Hairspray as a musical

[Younger Brother]

Hairspray as a musical#1

Posted: 7/27/13 at 6:37pm

This might sound ridiculous considering the show had a healthy run on Broadway but I'll ask: What do people think of Hairspray as a musical?
I recently went to see the UK tour and while I think the book is flawed (some very cheesy lines) I loved it and have never had so much fun at a show! Who are some of your favorite performers to play roles in the show?

[Phantom of London]

Hairspray as a musical#2

Posted: 7/27/13 at 6:43pm

If you had so much fun at a show, as I did too with Hairspray, who cares about the book?

[bwayphreak234]

Hairspray as a musical#2

Posted: 7/27/13 at 6:55pm

It's definitely a fun show. I saw the first national tour, and I ADORED it. The non equity tour I saw after that left a lot to be desired. I have since seen some local productions that were mediocre at best. At this point I guess you could say I'm "burned out" on Hairspray. I have seen it too many times over the past few years. It's not one of those shows I can see over and over again and never get sick of. I think the score leaves a lot to be desired. Without Love and You Can't Stop the Beat are definitely the only two big standouts. The rest of the songs are pretty forgettable IMO. I prefer the John Waters film much more.

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

[GavestonPS]

Hairspray as a musical#3

Posted: 7/27/13 at 8:06pm

I'm in the minority that loves Shankman's film. Whatever one may think of Travolta's drag (or whatever that was), the film has more heart, which I enjoy.

I know the stage play from a non-Equity tour and found it consistently funny (maybe because the actors cracked up to let me know it was funny) in a superficial way.

I certainly don't agree about the score: "Welcome to the Sixties", "I Can Hear the Bells", "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" and (in the film) "Ladies Choice" are all excellent and fun numbers.

And "You Can't Stop the Beat" has to be the best finale number since I don't know when!

Updated On: 7/27/13 at 08:06 PM

[emo_geek]

Hairspray as a musical#4

Posted: 7/27/13 at 9:20pm

Basically- if a show doesn't open with as a strong of a number as "Good Morning Baltimore" and close with such a song as "You've Can't Stop the Beat" - i'm no longer impressed.

Hairspray has constantly been a wonderful night of theatre for me. I've seen several productions and always had a great time. To me, it's pretty much the perfect musical.

"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999

[all that jazz]

Hairspray as a musical#5

Posted: 7/27/13 at 9:32pm

I adore the film, seen it more than times than I'd like to admit and know every word of the score. As I mentioned in another thread, it was the first production that I directed in HS and Link was my first starring role, so I might be a little biased.

I agree, You Can't Stop the Beat is a glorious finale, but I also love the rest of the score, specially I Know Where I've been, and Mis Baltimore Crabs, (sorry Gav.)

[gavyj]

Hairspray as a musical#6

Posted: 7/27/13 at 9:38pm

I went into the theater not expecting to enjoy myself--I was with a group that adored the movie--because I didnt like the film. I was wrong. The stage show is hilarious and the songs are just much better live.

[jv92]

Hairspray as a musical#7

Posted: 7/27/13 at 11:30pm

I was lucky enough to see Fierstein and that girl who won the Tony over Bernadette (and the original cast) in 2003, and I had a great time. Would I rank in among my favorite shows? Not really. But it was a strong show, good score, good book, fabulous production.

However, I was more emotionally affected by CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, even if the show was flawed. HAIRSPRAY is sort of like ANNIE-- a terrifically put together musical comedy from a surprising source material.

Oh, and I didn't particularly love the film adaptation.

[CarlosAlberto]

Hairspray as a musical#8

Posted: 7/27/13 at 11:47pm

I think HAIRSPRAY is one of the best musicals to come out of Broadway in the last 20 years. It has an absolutely wonderful score and the show has heart, delivering it's message without being overly preachy or heavy handed.

It's definitely a feel good, rousing crowd pleaser of a show.

I also enjoyed the film version very, very much.

[darreyl102]

Hairspray as a musical#9

Posted: 7/28/13 at 4:06am

I have seen Hairspray a few hundred times and love seeing it every time
Fav Performers :
-Edna: Harvey, Blake Hammond, John Pinette, Michael Ball, Trevor Ashley, Jerry O'Boyle, Paul Vogt

-Tracy- Marissa, Shannon Durig, Marissa Perry, Brooklynn Pulver

-Velma: Linda Hart, Isabel Keating, Luba Mason, Gillian Kirkpatrick, Hollis Resnik, Leah Hocking, Gretchen Bieber, Liz Larsen, Denise Whelan, Beth Leavel (I could go on)

-Motormouth: Darlene Love, Charlotte Crossley, Jenifer Lewis, Kecia Lewis Evans, Johnnie Fiori, Sharon D Clarke, Sandra Marvin, Angela Birchett

-Link: Matthew Morrison, Aaron Tveit, Constantine Rousouli, Andrew Rannells, Nick Adams, Ryan Rubeck

-Penny- Diane DeGarmo, Meggie Cansler, Kerry Butler

-Seaweed: Tevin Campbell, Chester Gregory, Christian White

-Wilbur- Stephan DeRosa, Jim J Bullock

Corny- Clarke Thorell

Prudy- Jackie Hoffman, Susan Mosher, Lisa Jolley, Julie Halston

Darreyl with an L!

[yankeefan7]

Hairspray as a musical#10

Posted: 7/28/13 at 7:29am

I saw it once and loved it. Shannon Durig was "Tracy" and was fantastic.George Wendt (Norm- Cheers) was "Edna" and he was quite funny. As others have said, the finale is fantastic and this is one show that truly deserved a standing ovation at the end. I saw the movie also and liked it but thought the stage show was better.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Hairspray as a musical#11

Posted: 7/28/13 at 3:34pm

I saw the original cast in the month of September after it won all the Tonys and I loved it. So much energy and fun dancing. And Harvey was wonderful as was the whole cast. Infact I truly love the musical more than the movie version.

[Scarywarhol]

Hairspray as a musical#12

Posted: 7/28/13 at 3:38pm

I wish that I had gotten to see the real show. I like the movie musical quite well--better than the original film, in fact, despite John Travolta--but the show sounds a bit more extreme and a bit sharper. The score is obviously a huge winner.

[dramamama611]

Hairspray as a musical#13

Posted: 7/28/13 at 3:42pm

I'll a little on the negative side. I liked it, but I certainly didn't love it. I felt it dragged a bit and I was more than ready for it to be over. I had four others with me, and no one thought it was fabulous. I know we saw George Wendt, and just felt like he was, well, George Wendt in a dress.

I did enjoy both movie versions more. (Shoot me.)

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

[Mr Roxy]

Hairspray as a musical#14

Posted: 7/28/13 at 3:48pm

It is one of the few musicals Hollywood managed not to screw up.

Poster Emeritus

[jnb9872]

Hairspray as a musical#15

Posted: 7/28/13 at 6:04pm

I saw the tour when it was in LA and saw Bruce Vilanch as Edna (his monologue during "Timeless to Me" stopped the show... what can I say, the man knows his way around a joke or two.)

I think the score is highlight-heavy. There aren't any compositional strokes of genius, but the score and orchestrations so perfectly evoke the period and styles of music that it's one of my favorite OCRs to listen to. I can't say anything about "You Can't Stop the Beat" that hasn't already been praised before, and I think "Without Love" might even be a more enjoyable song somehow. I also love "Run and Tell That!," "I Can Hear the Bells," "Welcome to the '60s" and "Timeless to Me" (which might be my favorite curtain-down scene-change number in any musical.) The clunkers to me tend to be either the (deliberately) brief Corny Collins numbers or Motormouth's songs, which I appreciate but lose momentum for me.

I don't think it's particularly brilliant, but as a blast of great sugar-coated entertainment it's almost undeniable.

Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.