Hairspray changes: Pre Broadway - Broadway — Page 2

Gretchen Biebers "Velma's Revenge," so amazing omg.

is there a video anywhere of keala settle's it aint over til the fat lady sings, says you need to buy the album to get this song online on both itunes and amazon?

But reminiscing to whom, Kad? Clearly to Amber, at first, where the "screwing the judges" line originates.

A mother who makes such an admission to her daughter is NOT a beacon of public decorum, IMO.

I know people let it roll by without storming the concession stand, but that doesn't mean the number actually makes any sense.

I'll shut up now. I get that HAIRSPRAY is a broad comedy and most viewers are no more demanding precise verisimilitude than a viewer of FORUM or NO, NO, NANETTE. But I'll continue to think "Miss Baltimore Crabs" is Shaiman & Co.'s weakest effort.

Updated On: 4/8/13 at 06:26 PM

As catchy and/or important as the song is, it does come off as a one-joke song.

Darreyl102, why was "Crabs" cut in the Hollywood Bowl? Susan Anton was Velma and she can sing!

WOW, crazy! She was great in All Shook Up..her voice seemed fine...I guess they cut them for time reasons..I know both venues had to be clocked in at a shorter time then a regular show does.

Updated On: 7/21/13 at 11:26 PM

HAIRSPRAY has a great score. It's my favorite musical. But 'Baltimore Crabs' has always been, in my opinion, the weakest song in what is one of the best musical scores to come out of that decade. I never saw Linda Hart perform it live (I would have loved to), but on the OBCR I think she does a wonderful job with the material she was given. One of the biggest problems with 'Crabs' is that if you have a weak Velma (or a very young Velma, which was often the case on the non-equity tour) the number can fall flat. There are some pretty funny lines in the song, but they can easily be lost by poor delivery.

I remember reading on this board when HAIRSPRAY was still running that the producers approached Goodman several times to play EDNA. There was also a rumor that Loretta Devine was going to be the next Motormouth. That, of course, never materialized unfortunately.

Updated On: 7/22/13 at 10:49 PM

I especially LOATHE these lyrics:


I would say
Oy gevalt!
If i wasn't miss baltimore crabs


Of course not
But u can bow and exalt
Cuz i am miss baltimore crabs!

Okay, I can offer more in depth commentary later, as I don't have long now, but I see the problem with discussing "Crabs" in this thread.
Some people are discussing the finished stage version of the song, the lyrics on the CD (which was recorded before Broadway previews and has notable differences) and the film version. So the conversation here has become rather muddled.
If we are discussing the film, I can monologue for days about THAT, but as written and staged for the original Broadway production, the song is more clear.
Yes, one can argue that it is the weakest number in the show, but I actually like it.. and no, in the stage version, Velma is NOT reminiscing to Amber. She is reminiscing to herself about how none of the girls are up to her false standards.. and yes, it is SUPPOSED to establish the fact that Velma is NOT the moral guardian that she pretends to be.. and that is reinforced in spades later in the libretto when she mentions the bed in her office, blackmailing the governor with pictures, etc. If staged even REASONABLY well, it is incredibly clear as to when Velma is in her own head as the audition happens around her and when she is interacting with the scene around her. VERY easy.

I love New Girl in Town!

The only time I truly enjoyed Miss Baltimore Crabs was when Beth Leavel sang it at the Hairspray concert in Baltimore this past January. Always made me wonder why she never played the role on Broadway.

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Updated On: 7/23/13 at 04:16 PM

Was this Shaiman/Wittman's first big show? What's their story? I feel like they should have taken off by now, and sure they worked on Smash, but other than that they really haven't had another substantial hit. Do they ever write original musicals?