`HAIRSPRAY'S' CHARM STICKS AT PANTAGES.

Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic

A plus-size hello, once again, to Tracy Turnblad, our favorite teen revolutionary, who is back in Hollywood to ``change the world'' one dance step at a time. ``American Idol'' could use a kid like this.

Yes, revolutionary. The character's a fighter, and the role -- the centerpiece of the 2003 musical ``Hairspray'' on tour at the Pantages -- is rather groundbreaking. Heavyset actors, women in particular, aren't generally asked to be the romantic leads of Broadway musicals, to propel the show forward in the face of comic relief that they don't supply.

Give credit, then, to ``Hairspray'' book writers Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan and to filmdom's John Waters, whose screenplay they've adapted. Artfully blending the story's social conscience with heavy doses of whiz-bang camp, the writers' team offers an experience that can be enjoyed on many levels.

In ``Hairspray'' we have a show that is colorful and arch, frisky and unabashedly -- remember, this originated from John Waters -- ribald. Marc Shaiman's music and Scott Wittman's lyrics evoke the 1960s, while keeping everybody moving throughout. And in the opening anthem ``Good Morning Baltimore,'' Shaiman and Wittman have written one of the snappiest show starters in recent memory.

That song is delivered by 17-year-old Tracy (played by Keala Settle), a good-natured high-school screw-up who dreams of dancing on the ``Mickey Mouse Club''-esque ``Corny Collins Show'' and winning the heart of show dreamboat Link Larkin (Aaron Tveit). In so doing, if Tracy can fix it that black kids also become regular dancers (``I'd make every day Negro day,'' she blurts), all the better.

All this is fine with Tracy's parents, Edna (J.P. Dougherty) and Wilbur (Jim J. Bullock) but sits less well with show producer Velma Von Tussle (Susan Henley), who is grooming her own daughter, Amber (Melissa Larsen at the production reviewed), for show glory.

As loving as they may be, the Turnblads are meant to be either too hefty (Tracy and Edna), too embarrassing (Wilbur) or too just plain unsuitable (all of the above) for any kind of a close-up. Which gives them much in common with Tracy's black detention mate Seaweed Stubbs (Alan Mingo Jr.); his kid sister, Inez (Shannon Antalan); and their mother, Motormouth Maybelle (Charlotte Crossley), who owns the local record store.

The occasional crisis of realization notwithstanding, none of this comes off even the slightest bit heavy-handed. Director Jack O'Brien, painting from a broad and hugely colorful palette, keeps the visual jokes and sexual innuendo spraying at a rapid-fire pace (there can't be a single fat joke ``Hairspray'' doesn't exploit). William Ivey Long's bright and tacky costumes and Paul Huntley's wig and hair design help keep the tone firmly grounded in camp, and choreographer Jerry Mitchell rarely lets these kids catch their breath.

That's true also for Settle, who gives our Tracy plenty of optimism, extreme teen lust and not an ounce of self-pity. Haley Podschun fills in smartly as Tracy's none-too-bright best friend Penny Pingleton, and Mingo has great moves to match his presence as Seaweed.

If Tracy is the play's heart, the elder Turnblads are its funny bone. Dougherty does a great slow burn, has a better-than-average singing voice and fires off Edna's zingers with great aplomb. Playing Edna's joke-loving straight man, Bullock (late of ``Too Close for Comfort'') can't really compete and doesn't try. The two actors pretty much cracked each other up during the rendition of ``Timeless to Me,'' a rather caustic love duet.

We're due for countless more movie-to-Broadway musical adaptations, but you won't find many with a bigger heart, tackier clothes and, OK, a better beat than ``Hairspray.''

Evan Henerson, [phone]

[e-mail]

HAIRSPRAY

Where: Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; through June 4.

Tickets: $25 to $68. [phone], www.broadwayla.org.

In a nutshell: Big is still beautiful.

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Photo:

Tracy Turnblad (Keala Settle) and Link Larkin (Aaron Tveit) share a moment in the '60s musical ``Hairspray.''