It also doesn't hurt that in Kelley, Shankman has discovered a prodigious hoofer of the old school.

CNN: Review: 'Hairspray' rises high

Joey Evans (Adrian Aguilar), the title character, is a cheap-souled Chicago hoofer who catches the eye of Vera Simpson (Susie McGonagle), a man-hungry socialite of a certain age who buys him a nightclub in return for his services in the sack.

WSJ: 'Woman in Mind': Funny as a Straitjacket | Eclipse Theatre Company | Pal Joey | Porchlight Music Theatre | Reviews by Terry Teachout