Dee Dee Phelps

I had no idea what to expect when I entered the packed movie theatre in the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead, where we were visiting our vacation retreat for the weekend. The movie attendees ran the gauntlet of teenagers to boomers.

When the lights lowered and the lead character of “Hair Spray,” an overweight teenage girl named Tracy Turnblad, resplendent under a towering, sprayed-stiff-as-a-board, flip hair style sings (or should I say noticably lipsyncs) a song about her love for Baltimore, I knew we were in for a treat. Her cheerful, positive, over-the-top performance set the tone for more to follow.

Filled with shots of a smoke filled teachers lounge, pregnant women smoking and drinking in a bar, rats on the street, and teenagers sitting on the trunk of a convertible as if on parade, the film makes a minor statement about the excesses and naivete that were part of that time. But nothing gets in the way of the pure joy and upbeat singing and dancing which so perfectly reflects the tenor of 1962.

The film turns into a musical about integration, as a no-holds barred march ends segregation forever at the local televisions station and the previously separated races are finally allowed to dance together.

The star was Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), but John Travolta plays her mother and had the audience in hysterics by the end of the film.

Since 1962 was the first full year Dick and I toured the U.S. as teenagers, singing rock and roll, for me the film brought back the exuberance and joy of the era. What could be more exciting than spending an evening dancing to rock and roll?

Mark Shaman and Scott Whitman Marcshiman wrote the words and music to the most innovative and delightful musical score, which perfectly captured the various genres popular at the time, including the amazing soul performance of Queen Latifha as she leads a group down the street to march for equal rights.

With Michelle Pheiffer acting as queen of mean and Christopher Walken as the quirky but lovable dad, this movie starts out with one big smile, moves through the tears and joys of love and ends in hysterical laughter. Through it all the music and dancing rule the day.  If you want to feel good, check out “Hairspray.”