plays Link Larkin. He is a competent singer and mover.
Motormouth Maybelle is portrayed by the lovely Monique Franz. She has a great face and finds humor in several scenes, but I feel she is miscast in the role. She lacks the depth and vocal prowess needed to bring down the house with what is typically the soul-stirring number “I Know Where I’ve Been,” which interrupts the show’s exceedingly upbeat tone to illustrate the toll that racism takes on its victims.
Jeannine Trimboli’s Velma Von Tussle is serviceable and quirky. She looks fantastic and shares playful, mothers-eat-their-young chemistry with her onstage daughter, Amber, played by Lianna Marie Crisci. Velma drives the show’s conflict, and I only wish Trimboli brought a little more swagger to the role.
Amber Von Tussle is deliciously played by Lianna Marie Crisci. Amber is Velma’s equally snobby and racist daughter, and Crisci plays her with great glee. Her commitment to playing the bad girl to the hilt is impressive.
Crisci is a scene-stealer as Amber, the spoiled and scheming rival to Tracy. She brings just the right combination of comic villainy, showstopping vocals, and equally impressive dance skills. I cannot wait to see her in another show.
Tracy’s amusingly awkward best friend, Penny Pingleton, is portrayed by Cameron Clements. Clements was last seen as an effective Mary Delgado in Jersey Boys at OFC, and she caught my eye then.
It is an absolute treat to see her in another role where she can exhibit her range as a performer. Not only does she deliver one of the most endearing performances in the show, but also one of the most hilarious. Her line readings are gold.
Opposite Clements is Mykal Sanders as Seaweed J. Stubbs, who possesses a winning smile and exudes cool confidence. Sanders is both charming and handsome in the role, bringing his smooth vocals and slick dance moves to the OFC stage.
His impassioned performance of “Run and Tell That” and tuneful contribution to “Without Love” show that Seaweed could be just as big a star as Link, but that he is being limited and held down by the studio’s racist policies and the attitudes of the time.
The indomitable Kaitlyn Baldwin plays Prudy Pingleton, as well as the oddly out-for-blood gym teacher and the smarmy prison matron. Baldwin is a pro and can easily transform herself into any role asked of her.
She has the correct amount of exaggerated sternness for Penny’s overbearing mother, whose turnaround at the end—as she becomes a little too friendly with Seaweed—is utterly hysterical.
Little Inez, Seaweed’s younger sister and Maybelle’s daughter, is played by another triple threat, G’Nai N. Curry. She is very talented but could work on her confidence just a bit more. She embodies the youthful determination and great spunk needed for the role, particularly during “Run and Tell That.”
Another handsome and charming actor with a killer smile, Adam Marino plays Corny Collins. Marino, who seemingly moves constantly from show to show across the country, was last seen in his astonishing and victorious portrayal of Frankie Valli in OFC’s Jersey Boys a few seasons back.
This man is a star, and he brings a polished and often sarcastic Corny to the stage, bridging the gap between the teenage world and the show’s adult themes of integration and authenticity.
The Dynamites, Maybelle’s backup group, are sensationally portrayed by the vibrant trio of Chakira Clark, Catherine Gregory, and Arrione Magee. They particularly shine during “Welcome to the ’60s,” delivering unbelievable, on-point vocals reminiscent of girl groups from that era, including The Shirelles and The Supremes.
All three women are talented and versatile, and they sound glorious when they harmonize in their colorful outfits. And boy, can they move.
The members of the glorious and impressive triple-threat ensemble are all stars and certainly deserve high praise for their boundless energy, vocal and dance strength, and fierce commitment to their roles.
A shoutout goes to Dillon Nowatchik, Lillian Jarzabek—who dons my favorite wig and could not be more adorable in it—Noah Alexander Price, Jordan Malik Johnson, Jack Sisk, Owen Gainer, Shannon Beel, Rebecca Tobin, and Kelsey Madison, who seem to levitate while performing as some of the Nicest Kids in Town.
Nowatchik and Price are standouts, doing double duty as Sketch and Mr. Pinky, and Brad and Mr. Spritzer, respectively. Nowatchik is the most fabulous Mr. Pinky I have ever seen—again, stellar wig—while Price is wonderfully nervous as Mr. Spritzer, the Ultra Clutch executive and major sponsor of The Corny Collins Show.
Both are excellent dancers who display terrific physical-comedy skills and possess two of the most expressive faces on the OFC stage.
These days, we all need some joy. Whatever the future holds, nothing should stop audiences from catching Hairspray at OFC Creations in Rochester. If you live in Buffalo, it is worth the drive.
While I have some minor gripes with a few casting choices, this incarnation of Hairspray is a treat for the ears and the eyes. If you are looking for a night of pure musical-theatre bliss, this production delivers all the fun, heart, and powerful, ever-relevant messages of the show, wrapped in a colorful, high-energy package.