A Hairspray - Baltimore Time warp?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 5:25pm

Hey guys,
here is a fun little Hairspray timneline worked through by the fabulous Mistress and I as part of the Hairspray Fun Facts at http://www.runboard.com/besprayed

What do you think?

Overall thought...

In the script, it specifies that the show starts on a Monday in early June in 1962. Lets say June 1st.

Day 1 - Monday, June 1st
- Corny Collins says on air that the Miss Hairspray Spectacular takes place on June 6th.
- Amber says "dont forget" to watch mom and me next thursday on Mother Daughter day. Making Mother Daughter day take place on June 11th- AFTER the Hairspray Spectacular.
- Corny Collins states that auditions will be held "the next day"

Day 2- Tuesday, June 2nd, The auditions.
- If Tracy sneaks back into school, detention takes place on Day 2; if not, detention must be the next day, Day 3. Lets assume Day 2.
- Tracy says the sophomore hop is the next day, "tomorrow"

Day 3 - Wednesday, June 3rd, the Sophomore Hop
- The sophomore hop, after school.
- Since the sock hop is right after school, also when the Corny Collins Show airs, we can assume that there is no broadcast on Wednesdays
- Tracy dances in front of Corny and he decides to put her on the show, presumably the next afternoon. Which brings us to day four.

Day 4 - Thursday, June 4th
- Tracy appears on the Corny Collins Show.
- In the 90 minute version used in las Vegas and Atlantic City, Corny states that the Miss Hairspray Spectualr will happen "this Saturday."
- Tracy runs home and gets a call from Mr Pinky, which bring us to Welcome to The Sixties.

Here we have a gap in time.

Day 5 in the script- the following Wednesday, June 10th
- Dodge ball scene. We know time has passed because Shelley has the new Tracy 'do and there is graffiti alluding to her fame on the walls.
- Amber complains to Link about his on camera kiss with Tracy, from It Takes Two, which presumably occurred six days ago, complaining as if this was their first time seeing each other since the kiss...
- The platter party takes place this day just after school, where we hear that Mother Daughter day is TOMORROW- as already stated, a Thursday. So this, therefor, must be Wednesday.
- We also know this has to be a Wednesday because Link and Tracy go to the platter just after school. We have already seen that there is no broadcast on Wednesdays!

Day 6, Thursday/ Week 2, Mother Daughter Day, June 11th
- The protest. All the women are arrested.
- Wilbur pays bail for the house. Tracy is sent to solitary.
- Presumably Link breaks Tracy out of jail later this night; escaping to the record shop.
- Motormouth says there are 24 hours until the Miss Hairspray broadcast.

Day 7, Friday/ Week 2, Miss Hairspray Spectacular, June 12th
- If the show started on June 1st, we are now at June 12th- not June 6th.
- If we remove the assumed gap in time, Mother Daughter day takes place on a Saturday and the Hairspray Spectacular on a Sunday, which contradicts stated time references.
- Regardless, with seven days of plot, the story cant begin in "early June" and end on June 6th- it would at minimum need to end on June 7th.

Does Baltimore have a time warp that no one else has noticed?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 5:33pm

AND her mother is a man in drag! How the hell did THAT happen?

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 6:02pm

After looking on my phone calender the first Monday in June in 1962 is June 2.

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 6:31pm

Yeah, and in "Across the Universe" Jude hears the news of Dr. King's assassination and then, the next night, takes the magical time-traveling uptown train to the Columbia protests that occurred weeks later. Musicals typically have bigger realism issues to deal with than getting their chronology perfect.

Updated On: 3/30/08 at 06:31 PM

[theatreislife]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 9:08pm

Please read this with a solid sense of humor, as that was the intention when it was written...

OK, let;s assume that someone takes the time to think way too much about something that is supposed to be entertaining.... that would mean that someone has way too much time on their hands.

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 9:53pm

I think it's hysterical. Obviously this has completely gone over my head every time I've seen the musical and the movie remake. Very entertaining, and confusing. :)

[Mealz1042]

Posted: 3/30/08 at 10:32pm

oh man i thought this one was going to be about rocky horror.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 3:14pm

theatreislife,
It's all good. It is amazing what two detail oriented people who have a lot of free time at 2 am after throwing back a few drinks can do!
We just just going to do a few fun facts, but obviously that quickly snowballed.
The time line is meant in no way as a criticism, but one of those fun little quicks that can be highly amusing when you pay attention to it!
besides, if we can dedicate novels to the many layers of a pretenious Sondheim composion (none in particular.. just a blanket statement), why can't we devote a page to breaking down and analazing the quarks and ticks of a highly enjoyable, infectious piece with mounds of social relevence?

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 3/31/08 at 4:39pm

I like this deconstruction of the plot.

I also find it funny how in the movie, it appears that Tracy and Edna come back from the record shop, Edna discovers Wilbur with Velma, gets mad and changes the locks on him, and they patch things up, all in one night.