Play Review: Hot Pants by Dick Lee

Big-haired characters, catchy show tunes and bold colours are thrown flamboyantly into the remake of a 1997 production.

By Yeo Tze Hern

Dick Lee flanked by the talented cast of Hotpants
PHOTO: SIRIUS ART

Hot Pants

14 to 30 Aug
Drama Centre Theatre
150 min

Hotpants comes hot on the heels of Dick Lee reviving some of his hit musicals (Fried Rice Paradise, 2010), and this revamped 1997 production coincides with Lee’s 40th year in showbiz.

It is particularly appropriate given that Hotpants is the first musical written and directed by him. Going back to the days of big hair along with its catchy show tunes and bold colours, Hotpants serves up a dollop of nostalgia and a relevant message for modern audiences.

Set in 1972, the musical revolves around the lives of three mother-and-daughter pairs living in the swinging seventies. Suzy (Nikki Muller) and Sharon Desouza (Tabitha Nauser), Connie (Denise Tan) and Daphne Foo (Kimberly Chan), along with Nellie (Eleanor Tan) and Penny Chin (Cheryl Tan), try to adapt to the changing times.

With secrets of their own to hide, we see how Suzy, Connie, and Nellie challenge the age-old stereotype of wives being nothing more than homemakers.

Meanwhile, their three daughters Sharon, Daphne, and Penny take part in their school’s Talentime. They decide to name themselves — you guessed it — Hotpants.

On the road to the Grand Finals, the Hotpants find themselves up against a duo comprising Desmond Lee (Joakim Gomez) and Chris Chin (Windson Liong), both providing much comic relief as they vie for the attention of the Hotpants.

Knowing that serenading love songs would have the girls fawning all over them, they do so — to hilarious effect.

It is here where the heart of Hotpants lies — a return to good-natured fun that we may find lacking today.

The upbeat nature of the musical draws us in and helps put aside our real-world cynicism for a good two-and-a-half hours of unadulterated fun.

The characters allow audiences to ease into the complexities of their lives by turning their deepest fears into song.

Solo performances of Fun and Maybe — both original Dick Lee compositions — are delivered by Connie and Suzy respectively, and they explore each woman’s repressed sexual passions.

The final act ties a neat bow, resolving conflicts bubbling beneath the surface of these three seemingly picture-perfect families.

As Penny leads a rousing rendition of Changes, we can’t help but celebrate alongside the characters as they triumph over their personal struggles.

Hotpants reminds us that change can sometimes make us do silly things, but it is never too late for us to make amends and learn from our mistakes.

Starring a stellar cast with standout performances, Hotpants delivers plenty of laughs and heartfelt moments: Chan brings emotional gravitas to her scenes, Muller’s comic timing is commendable, and Nauser’s polished vocals soar to passionate heights.

It was a pity that the sound system could not pick up nuances during the big musical segments, though performers held their own with their solo numbers.

Dick Lee’s Hotpants is a rousing throwback to the days of unbridled optimism and excitement. This feel-good musical brings the house down with its roaring soundtrack of a time long forgotten, and leaves audiences walking out with a spring in their step.

Ticket prices for the show start at $40.