COLUMBIA, Md. — Broadway holds the Tonys, but local theater thrives at Toby’s.
Since 1979, Toby’s Dinner Theatre has become a Maryland tradition, racking up more than 70 Helen Hayes nominations over 37 years at its home in Columbia next to Merriweather Post Pavilion.
“(A) You don’t have to worry about parking, you have it right there. (B) We have a delicious buffet. It’s not schlock, it’s good stuff with an open bar,” founder and namesake Toby Orenstein told WTOP. “Then we do quality, quality shows… We are in the round and there’s nothing like the round.”
What better way to experience the magic of Maryland theatre than with “Hairspray,” a bubbly musical that proclaims, “Good morning, Baltimore!” Running now through Sept. 4, it’s the perfect antidote to our long, hot political summer of racially-charged violence in Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and Dallas, as the show’s themes of racial reconciliation are needed now more than ever.
Based on the 1988 film by John Waters and the 2002 Tony-winning musical, “Hairspray” is set in 1962 Baltimore, where the pleasantly plump teen Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on “The Corny Collins Show.” Defying the odds, Tracy beats out the Barbie stick figures to vanquish the Teen Queen, win the love of heartthrob Link Larkin and make history by racially integrating the TV network.
“I know in New York we were watching Dick Clark and in Baltimore they were watching Buddy Deane,” Toby said. “They were either white dance shows or black dance shows. [Tracy] would look at them and say, ‘I wanna be on that show! … I want this show to be integrated!'”
The diverse crowd entering Toby’s this month is an important reminder of how far we’ve come.
Upon entering, lead actress Christie Graham greets you at the hostess stand, while the Toby’s staff leads you to your table. Upon sitting down, you’ll realize your waiter or waitress is indeed a cast member (ours was Miss Baltimore Crabs), reciting menu items like so many memorized stage lines.
“What’s great about it is we do actually get to spend time with our guests,” said Gaithersburg native Larry Munsey, who plays Edna. “They kind of become family … We spend the time during the dinner hour, which is about a half-hour, we go back and get ready for the show, then that whole theatre turns over from the restaurant to the theatre. It’s like your mom and dad being out there every night.”
The evening menu is buffet style with show-themed options like Good Mornin’ Baltimore BBQ Ribs, Edna’s Oven Fried Chicken, Tracy’s Pasta, Penny’s Potatoes and Corny Collins’ Corn on the Cob. There’s also baked fish, steamed shrimp,assorted vegetables, a 25-item salad bar and both roast turkey breast and baked Virginia pit ham carved to order by a charming chef at the end of the line.
Sunday matinee brunch adds breakfast foods like scrambled eggs, brunch potatoes, pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, bagels, danishes and muffins.
As showtime nears, the actors head backstage to change into their costumes and the stage hands construct the set. Toby’s staffer Robert Biederman leads a Q&A with the audience with quickfire wit, spitting jokes like a stand-up comedian as he celebrates birthdays and anniversaries in the room.
Suddenly, the lights go down and Act One begins with Graham waking up in a vertical bed leaning against the wall to belt “Good Morning, Baltimore.” Peering through her bouncy hairdo, you’ll gradually realize, “Hey, wasn’t that the nice girl who greeted us on the way in? She can really sing!”
“[This is her] first time at the theatre, but interesting story,” Toby said. “I taught at Catholic University where Bill Graham was my boss … Bill has five children and Bill Graham Jr., his oldest son, was the manager of the theatre when we opened. This is Bill’s daughter … Christie is finishing her sophomore year at Catholic University and this will be the first time on our stage! Local success story.”
“Good Morning, Baltimore” is just the first of many memorable Act One numbers penned by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, including the catchy “Welcome to the ’60s,” the soulful “Run and Tell That” and the googly-eyed “I Can Hear the Bells,” as Tracy prematurely imagines her wedding.
“We have a live orchestra and singers that I will put against any Broadway performer,” Toby said, throwing down the challenge to rival theatres. “Any show, anywhere, our quality!”
After “Big, Blonde and Beautiful,” Act One gives way to intermission as the actors return to the floor as waiters and waitresses, only this time wearing their costumes. This is a great time to grab desert, coffee or a mixed drink from the full service cash bar (plan your designated drivers accordingly).
With audiences reinvigorated by caffeine or sublimely sporting a boozy buzz, the lights go down for Act Two, kicked off by “The Big Dollhouse” and a reprise of “Good Morning, Baltimore.” This act also includes the sweet Edna-Wilbur duet “You’re Timeless to Me,” as Munsey hilariously exaggerates his character’s Baltimore accent (“hon”) whilst proving surprisingly swift in a pair of high heels.
Just as Peter Pan is always played by a woman, the cross-dressing tradition of a man playing Edna dates back to Divine in the 1988 film, followed by Harvey Fierstein in the 2002 Broadway cast and John Travolta in the 2007 movie musical. Munsey follows in their fancy footsteps swimmingly.
“Oh, she’s just a good old girl,” Munsey said of playing Edna. “She takes care of her baby. She’s protective. She’s loving and caring, but still guarded of the times. And her daughter takes her on a journey where she gets to understand that being big is beautiful and that she can embrace life.”
Of course, it all ends with the climatic showstopper “You Can’t Stop the Beat” — and the motion of the ocean, for that matter — remaining one of the catchiest feel-good tunes in all of musical theatre. You’re guaranteed to leave humming as the lights come up and the crowd heads for the exits, but unlike other productions, you get to shake hands with the cast members on your way out the door.
Not only will you leave with a smile, you’ll hopefully leave with a better outlook.
“‘Hairspray’ you think of it as light and upbeat and everything, but the message is so wonderful,” Munsey said. “Tracy has no blinders on. She’s just wide-eyed and accepts everyone for who they are. Clean slate. If we could all be this way it would be an amazing thing.”
Click here for Toby’s ticket information. Listen to the full interview below:
