First Showing Hairspray Movie

[RentHead2]

Posted: 7/3/07 at 9:48am

Last week, I was blessed enough to be in the Arlington, VA area for work when I realized that the first showing of Hairspray was in the same town. I rushed to the theatre, where there was about 300 people waiting in line total. The showing was completely sold out and luckily for me and my friend we were the last 2 to get tickets to the showing before they told the other people to go home:

My reviews on the movie:
I saw the Original Broadway Cast so of course I was consistantly comparing them to the movie characters.

THE NEGATIVES:
1. John Travolta is stiff in this role. Don't expect to love his performance until the last song, "YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT." He tried to sound like a girl throughout the film and this is where is took a wrong turn.

2. Michele Pheiffer has a great presence on screen and she looks and fits this role perfectly but her voice wasn't where it should be (my opinion).

3. Major songs were cut and other songs were put into the movie that really don't fit. Not only this, they changed bits and pieces of the storyline and it just didn't flow right. For example, YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT was not as fulfilling as the original broadway version. Parts were cut, and Amber didn't get her part in it.

THE POSITIVES
1. The movie has heart. Its so great to see how certain parts of the movie remaining 100% faithful the the original broadway cast. I loved Jerry Stiller moments in the movie as Mr. Pinky.

2. Queen Latifa. When they have her walking down the streets singing, "I KNOW WHERE I HAVE BEEN": it really rips your heart out. She was great, fantastic, amazing, and any other word you want to use.

3. James Mardsen: AMAZING, he should be a broadway.

Just a quick review, I am sure others have been done.