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

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 7:56pm

Marc, was the song "Velma's Revenge", in the musical after Tracy kisses Link, ever considered to be in the film?

[Kalimba]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 7:58pm

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

Thank you, Marc.

[ByMySide25]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 8:46pm

Updated On: 7/27/07 at 08:46 PM

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 7/27/07 at 8:47pm

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!

[Rymes_With_Witch]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 12:00pm

Anthony Hopkins would have been very interesting! Though, I wonder if he'd ever do it?

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 12:45pm

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…

[amoni]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 2:01pm

C'mon Marc, fess up. Have you snuck into any shows with us common folk yet to see the reaction? I've seen it four times so far, in three different states and all have been amamzing. In all four almost 95% all sat through the entire credits and that's rare for most movies. BTW, Thank You.

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 2:49pm

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

[Marc Shaiman]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 2:56pm

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 discovered that you did the vocal arrangements...The “Be My Baby” intro seems a musical cousin of “Good Morning Baltimore”. Did your experience with Leader of the Pack (or any other work) influence your writing for Hairspray?

Of course, just like in your life, I'm sure, every experience you have affects the next. Working with Bette Midler and all her fabulous rearrangements of 60's girl group songs (check out her first 2 albums), LEADER OF THE PACK, etc...I worked on a lot of 60's based projects, not to mention grew up then! So, HAIRSPRAY just rolled off my fingers and our tongues

Ewww!! What horrible imagery!

As far as BE MY BABY, you are kind to say it's intro is a "cousin" to GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE. More like GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE's intro is a direct lift!! That classic drum beat that played under SO many classic records, with BE MY BABY being the first.

[ABoyLikeThat]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 3:02pm

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.

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 3:16pm

In "Miss Baltimore Crabs" why was the line "belting high c's" changed to "belting Aida"? This is a ridiculously minor detail but it certainly had me curious. Loved the movie!

[crushgroove]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 3:49pm

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.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 3:52pm

I presumed "belting high Cs" was considered *slightly* too obscure for a movie-goer to understand, compared with theatre-goers who absolutely definitely know what a high C is. But my logic is somewhat foggy; if someone doesn't know what a high C is, they're not as likely to know what belting is (although they could work it out easily enough) or who Aida is. So a legit answer would be great here.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 4:45pm

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.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 4:48pm

For "Catch Me If You Can" what songs have been replaced/added since the 17-track Demo that people seem to have gotten their hands on?

Updated On: 7/29/07 at 04:48 PM

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 7/28/07 at 5:02pm

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...

[MikeH]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 12:18am

Hi Marc!

I was wondering what your composition/arranging process is like. Do you work with computers/synthesizers, notation, or a combination of both?

the movie was absolutely fantastic and I'm on my way to a third viewing tomorrow :)

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:27am

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?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 10:52am

I just wanted to thank Marc for such a brilliant movie, I have seen it 3 times, and I've taken close to 20 people to see the film, that if it weren't for me dragging them, they wouldn't have gone to the movies to see a musical, and they all loved it, and thanked me after the movie. It changed many people's perceptions of what a musical is.

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

I loved the show, I was lucky enough to catch Carly Jibson, who was absolutely terrific. But I enjoyed the movie a lot more than the Broadway show. The same happened to me with Chicago.
Loved the show, but loved the movie even more!
Hopefully Hairspray will have the same recognition than Chicago did.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/29/07 at 9:49pm

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!

[Weez]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 2:50pm

The idea for Lil' Inez to win was the very first thing that Leslie Dixon (the screenwriter hired to adapt all the existing scripts into a new one) suggested. It would show JUST how pure Tracy's feelings are, by her being so excited for Inez and not giving a rat's ass that she hadn't won. That was one of my favorite moments to "score" as YCSTB is finishing, the shots, one by one, of all the couples that culminates with Corny crowning Inez. When you go see the movie again and again (and again and again!), listen to how the strings play two emotional notes on the cut to Tracy and Link, then echo on the cut to Wilbur and Edna, then grow on the cut to Seaweed and Penny and then finally peak as the crown is placed on her head, resolving just as it "lands"

says Marc.

I also made a comment about loving Inez winning the pageant MUCH more than I would have loved Tracy to win it, as her personal goals were by the end of the movie set MUCH higher than winning some little pageant. What a great decision!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:50pm

Tnks Weez

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:53pm

Marc, I don't know if you are allowed to talk about this, but were there any star that kept trying to get cast in the movie?
And were there any actors that were cast or about to get cast in Hairspray, and it didn't work at the end?

Thanks.

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 3:58pm

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

Posted: 7/31/07 at 10:47am

Marc, is "I Know Where I've Been" inspired by "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke? To me, "Where I've Been" sounds similar to it. It's also one of my favorites in the show....
Updated On: 7/31/07 at 10:47 AM