Hairspray Tour-April 22nd

[Parks]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 3:17am

I'm pretty horrible at writing reviews, but that's ok. Consider yourself forewarned .

Before I start--I'd just like to say I saw the current Broadway cast about a month ago--and I was spoiled by it--so I had VEEERRY high expectations going into the show tonight.

OK--so I walked into the theater--EXCITED, pumped--woo! My friend who I was with handed me his understudy slips...Keala was out! Ahh! I had wanted to see her really bad. I was a little bit prepared for that though, because another member of the boards warned me that I would probably have an understudy since Keala sounded sick last night. We also had understudies in for Corny Collins, Wilbur and...somebody else. I can't remember at the moment.

The show started. The lights came up on Tracy--sleeping--and I was all excited...and then Tracy woke up and was IMMEDIATELY up. Smiling. What? I don't ever get up just smiling! She was way too happy to be just waking up. Usually the Tracy's show something other than just pure joy when they woke up, I thought. Another thing that kind of bothered me was the wig she was wearing. It seemed shorter than the wigs usually are on Tracy. Oh well. I managed to get over it.

Christine (Tracy) has a great voice...which is not what I would necessarily like to hear from Tracy. I'd prefer some kind of character voice--maybe a little more nasal. I guess I'm just used to the OCR.

The Corny Collins scene was next--and the set was VERY toned down. Amber is introduced to the audience in this scene--and she looked very different to all the other Ambers I've seen in pictures/live. She looked a little bit older.

J.P. as Edna was very good. I had a few issues with some of his acting in some parts. In act 2, he had no life in some of his lines. Everything else, he was great it. It was a little weird hearing some of the higher notes being sung in some of the songs where Harvey sang in...the Harvey voice. JP has an incredible stage presence. I always couldn't wait for his next appearance on stage.

The actress who played Velma was GREAT--definitely one of my favorites from this cast. JP and her were probably my favorites. She was a total b*atch--and she was very believable. She didn't come off as being JUST mean. She seemed like a real mother--trying to be sweet, but then becoming very mean quickly.

The actress who played Penny was great. She didn't have a character voice (which I was prepared for), but it was ok. She did very well with the part. I loved the scenes between Seaweed and her. The actor who played Seaweed blew me away with his ending to Run and Tell That. Amazing.

The tour was very different from the Broadway show, obviously. The set affects the show a lot, I think. For some reason, the show seemed a little empty to me. I don't know what it was.

Overall, the touring company is great. The set was a disappointment in a few scenes, but not horrible overall.

I noticed that Cooties was...very different. At first, I thought the actress playing Amber just forgot the words...and maybe she did--and just skipped around? Does she usually sing different stuff? It was shorter, I think.

You Can't Stop The Beat was a little bit disappointing. The reason I loved it so much was the bass made it SO intense. Can they not make the bass louder on tour? Also--Christine had a smile on her face throughout the entire dance, which I think it kind of needs some attitude.

I'm just very picky and grouchy right now because I'm sleepy :-P. I'll go back and edit it in the morning. Sorry for not putting the actors' and actress' names in--I'm too sleepy to look them up now.

The touring production was good, but not it has NOTHING on the current Broadway cast. It has some very strong moments though. JP and the woman playing Velma are both incredible. I'd definitely reccomend seeing the tour if you're a fan--but be expecting a few differences and the set being toned down. I'm going to sleep .

Updated On: 4/23/06 at 03:17 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 3:41am

I totally agree about the set. However, I don't agree with the Penny & Tracy comments. I saw Keala and thought she was amazing. I hate that Tracy has to have a "character" voice. While, Keals certainly has some sort of voice, she has such an amazing tone to her voice that is so very R&B and works so well with the music. I got the OBC after seeing the tour and was so disappointed. I hate the original Tracy, she couldn't sing at all compared to Keala. As for Amber, I think the tour Amber is way better than the Kerry Butler I heard on the recording. The tour Amber belted it out and had me in stiches the entire time. I thought she was hilarious and I liked her voice.
I never noticed the begining though. I mean, the fact that Tracy is so "bubbly" in the begining. I guess it sort of works. It never really bothered me because the begining of a show is suppose to be upbeat and get the audience excited, so if she woke up all yawning and boring, I just don't think it would set the mood right.
I didn't really care for J.P. as Edna. He started out very flat and boring. I felt like he was missing all the comedy in the lines, but he had great chemistry in "timeless to me" - however, I was a little disappointed to find that all the "breaking character" stuff was scripted.

[Parks]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 3:53am

OK--going to bed after this...lol.

I don't know what it was about Christine that bothered me so much. It was the fact that she was too bubbly in the beginning. It seemed like a very cheesy beginning, which I know it's supposed to be...but...meh. Whatever. She did a great job. I'm just incredibly picky.

I think you're getting Kerry Butler confused with Laura Bell Bundy. Kerry=Penny and Laura=Amber. Laura Bell Bundy sounds AMAZING on the CD, in my opinion. Kerry is also great on the CD. I didn't have any real problems with either the Amber or Penny, so it's all good.

Another thing I just remembered--

*SPOILEEERRR, kinda*

The heads in the posters in Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now just doesn't work. There were only 2, while in the Broadway show, it was all across the stage. It just wasn't funny tonight. I even overheard the person sitting next to me say, "What is that?"

[Joshua488]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 4:40am

"Cooties" is different in the show than on the OBCR. It is shorter and lyrics were changed and moved around. The actress didn't mess up.

[Parks]

Posted: 4/23/06 at 10:55am

Ah, gotcha. Joshua, I thought about you during the show last night. There was an ensemble member who kinda looked like you. lol