DrTheatre sees HAIRSPRAY the movie....maybe some spoilers....

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 7:45pm

Last week I was invited by a friend of mine to go see a special advancing screening of HAIRSPRAY...so naturally I said YESSSSSSSSSS...I got to the movie theater about an hour early (just in case of a line) and no sooner did I arrived almost like 100 people started to form the line in back of me (I was like, WOW, good timing).

Anyway I called me friend to let him know I was already in line and he was afraid he was not going to be able to make it in time....(but he did).

So we both made it in and we got seats dead center near the top of the theater....the place was PACKED...almost sold out and tons of little kids like from ages 5-12..there had to be about 70 of them (day camps, etc and they so behaved so well).

Ok, so the movie starts to begin and the CROWD goes wild...screaming and yelling and applauding......

First of the MOVIE was good....at times a little too fast,maybe cause I know the show and movie so well that to me; I knew what was coming, but other scenes were very well paced...there is not much dialogue at all..I was very amazed how I cared very little for all the characters because lack of dialogue....I just felt that it did not get in depth more with them...that was the only flaw...

The singing was great, the dancing was amazing, EVERYONE holds their own as well...(Yes, even John)...he was very good...surprised....very colorful and natural... everything was locations shots (no studios to hide behind). Everything was taped indoors or outside...it was very nice...the lighting was great...made me feel that I was right there with them, dancing and singing along.

The audience applauded and cheered after every number finished...this movie stands on it's own...there are so many cameos that everyone in the audience knew who they were or what they had with the film or before that.

Anyway, go see the film when it comes out July 20th.

Thank you MARC, SCOTT,CRAIG, NEIL and ADAM for a wonderful job...this movie will make you feel good all over....

GO SEE IT....brings back the old way of doing musicals and I am glad they did...

Drtheater

Sorry for bad spelling and grammar...just too excited to make sense...

Updated On: 6/26/07 at 07:45 PM

[keely2]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 7:57pm

I am so relieved and thrilled to hear good things about this movie! Can't wait.

Updated On: 6/25/07 at 07:57 PM

Posted: 6/25/07 at 8:45pm

I must say I am quite optimistic- the previews look great and people who I'd think wouldn't be caught dead at at movie musical are telling me they can't wait to see it!

[exedore]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 9:01pm

And still not a frame shot in Baltimore - the premiere won't even be at the Senator. I love my city too much to support this.

/still loves him some John Waters

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 9:27pm

I can't believe they didn't shoot in Baltimore, but then Travolta still puzzles me. But then the same producer thought it was a good idea to cast Mannered Blahderick in The Music Man.
I still hope Hairspray succeeds, but not to film it in Baltimore is an insult to John Waters.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:12pm

john waters didn't seem too offended to me, but maybe his walet is preventing that. Who cares where it was shot, it's a movie, there is no need for it to be shot there. Movies that supposedly take place in NYC get shot in chicago all the time because it is cheaper to do.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:42pm

That's kind of sad that it may be hard to care about the characters! I'm glad you loved it and I know it's going to be a great movie! I'm always SO glad to hear when people love John in the role because so many people seem so worried about him playing Edna.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:46pm

Oh boy, the audience liked it!

How about some info about the film, besides "...it was very nice...the lighting was great..."

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:48pm

yeah, Heaven Forbid an audience likes something!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:51pm

Don't get me wrong, Marc! I'm very glad the audience loved it. I just....want to hear more about it than "well the lighting was good..."

The commercials are certainly enticing...enticing enough that July 27 can't come quicker.

[mateo]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:51pm

I cared for the Turnblad's in the film much more than I ever have for them in the Broadway show.

their chemistry is amazing.

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:51pm

I'll tell ya all about it

it came out FABULOUS!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:53pm

Glad to hear it! As I said, the trailers certainly look great.

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:56pm

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:57pm

July 20th, Yankeefan. Marc, elaborate a little? I think I've read "Fabulous" from you about a million times. What's your favorite part in the movie?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 10:59pm

My bad. It's The Simpsons that's out on the 27th.

Boy, July's a busy month.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 11:03pm

I call this summer: "The summer of the Spray." I'm buying 3 HAIRSPRAY books, the CD, cans of Ultra Clutch, and am receiving 4 feet of the HAIRSPRAY Broadway curtain!DId I miss anything?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/25/07 at 11:09pm

Eh-hem...a disrespect to John Waters?!! Not only was John Waters a consultant on the film but he was quite thrilled that the new film wasn't shot in Baltimore. As a film-maker himself, he understands the realities of film cost, and actually liked that this new version of his HAIRSPRAY franchise was shot in Toronto:

------------------------
Waters will also be in the new Hairspray movie—based on the musical inspired by his 1988 film—that opens nationwide next month. Although Waters didn’t direct the new film—which was shot in Toronto instead of Baltimore and stars John Travolta and Queen Latifah—he makes a cameo as “the flasher.”

“It was weird going to Canada and seeing a $75 million version of my movie,” says Waters, who spent just $2.7 million making the original film. “It was weird seeing Highlandtown built in Canada. Seeing the fake Baltimore always makes me laugh. It looks like Essex, in a way. And that’s all right, because Essex and Highlandtown are the same world. It looked pretty good to me.”

-----------------------------------------
also...

Excerpted from The Baltimore Sun article on the filming of HAIRSPRAY's sole Toronto shoot:

No offense to Baltimore is intended, insisted producer Craig Zadan. Though financial incentives also swayed the filmmakers, the key factor in the Canadian city's selection was that the Baltimore area lacks large soundstages - buildings with spaces wide and tall enough to meet the demands of shooting a big-budget musical.

"We approached this movie from Day 1 as wanting to go to Baltimore and planning to go to Baltimore," Zadan said. "I was sort of not prepared for the fact that the [state] film commission would say to us, 'We don't have those soundstages.'"

Hairspray's producers initially planned to film in Baltimore what's called "second-unit photography," or background shots that add local flavor. But doing so would have added "a couple million dollars" to the film's budget, Zadan said. Instead, parts of the city will be re-created on Canadian soundstages, and still photographs taken here will be inserted into the film via computer. The result will look like Baltimore, Zadan promised, thanks to "the magic of the movies." But it won't be Baltimore.

"It's a shame," said Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley. "You have a movie that is about Baltimore, about all the quirks and the history that is Baltimore, and it's not being filmed here. But we understand it's a financial, bottom-line decision."

Dennis Castleman, the assistant secretary in charge of film with the Maryland Department of Economic and Business Development, also expressed chagrin. "It's disappointing on two fronts: the economic impact, and the bragging rights of being able to say, 'This film was made right here in Baltimore.'"

Castleman, who said his office had been in negotiations with the filmmakers for months, said he was told "unofficially" that Maryland would have to come up with $9 million in economic incentives (mainly tax breaks) to make shooting in Baltimore feasible. That figure represents considerably more than the $6.875 million in film-production tax breaks approved by the state legislature for the current year.

[exedore]

Posted: 6/26/07 at 12:02am

"yeah, Heaven Forbid an audience likes something!"

Oh, please don't get me wrong. I *LOVE* the stage version, and am eagerly trying to scrape 40 quid together to see first preview in London, as I'll have just arrived from Bawlmer a month earlier to start classes. It's just annoying that it was *NOT* filmed on location in the city, especially when I can walk 10 min. from my apartment and/or job and see a plethora of very 60s-looking rowhouses, etc.

Then again, I was not privvy to the behind the scenes discussions, and they were giving away tickets at Honfest (an annual city event that opens with the singing of "Good Morning Baltimore"), so perhaps everybody knows something I don't...

[mateo]

Posted: 6/26/07 at 12:48am

What I enjoyed the most from Hairspray was the Turnblad's actually. Their scenes had the most heart and it was as if I was peaking in to the lives of a REAL family. Christopher Walken and John Travolta and Nikki Blonsky are the real standouts.

I didn't see the film with final score- but even that was great. I can't wait to hear the final mix.

Some of my fav pieces of added music and scenes are the intro to Nicest Kids- the music really swells- and you just can't help but start dancing in your seat. The orchestration in WELCOME TO THE 60's is also wonderful. It's playful, a lil dreamy... has some of those "Down with Love" qualities. Queen Latifah's I KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN- so beautiful.

THE NEW GIRL IN TOWN- was a great addition and plays really well over a couple of scenes.

The movie has a good amount of music- but it was never 'set up.' I never went - oh here comes the song. There was nice flow throughout.

Everyone here at BWW was seemingly nervous when we first started seeing set pictures and costumes- That the colors were too muted, it was too realistic... but the colors POP on their own. The hottest pink and the brightest blue are not the only colors that can make Hairspray come alive.

The teals, pinks, lavenders, olive greens, rusts and creams pop on the screen and really allow Hairspray to have that late 50's early 60's feel. The smartest thing the filmmakers did was re-set Hairspray in to reality. It only enhances the joy and zaniness of the songs and dances that much more

If you go in to Hairspray with an open heart you will have a ball! I'm not saying that, 'OMG they changed everything and the purists will hate it!' but what I AM saying is that it will prohibit you from having fun.

I know you'll love it.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 6/26/07 at 1:05am

EVERYTHING WAS GOOD and to echo Marc "It came out fabulous" he is so right!!! Sorry my review was very bland...mostly because I am still shaking with excitement I just can not put my joy into words....just so much to think about....even the 5-12 year olds that were there were jumping out of their seats dancing along...it was a great day for me... and everyone in the audience...WOW I am sure the movie will do well...I just hope HARRY POTTER does not kill this movie...but I think anything up against that will

MARC CONGRATS ON A GREAT FILM....I can not wait to see it over and over again...there was so much to love I missed a lot of stuff......oh and to clear things up about me not into the characters that much, was mostly because I know the story already...but for someone who has never seen the original film and or musical...will be very into them....sorry for the miscommunication there...

GO SEE THE MOVIE!

[Wicked63]

Posted: 6/26/07 at 5:16am

I think this is gonna be huge! In the UK its been talked about by everyone. Most agree that if the movie is sold correctly it could be as big as 'Grease' when that opened in the 70s. Its got the same endearing qualities and is proberbly not going to loose its feel good buzz after repeat viewings. There cant be a person on this planet that hasnt seen 'Grease' less than, say 10 times! May 'Hairspray' never let its hair down and good luck to everyone involved.

[mateo]

Posted: 6/26/07 at 4:12pm

Good to hear Wicked!

I'm happy you guys are finally getting Hairspray in the West End as well.

I wish we would get an OLCR out of it- but that doesn't seem to be happen anymore.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/26/07 at 4:58pm

"May 'Hairspray' never let its hair down and good luck to everyone involved."

Amen to that! Mateo, at first I was very bummed about the set and the costumes being too muted and dull. Then I realized that WAS what Baltimore was like in the 60s, so I definitely like the idea of Hairspray being more realistic and not a big wat of bubble gum.

The only thing that saddens me is that Nikki has Hudson-itis, and everybody is tired of that by now, even though I personally like Nikki much more than Jennifer and I think she is much more bubbly, fun, and energetic.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/26/07 at 5:09pm

The ONLY people getting over-saturated with Nikki Blonsky are the HAIRSPRAY fanatics who follow every little trickle of this film. Most of the general masses STILL has no clue a new film of HAIRSPRAY is coming out.

The marketing has begun and the TV spots are now plentiful, but still...most don't even know this film is about to arrive.

One person in my office came to me the other day and said that he saw the trailer to the new GREASE movie the other day.

'Nuff said.