Despite talented cast, delightful score, ‘Hairspray’ loses some of its luster in out-of-style reboot

Tracy Turnblad (Niki Metcalf) greets the day with a rousing “Good Morning, Baltimore” in the national touring production of “Hairspray,” now playing at the CIBC Theatre. | Jeremy Daniel

The national tour of “Hairspray” running through Feb. 13 at the CIBC Theatre uses essentially the same staging as the eight-time 2003 Tony Award-winning musical that debuted roughly 19 years ago on Broadway. But while director Matt Lenz and choreographer Michele Lynch used original director/choreographer duo Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell’s work as their template, the reboot comes across as a copy of a copy of a copy. As for the show itself (based on the 1988 movie musical of the same name by John Waters) it hasn’t aged as gracefully as you might think.

Thankfully, the cast’s joyous energy radiates from the stage so powerfully you’ll be tempted to buy what they’re selling, cartoonishly slapdash wigs and all.