San Francisco Playhouse

Every generation gets its own Hairspray. Somehow, a musical set in 1962 Baltimore keeps finding new reasons to feel current. Maybe it's because Tracy Turnblad has always been the coolest person in the room. Or maybe it's because songs like Good Morning Baltimore and You Can't Stop the Beat are simply impossible to outgrow. San Francisco Playhouse's production leans into all of the joy, humor and heart that made the show a Broadway phenomenon, while its intimate theater keeps the audience close enough to catch every wink, every dance break and every moment of triumph. It's the rare revival that reminds you why this musical became a classic in the first place.

San Francisco Playhouse’s Hairspray makes a smart case for revisiting a musical that can too easily get reduced to big hair and bigger dance numbers. Set in 1962 Baltimore, the story follows Tracy Turnblad as she gets a spot on a televised dance show and starts pushing back against its segregationist rules. That familiar plot lands differently when the production keeps its focus on the people caught inside the system, rather than treating the politics as a backdrop for the fun. Directed by Bill English with choreography by Phoenyx Rose, this is a chance to see the show in the Playhouse’s intimate 199-seat room, where the scale should keep its ensemble work and comic timing close at hand. The production runs through September 12, making this a good late-summer pick for anyone who wants a musical with genuine bite beneath its polished surface.