HAIRSPRAY LIVE! Viewing Thread — Page 16

EthelMae said: "I really enjoyed it. Love the score. Great to see Harvey again after recently seeing Mr.Travolta again on a plane back from Holland! As has been said, great seeing the 3 original Dynamites. They were ready to start a long run again. Adored Andrea Martin. I missed original cast member Jackie Hoffman but Ms. Martin nailed the few lines she had. I think Ms.Hoffman once said that she played 3 or 4 roles in Hairspray and had a total of 11 minutes stage time.

My problem with the broadcast, and that's what this is-a broadcast- is that people call or believe this is "live theatre". It isn't. I know it's not advertised as "live theatre" just "live", but that's what they're going for. A zillion commercials, cuts to different cities to say "hello", seeing the actors drink drinks and clown around out of character and Darren Criss is adorable but he seemed to be some sort of safety net for ratings, isn't theatre. Everything outside the show had the feel of the audiences today who attend the theatre. I wanted to tell them to stop talking!








And yes, to the above, it looked like a lot of lip synching all over the place. That ruins it for me. But like I said, I did enjoy it! This is what they call a mixed review.





"

Def weren't lip syncing. She was out of breath and breathing in random spots and even dropped a few words. So that squashes that.

I just think it felt flat. There was no innovation! I mean why not have the house and the corny Collins show on the same stage. So they're watching it on the TV and the walls are a scrim and we can see the real show being shot. That would have been a cool effect! Or why not have the 3 girls singing together in "Momma I'm A Big Girl Now." It all was so flat and not creative! The jail sequence was hella awkward. Maybe they fixed it for the west coast but in "Momma..." Maddie stepped out and she was in a weird blue light, but her face was in darkness?

"Def weren't lip syncing. She was out of breath and breathing in random spots and even dropped a few words. So that squashes that."

Oh, I don't think anything is squashed, thanks. It seemed pretty clear to those who are able to spot such things that some vocals may have been pre-recorded.

It seemed to me (and those who viewed with me) that everything sung outside was lip-synched - there was absolutely no ambient sound.

You know they have mics that will only pic up the sound they're supposed to, right? I mean it's the 21st Century. I'm sure the ensemble lip-synced, just for the sake of sanity, but any soloists were definitely singing live.

RippedMan said: "Def weren't lip syncing. She was out of breath and breathing in random spots and even dropped a few words. So that squashes that.

I just think it felt flat. There was no innovation! I mean why not have the house and the corny Collins show on the same stage. So they're watching it on the TV and the walls are a scrim and we can see the real show being shot. That would have been a cool effect! Or why not have the 3 girls singing together in "Momma I'm A Big Girl Now." It all was so flat and not creative! The jail sequence was hella awkward. Maybe they fixed it for the west coast but in "Momma..." Maddie stepped out and she was in a weird blue light, but her face was in darkness?



"

That section of momma was definitely a cringe worthy moment for me.

Just finished watching. Was it perfect? No! Was it a pure, big bundle of fun, joy, and talent? Most certainly! I'm still amazed they can create shows like this, on this scale... Live!!

I think theatre will always be tricky to translate to the small screen, but damn am I happy that they keep doing it! This show made me forget my worries, and felt like it came just at the right time.

Bravo team, and bravo NBC! I hope you keep on doing it.

‘Hairspray Live!’ Was Nearly Perfect—And So Important

"In enough ways to fill Harvey Fierstein's bosom, NBC's production of Hairspray Live! was the joyous celebration of love and acceptance that an uneasy culture craved, and perhaps needed. From its opening to its ecstatic "You Can't Stop the Beat" finale, it was a rare three hours of television that elicited a continuous smile. (Turns out more change comes when community leaders sing and dance than when they angry tweet.)

I've never purchased any of the Live DVDs but will be purchasing Hairspray or asking for it as a Christmas gift and I was wondering - do they often edit things differently or anything like that? Again, I've only watched them live and don't know if things get adjusted slightly for DVD release.

Just for the record:

TERRIBLE TV Direction! So many sloppy cuts, bad angles.

Why did every musical number seem to go on too long?

Lighting was despicable. Sound a mess.

Set design - too real. We needed more of a sense of fun.



Maddie Baillio - nothing special in that performance. Hell, Winokur should have just done it again.

Harvey - weird that we lost the sweetness he had onstage. And for the first half hour he just looked like an angry old man in a bad wig and too much makeup. Timeless was wasted.

Martin Short - could have used just a bit more geekishness. He was too knowing.

Garrett Clayton - fine for my money. Perfectly vacant.

Ephraim Sykes - great dancer but not much charisma

Jennifer Hudson - sorry, the role doesn't work if she's not an ample girl. And, again, the Director murdered her number. And really...no need to scream everything.

Kristin Chenoweth - OK for the role. But again...no spark.

Derek Hough - fine, if a bit fast with the line delivery.

Dove Cameron - Great. Caught the character perfectly.

Ariana Grande - LOVED her. Couldn't take my eye off her. Always made me laugh. She was more subdued than the other performers. And for me that worked for the character.



The major fault was that there was little joy and sense of fun in this presentation. Too real and ponderous. Louder, faster, funnier!

Updated On: 12/8/16 at 09:06 PM

Hoping there were a number of cameras that will enable to add the curtain call for Kristin Chenoweth in future telecasts and on the DVD - because I would never want to see her cut out again..ever. Awful...of all people.

Dove was the standout for me in this production...and Ariana & Garrett were the weakest performers. Maddie - she sang well enough, acted well enough, danced well enough but something was missing. I preferred Kathy Brier? (I think was her name) who I saw on Bway and even Nikki from the movie.

Sorry the ratings were not higher. Methinks in this climate a musical about segregation/integration is sadly not uppermost on too many people's minds.

It was a ratings FLOP!

Dove Cameron just really impressed me.