BOSTON-Within the first two minutes of Hairspray, presented by Broadway at the Boston Opera House, Christine Danelson, in the role of main character Tracy Turnblat, was belting out a dynamic rendition of "Good Morning Baltimore." More enthusiastic than any other performer, Danelson had reason to be sharing her character's optimism: normally an understudy, she was tonight singing with the spotlight on her. The enthusiasm for life contained in this song-and found throughout the whole show-was expressed through the plot, lyrics, dancing and essence of all the actors.Hairspray is the story of hopeful young Baltimore, MD native Tracy, who wants nothing more than to achieve her dream of dancing on television and becoming somebody special. To fit in, she uses tons of hairspray, lands herself in detention and constantly attempts to elude the control of her parents. Although she does make it to the airwaves early in the show, her triumph marks not the end of her story, but merely the beginning. Tracy, with the help of friends Link Larkin (Aaron Tveit), Penny Pingleton (Jane Blass) and Seaweed J. Stubbs (Alan Mingo, Jr.), decides to use her newfound fame (and wild hair) to change the world for the better, combating racial discrimination and disbelief in the goodness of humanity.

One of the most delightful parts of the show is simply how atypical it is. The lead and supporting characters are not thin blondes who easily fall into the open arms of strong men. Tracy, her friends, and mother Edna Turnblad (J. P. Dougherty) are "average" in their looks but not in their hearts, defending themselves whenever necessary.

The sets at the Opera House were gorgeous and period-appropriate, taking the audience back to the early '60s. A color scheme that was fun and psychedelic, though not extravagant, gave the show a kind of solidity, as if it were not on tour but rather permanently located in the Opera House.

Marc Shaiman's music and Scott Wittman and Shaiman's lyrics also fit the era well, and had the whole audience clapping and bouncing through the encore after the curtain call. The tunes had almost a Grease-like feel to them, as did the costumes.

In addition to "Good Morning Baltimore," Hairspray is filled with songs that play wonderfully to an eager audience thanks to universal themes, including defiance against parental authority, as in the fast-paced "Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now," and the belief that anyone can fall in love in the comic love ballad sung by Tracy's parents, "Timeless to Me."

Appropriately, considering the anyone-can-do-anything message of the show, Hairspray proved that it was not dependent on its lead role. Given that the play centers on Tracy, disappointment had initially set in at the news that Tracy would be played by an understudy. Nevertheless, Danelson did a remarkable job. With the Justice able to attend only one performance, it is not possible to say what regular cast member Keala Settle does with the role, but Danelson certainly embodied Tracy to the fullest extent.

As Tracy achieved her dream of taking center stage, becoming somebody and making a difference, so was Danelson, no longer holding down a small chorus part, able to take the center of her own stage. Free from any obvious flubs, belting out the hit songs with a gorgeous voice and an abundant amount of enthusiasm, Danelson definitely rose to the occasion.