Backstage with Asabi Goodman of 'Hairspray'

Set against a backdrop of 1962 Baltimore and the civil rights movement, HAIRSPRAY entertained Austin audiences with a heartwarming story of inclusion and confidence filled with kaleidoscopic colors, creative choreography, and memorable music during the tour’s last stop in Texas.

Based on the low-budget, high-camp 1988 nonmusical film by John Waters, HAIRSPRAY has bounced back and forth between film and stage, having been a smash hit on Broadway, winning eight 2003 Tony Awards including Best Musical, before getting a big screen makeover in 2007. Each iteration shares the light-weight storyline: Sixteen-year-old Tracy Turnblad loves to dance and when, despite her plus-sized pirouettes and unpopular parents, she lands a spot on The Corny Collins Show she helps spearhead its integration with her Black classmates and best friend Penny Pingleton.

Asabi Goodman. Courtesy image

It’s nice to see names more familiar to broader audiences gracing the stage. Previously, audiences were fortunate to see Adam Pascal in the touring production of PRETTY WOMAN and now the highly talented Andrew Levitt — more notably known by the stage name Nina West, after competing in RuPaul's Drag Race — has entertained Austin as Edna Turblad, the boisterous mother of protagonist Tracy Turnblad. Although the non-traditional tradition of casting a man as Edna Turnblad holds a different significance in 2023 than it did when the show premiered at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater in June 2002, it’s significant nonetheless.

I was fortunate to speak with Asabi Goodman, who plays Motormouth Maybelle, to learn more about the show and her process. Motormouth Maybelle is the sassy, strong-willed owner of a record shop and host of "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show, and Goodman brings out the best of the characer.

“[Maybelle]’s this larger than life DJ, and she’s a mother and kind of the mother of the Black community. She is the inspiration, I would say, for Edna to come out of her shell and to embrace herself. She really pushes body positivity and self love and owning up to who you are, and she's unashamed of who she is. This show’s as relevant today as it was 20 years ago” Goodman explained. “We're still fighting the good fight. We still have people that are seen as less than, especially right now with all of these laws that are coming out that are wanting to prevent drag performances. We still need to stand up for everyone in this country, and I feel that this show speaks to that.”

HAIRSPRAY holds sentimental value for Goodman, as she’s grown up loving the message of the story.

“It’s kind of a dream come true,” she confessed. “I've been a huge fan of HAIRSPRAY since I was a child. From the 1988 John Waters film, I used to watch it quite a bit as a kid and I loved the body positivity and integration and that we're all the same and we should all be able to work together and to play together. I never thought that I would ever be a part of this legacy of HAIRSPRAY. So it literally is a dream come true to come from that small child that watched the original film to then seeing the musical and seeing the musical movie and to now be part of that legacy up on stage telling the story and inspiring the next generation of musical theater lovers. I don’t know how else to explain it — I'm living my dream.”

Goodman didn’t step into this role empty handed though; in bringing life to the character, she pulled inspiration from women she had looked up to in her own life.

“I think of all the strong women in my life and the strong women throughout history who refused to back down or refused to take a back seat to society. When society tells them that they need to behave in a certain way, they say no and they stand up for themselves. It's a risk, but they're willing to take that risk for the greater good,” she exclaimed. “There's so many! There's Susan B. Anthony, there's Rosa Parks, there's even Queen Latifa who back in the 80s was one of the first major female rappers and took a lot of flak for being a female rapper. But she stood her ground and she went out there and really made a name for herself.”

HAIRSPRAY is easy to love, and audiences can attest to as much. With vibrant scenic design paired with strong vocal performances, it’s no wonder why this story has survived more than 20 years in the spotlight. If you missed this show, you’re in luck as Broadway in Austin has an impressive lineup for the 2023-24 season, starting with SIX, the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!. You can learn more about that lineup here.