Lake Braddock’s theatre departments have had a number of excellent shows in the past years—Les Mis and 1984 stand out especially. But the latest from Lake Braddock Musical Theatre (LBMT), Hairspray, is the best show that I’ve ever seen at the Little Theater. It was, for lack of a better word, just plain fun. And fun, well, isn’t that what musical theatre is all about?

The cast was one of the greatest I’ve seen in a musical. Juniors Kirsten Chase (Tracy) and Tyler King (Link) both performed exceptionally, and their onstage chemistry was phenomenal. Their counterparts, senior Sarah Kreienbrink (Velma) and sophomore Michaela Nichols (Amber) were perfectly unlikeable characters. Senior Kaitlyn Lunardi (Penny) was a wonderful combination of ditzy and awkward, a perfect complement to Chase’s Tracy. And no review of Hairspray would be complete without a mention of sophomore Josh Lee (Edna) and his stage-wife, senior Michael Sparrow (Wilbur). Lee donned pillows and a dress to portray the overweight mother of Tracy. His cosplay was nothing short of drop-dead hilarious.

Hairspray is the best thing that I’ve seen to ever come out of LBMT. The cast’s energy was infectious—the audience was beaming for the entirety of the performance. The colors, the set, the overall sixties vibe, it all comes together to form the perfect Hairspray atmosphere. The production is showing again Jan. 23 at 7:30p.m., Jan. 24 at 2:00p.m. and 8:00p.m., and Jan. 25 at 3:00p.m. Don’t miss it. You’ll be glad you didn’t.