I didn't have high hopes because it's a middle schoo production and Charlotte middle schools pretend on a regular basis that they're broke as a joke.
But man, I didn't expect it to be THAT bad.
The girl who played Tracy Turnblad. She was an okay singer. BUt I have the STRONG STRONG feeling that she got the part because she was well... a big girl.
Most of the cast didn't come close to knowing their lines. Mind you Tracy was 90% more on point than anyone else who had more than five lines. For that she gets mad props.
They seemed to mix the old movie, with the new movie, with the broadway play and the result was something that made a DIEHARD Hairspray fanatic like me want to cry.
Of course my baby was awesome. Yes. Yes I did just become that mom for a second.
It was bad y'all.
When Olivia came home early in the year saying that they were doing Hairspray, I was like well there are only like four roles she can play, Motormouth Mama Maybelle, LIttle Inez, or one of the dreamettes or whatever those girls were called. There was the off but likely chance that she could also be random black dancer #2. Olivia asked me why were those the only roles she could play and I looked at my child like I didn't give birth to and raise her. Liek she was high and lost her mind.
Uhm, I replied... Because you're black...
To which she asked what that had to do with anything.
To those of you that have not for some reason unknown to anyone but God not seen any version of Hairspray, let me break it down to you. It's a play/musical about race relations in the 60's in Baltimore. As in Black and whites and segregation. So being that my child is black and she most definitely is black... there were only four or so roles she could play.
Now imagine my shock when she came home and said she'd gotten the part of Prudy Pingleton.
Let's recap shall we??
<---- 1988="" in="" p="" prudy="">
Prudy in 2007--->
What about this says "Let's give this role to a little black girl"??
I will tell you exactly what says that. My child goes to a school where whites are the minority. Blacks had primarily ALL of the roles both black and white. Those that weren't black were Latino or in the case of Penny Pingleton (technically my daughter's daughter) Asian.
The only white child in the ENTIRE musical was in the chorus.
The Chorus. As in couldn't get a role in a musical that was about blacks and whites in the 60's.
But I went. And I clapped. I grimaced, I talked smack about it, but I supported the babies. With all my heart. They did their best but next year see if I don't try to volunteer to help out and see if next years play isn't way better if I can. No more of this practicing one day a week BS. Nah sweetie we will practice from september to June twice a week and when we go on the stage will be more than a riser and people will talk about how decent it was if not even good.
I guess what I'm saying is no matter how bad it might be always go out and support the babies. They mean well. They really do and at the end of the day when they stand up to take their bow and see you clapping because unlike their damn daddy who couldn't even request tonight off work or their Stepmother who'd rather take your brother and go to a function at Elevation freaking wanna be a church but it's really a tv viewing every Sunday instead of supporting the "Stepdaughter that they love so much" you were there and they will love you just a little more for it.
Support the babies man. Just support them.
Goodnight bloggers! Love you!
