One of my favorite musicals is Hairspray. I came upon this musical rather late. I never seemed to have much interest in seeing the musical until a couple of years ago when I saw it in movie form with John Travolta playing the role which originally was played by Harvey Fierstein, Edna Turnblad. Once I saw this, I fell in love with it. I believe the message is what really resonated with me even though the acting and singing is phenomenal.
If you have not seen the musical or may be a late comer to it like myself, the musical is set in 1962 among the start of the civil rights movement in our nation. With a setting of Baltimore, Maryland, we are taken to the place where a white overweight female with a love to dance fights for her opportunity to share her passion while at the same time the black community is fighting for an opportunity to live without segregation and discrimination. This battle plays out on a local television stage which is the home to the Corney Collins Show, an after-school music and dance show targeting the teenage population in Baltimore.
This musical is about fighting for change. A change in how people are perceived whether due to the color of their skin or the size of their body. The message is clear that a person’s physical appearance should never define their abilities or their right to live out their life based on the passions, skills, and dreams which they carry.
It takes a lot of courage to fight for change. There are sacrifices which often must be made. Risks must be taken. Yet without any of this, change will not occur. The system likes status quo. Almost every person likes status quo when they are in a comfortable place. Only through the committed efforts of individuals can change really happen. History is filled with stories which support this.
We currently are living in a time when our nation is divided. Loud extremes are the ones being heard. Those who are in the middle sit by and watch these extremes fight at levels beyond normal rationale. Each side lies and misrepresents the other side. Civil dialogue is drowned out by shouts of hatred. Many wish for a change which will tone down the rhetoric and encourage compromise. Yet, this is not going to happen unless individuals have the courage to fight for change.
What change do you want to happen? Are you willing to fight for that change? How are you going to fight for change?