“Hairspray: The Musical” at Macon Little Theatre.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see Macon Little Theatre’s production of “Hairspray” until the final show, a Sunday afternoon matinee on July 21. The house was packed and the parking lot overflowed. Based on a John Waters film, this musical comedy was all that one would expect and maybe a little more.

What struck me most was the relevancy of the themes and subject matter that made “Hairspray,” the film, such a monumental work. Waters is a quirky writer. He can be brash and offensive, but also thoughtful and thought-provoking. In light of the ongoing national discussions about race and racial profiling, this community theater production of “Hairspray” in Macon, Georgia felt especially poignant to me.

Three days earlier, on Thursday, July 18, I attended a community forum on race relations in Macon, put together by a group of concerned young people. Sunday, while watching ’60s-era racial strife being portrayed on the stage of Macon Little Theatre, I felt saddened that many of the same inequities portrayed in “Hairspray” are still being dealt with today.

Over the weekend, I met a young poet who told me that he enjoyed poetry because it allowed him to say things to people that normally would offend them, but instead garnered him applause. In a sense, all art has this unique ability, because audiences grant it power through attention. While enjoying the music and comedy of “Hairspray,” I was also compelled to think about tough issues facing our community event today.

Macon Little Theatre has done a service to the community with its production of “Hairspray.” At this time in our nation’s history, it might do us all some good to realize that where we are today isn’t as far from where we once were as we might like to believe.

Macon Little Theatre: 4220 Forsyth Rd., Macon; 478-477-3342; www.maconlittletheatre.org.