HAIRSPRAY Questions answered here! (inevitable Spoilers) — Page 12

I'm so glad Marc returned to answer more questions. I was afraid he might have abadoned the board.

Thank you, Marc.

But I forgot, John Waters wanted Anthony Hopkins for EDNA!

That's funny because in the forward of of TRASH TRIO (a collection of the screenplays of PINK FLAMINGOS, DESPERATE LIVING, and FLAMINGOS FORVEVER) he joked that if there was ever a remake of PINK FLAMINGOS he wanted Anthony Hopkins to play Divine/Babs Johnson!

First of all, I saw the movie last night at the AMC on 42nd Street, and it was an amazing experience. I fell in love with the show when I saw the third preview on Broadway, and have seen it several times since. (At the Neil Simon, I also saw you, Marc, performing in Gypsy of the Year. Your act was unbelievably touching, the song about the woman who went to the theatre with her mother. I have told my mother, more than once, how much this song meant to everyone who heard it, and how I wish she could hear it!)

Anyway, I wasnt too excited for the movie, basically because I am a theatre girl through and through, and not a movie girl at all.

Watching Hairspray last night at the movies, I felt like I was at an initial screening back in the day for one of the classic movie musicals! Everyone in the theatre was clapping (along, and after songs), people were reacting loudly, and it felt like a communal, interactive theatre experience. I loved it, and when Tracy hugged little Inez after she won the contest, me, my friend, and the tall elderly stranger next to us, all burst into tears. I LOVED the movie. (I laughed very loud at the Bye Bye Birdie reference!)

My QUESTION (phew, finally, right?), and it may be a weird one is: How did your previous work in the theatre affect how you conceived all of the music for Hairspray? I am obsessed with the Leader of the Pack OBC LP, and about a year ago, I was examining the album jacket, and discovered that you did the vocal arrangements (which I think are fabulous). The “Be My Baby” intro seems a musical cousin of “Good Morning Baltimore”, and the whole show is such fun ‘60s nostalgia. Did your experience with Leader of the Pack (or any other work) influence your writing for Hairspray? (Also feel free to share any anecdotes about Leader of the Pack if you have time--- I was the leader of a previous love thread for the show after the sad passing of Ms. Jones.) Would Leader of the Pack songs make it onto your “HAIRSPRAY: THE ROOTS” CD???

P.S. Also, thank you for the only time I have ever seen my grandmother loosen up and dance- during You Can’t Stop The Beat during the national tour! Haha…

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I read an interview months ago where you said you and Scott had written other songs for Velma to sing that Ms. Pfeiffer could choose from in place of "Miss Baltimore Crabs" or in addition to. Could you tell us anything about them? What they were about or what they were titled?

We wrote a more rock n roll cha cha called "MRS' VON TUSSLE SAYS..." which inolved the kids a bit more. We alos wrote a song that Scott & I though could go where THE NEW GIRL IN TOWN is now where Velma would sneak around following Tracy as Tracy becomes a Baltimore celebrity. It was called "SAVE YOUR APPLAUSE TILL THE END!" and was very Cruella Deville! Our concept was her imagining pianos dropping on Tracy and buses running her over and stuff, but just like in a Road Runner cartoon, bad things would happen to Velma instead. It is a fabulous song and Christine Ebersole sang a quick demo for us.

But after all the film makers argued about which was best, we let Michelle Ppffffiifffhhherr pick, and she said "I signed up to sing MISS BALTIMORE CRABS!"

And that was that!

Updated On: 7/28/07 at 02:49 PM

Ha, I've always hoped I wasn't the only one that heard the Be My Baby/Good Morning Baltimore thing. Glad to know it was deliberate.

The actress who played Miss Wimsey is Jayne Eastwood.

You may remember her from Chicago. She played Mrs. Borusewicz, the woman who lived across the hall from Roxy and Amos. Roxy and Fred Casley bump against her door at the beginning of the film.

I'm off to see Hairspray tonight for the 3rd time.

Marc, my question isn't about the movie per se, but your reaction to it. What was it like seeing your movie for the very first time? What was it like seeing it with a regular paying audience (and not the premiere)?

Never has a movie made me so happy before (though I'm not surprised as the stage version as had the same effect on me). Thank you.

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Where was the Dynamite that messed up...I am seeing the film for the 12th time today and I hope I can catch it, I can not seem to think that I missed that the last 11 times I saw the film...

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I never had any desire to see Hairspray on Broadway. I saw the movie yesterday and loved it! I will go back and see the movie a few more times before it leaves the theater.

For those who have seen both, which is better, the movie or the the Broadway show?

Also, I forgot to ask, if Im not mistaken, I thought that Tracy won the Miss Hairspray pageant in the Broadway show, why was Ines the winner in the movie?

I just came back from seeing it, by the way, 4th time!

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Tnks Weez

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Is there going to be any merchandise for the movie avalable in stores?