HAIRSPRAY LIVE! Viewing Thread- Page 16

[EthelMae]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 1:25pm

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.





"

 

 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 2:27pm

I thought it was really great.  I didn't get to watch last night,  but watched it on NBC's website earlier.  They showed the Darren Criss stuff, but there were no ad interruptions at all. That probably helped with the flow. 

I liked most of the cast. Garrett Clayton is pretty forgettable though.  And Dove Cameron had to grow on me. I have no clue what they were doing with Ariana Grande. She did look too sexy to be Penny through the entire thing. At least her singing was understandable though.  

And I also wish they had done more with Ricki Lake and Marissa Jaret Winokur.  Like in Welcome to the 60's, it was blink and you'll miss them. I don't know what they could have done to incorporate them better though. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 2:35pm

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? 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 2:35pm

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? 

[newintown]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 2:46pm

"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.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 3:14pm

What vocals were pre recorded?

[newintown]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 3:20pm

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

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 3:23pm

 It was pretty clear she was not lip syncing because, as ripped already pointed out, you could hear her heavy breathing and she missed some of the lyrics. 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 3:25pm

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.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 3:28pm

Not to mention Martin Short's lyric flubs during "Timeless To Me." Don't think they would pre-record flubbed lyrics.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 3:31pm

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.

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 3:52pm

There was also a noticeable difference in "Can't Stop the Beat" as far as Harvey's part of that song went, since on the soundtrack Edna asks Tracy if she can say something, which didn't happen during the live broadcast.

[EvanK]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 5:10pm

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.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 5:24pm

It felt a bit flat and sloppy at times but staged with sass ranks as one of the better live musicals for TV.

Starting off... it was more like, Good Evening Baltimore. Tracy, portrayed by Maddie tries so hard to make it all work was overshadowed by the high wattage talent!

The Good: Once again, Harvey. Nothing fresh to his performance yet coupled with the adorably hammy Short their chemistry worked, Dove Cameron-Amber a star in the making, the always fun & fab Chenoweth, bold & brassy showstopper Hudson, bright and bubbly Derek Hough, the lovingly cocky dude playing Seaweed-Ephraim Sykes and the fun finale brought on smiles of Joy!

The Bad: the Zac Efron wannabe portraying Link -Garrett Clayton lacked prowess as a singer-actor but surely knows how to shake it, Ariana Grande simply miscast had no chemistry with Seaweed just to name a few...the annoyingly in-your-face Darren Criss during the commercial breaks, Maddie-Tracy by far one of the weakest ever to play the role on stage or on screen lacked the required star presence-charm of former Tracy's and the lighting and camera angles.. why did every scene look so dark-shadowy and off center-focus?

It was fun to watch yet it never reached the level of what made GREASE Live a HIT!

 

Updated On: 12/8/16 at 05:24 PM

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 6:34pm

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

You can’t stop the beat when Jennifer Hudson, Kristin Chenoweth, and Harvey Fierstein are this brilliant and a musical’s message is this timely. Why hate when you can dance!

"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.) 

Sure, things happened that occasionally halted the beat (heh). The lighting was a disaster. There's a sound guy looking for a job somewhere, after the numerous instances of dropped sound and a jarring "30 seconds!" director's cue interrupted one of the musical's most heartwarming moments. 

A nice reminder that we're live? Sure! But distracting nonetheless.

While casting from the A-listers down to the rising stars was almost undeservedly phenomenal, the star-pandering hiring of Ariana Grande didn't pay off, with the pop starlet's voice out of place in the Broadway score and her comedic timing in one of the musical's most reliably scene-stealing parts even more so. And the goofy suaveness that's supposed to make Link Larkin a send-up of matinee idols was missing from Garrett Clayton's lifeless performance. 

But why harp on the weak spots when the production otherwise soared."

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/08/hairspray-live-was-nearly-perfect-and-so-important.html?source=TDB&via=FB_Page

[quizking101]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 6:58pm

Let it be known that I realllly want a ringtone of Harvey Fierstein purring "Hold Mommy's Waffles"...

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 7:21pm

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. 

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 7:27pm

I own all of them and I think the one that had the most noticeable edits was The Wiz. 

[Skip23]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 9:06pm

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

[DAME]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 9:23pm

Maybe they could do some color correction in the dvd or maybe use some alternate pre taped takes.  The lighting and camera work were awful.  A embarrassment.  

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/8/16 at 10:34pm

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.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 12:13am

I think if the camera work had been better the performances would have appeared stronger. But it brought out all of the flaws within the scene work and lessoned the power of the musical numbers. I was baffled by it to be frank.

I don't think that showing viewing parties with someone hosting through the program works very well and it threatens cohesion and the flow of the material. If they want to do that they should do a preshow to help build the momentum...like a red carpet of sorts. And then they could do an after show.

I thought is was a spirited production and its heart was in the right place. It was just clunky at times. I thought the production values of Grease last year were much smoother. Hudson was great vocally, the actor playing Seaweed had some dynamic moments. Harvey gave it some star power but there were many times where he looked like he was acting. Perhaps his mind was worried about all of the technical elements because I think he knows a lot about acting and how it needs to always come from a truthful place. Grande was missing the boat completely and I had higher expectations of her. 

[A Director]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 12:16am

It was a ratings FLOP!

[Danster]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 12:50am

I cannot understand why and who decided to toy with the libretto of a Tony Award Winning Show. The cuts they did were not necessarily and what was frustrating because they wanted to add those interviews to make it look like Grease.  

[RW3]

Posted: 12/9/16 at 1:57am

Dove Cameron just really impressed me.