Happy 5th Anniversary Hairspray!

I feel like mateo is secretly Corny Collins.

I do love Hairspray. It's such a fun musical. Every number is perfect. And I LOVE the film. I have a permanent smile everytime I see it on stage or on screen.

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The first time I saw Marissa Jaret Winkour on television, I smiled and was like "Good for a big girl being on television". I remember seeing her on Rosie or something, but she sang and I got extremely happy. I wanted to see Hairspray, badly. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I wanted to see it. That was 2002.

I saw the show for the first time in 2005, when Marissa had returned for a limited engagement. I almost cried after hearing her sing the opening bars of GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE. I was in awe of such a presence. I felt like I was up there with her, like she was my best friend of sorts. I laughed, I cried, I was in love.

Now, having seen it three times and a fourth [hopefully] on Saturday, and having seen three different Tracys, I still get that feeling like she's living my dream and she's living that dream for me, until one day, "I take the floor and world wakes up and sees: Balitmore and me..."


Happy 5th Anniversary Hairspray.
Here's to many years to come!

--- ClumsyDude. ♥







Marissa and I: After my 1st time seeing the show

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Updated On: 8/15/07 at 12:27 AM

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/110312.html

Broadway's Hairspray marks its fifth anniversary at the Neil Simon Theatre Aug. 15, but the star-filled party celebrating the milestone will be held after the Aug. 16 performance.

On Aug. 15, 2002, the Jack O'Brien-directed production of the musical inspired by Johns Waters' film opened to positive notices and enthusiastic crowds. At the time, some considered a summer opening to be risky, the boost of Tony nominations was nine months away, after all. It would win the 2003 Tony Award for Best Musical, plus a bucket of other Tonys.

Creators and former cast members expected to be in attendance at the Thursday performance or after-party are Kathy Brier, Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Diana DeGarmo, four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, Chester Gregory, Linda Hart, Jackie Hoffman, Tony winner Dick Latessa, Tony-winning composer and co-lyricist Marc Shaiman, Tony-winning co-lyricist Scott Wittman and Tony-winning co-librettist Mark O'Donnell (his co-writer, Thomas Meehan, is shepherding Young Frankenstein in Seattle at the moment).

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Happy Anniversary!! In my nearly 30 years of theatre going, it is the only show I have seen 15 times!! This show makes me truly happy.

I saw the show for the first time in December of 2002. I was visiting NYC for the Christmas holiday and happened to go to the box office to see what was available for that evening. I was really expecting to hear, "there are no tickets available", but what a delight to find out that there was a fifth row center orchestra seat for that night. Hairspray was the highlight of that trip.

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I remember the weekly Broadway theamed radio show playing the whole cast recording when the show first opened, and I loved it instantly! By far my favorite show.
Happy 5th Anniversary Hairspray!!

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Are they still doing speeches and stuff tonight?

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i still have that ticket for tomorrow night's show.
does anyone want it?

Happy 5th Hairspray!

Just saw the Matinee today and it was Absolutely AMAZING! One of the best shows i have seen of this production. Nikki Sclera is great, and puts her own spin on the part (im still partial to Diana Degarmo tho, she rocks my world); Lance Bass was just ok, like someone else said on the boards, the songs are re-written to fit his vocal range and kinda take away from the part of Corny. O well, he gave a hell of a job performance if i must say so myself, but it's still early in his run. Although, when he came out, it was like a million little N*SYNC teenie boppers screaming and i felt like i was at a concert. Darlene Love is still incredible, and brings down the house in "I Know Where I've Been". Paul C. Voght is a great Edna. Ashley Parker Angel is just an ok Link. The voice is not totally there, but he might have been having a bad week. You can hear that he has the range, but maybe not the vocal training for Broadway. Jerry Mathers is not my favorite Wilbur, but put forth the effort. Naturi Naughton is an incredible Little Inez and she makes that part her own. My favorite Velma Von Tussle is by far Leah Hocking. I feel that part was written for her. Isabel Keating does a great job tho. Ashley Spencer does a great job at acting like Amber, but she just didn't bring it down like the rest of the cast. Finally, Shannon Durig is Tracy Turnblad, that's it...flat out. She is great and the show needs to keep her for as long as they can.

Overall, the show was an incredible experience and made for some good afternoon entertainment. What a celebration for the show, everyone was singing and dancing at the end. The only down to the show was the Teenie Boppers, and toward the end the people felt like they needed to clap a beat to every song after "Timeless to Me" which was very distracting. I wanted to stand up and scream at them, listen to the music people cause you could almost not even hear the singing. O well, what am I, one person! Once again, Happy 5th Anniversary Hairspray, May there be many more to come!!!!

Steve

To mark the anniversary New York Mag includes a PDF of their July 22 2002 article "Hairspray It On":

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/08/hairspray_turns_five.html


Exciting to finally read it!

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I have only seen Hairspray one time, but I freakin' LOVED it. I took my musical theatre class in March 2007 and all 23 13 year olds just became musical theatre freaks overnight. I'm telling you, they all had downloaded the OBCR to their ipods by the next morning and then were asking me about Avenue Q, Spelling Bee, Chorus Line....I love creating crazy thespians!

Then, about 2 months after I saw it, I had the AMAZING opportunity to audition for the stand by role for Tracy. And that happened only because I sent my picture and resume to Telsey and Co. in response to an open call ad on Playbill.com. They called me one week after I sent my stuff. I prepared and practiced for the audition and really did an awesome job. For my very first ever Broadway audition, I wasn't nervous, just really excited! And it was so much fun!!! That was in May...nothing came of it, but I don't think they replaced the stand by - it's still Michelle Dowdy. Man, I'd love another audition, but I digress...

I have to see it again. Hopefully before 2008. My husband hasn't seen it yet, but knows all the music because my own kids (ages 5 and 3) love it and sing it all the time. It's very cute!!!

Congrats to 5 years, Hairspray! Here's to another 5!!!