#1
Posted: 9/26/04 at 3:19am
erghstsh. I think that is the noise I made after seeing the first preview. I will start at the beginning:
1. I got to see them rehearse a little before the show which was cool cause I went in as a big Kerry Butler fan, and I stood not 3 feet away from her and smiled as she looked so nervous and cute trying to make sure she would remember everything.
2. The show starts and basically people, if you are deciding whether or not to see the show ask yourself this"Did I like the movie?" if the answer is yes then you will enjoy the show-if the answer is no, don't bother. they somehow managed to include almost every scene from the movie with most of the same dialogue and in terms of songs a lot of the dialogue from the movie was just put into song form. The show moves along nicely and you don't get lost anywhere, very smooth transitions, clever staging etc. Bad story in the first place, I'm sorry the audience was mainly made up of people involved in the show in some way(including friends and family of cast members) and they still ddidn't respond that well to the jokes and things. Not to mentiopn it is disturbing as hell to see Kerry Butler playing such a bad ass , you see A LOT of skin and simulated sex(of course) and she is just acting really raunchy and naughty as a whole. Jeff Mcarthy was a great sherrif, wasn't too impressed with his vocie and Karen Ziemba of course made a great Lucia and David Burtka a good Matt. Basically, everyone played their characters the exact same way they were in the movie, so I really can't say too much in terms of acting choices. The only part I really enjoyed was the very end wwhere it seemed like people got real, although it was an odd way to end the show, just Deede going like"go away" at the audience and then that is the end.
3. The curtain call-no standing ovations, minimal cheering so much so that the actors didn't know if they should take a second bow b/c the applause ddidn't really warrant it.
4. I accidentally was sitting next to the shows creators and I guess maybe speaking a little too loudly to my friend about some of the parts I didn't like, I hope they didn't hear me.
5. If the show ever goes to Broadway which I must say I have a really hard time beleiving it will as it so raunchy and so bad on the whole,but if it ever does they better get a theater where people cannot see so closely because I was in the third row(the magic is an incredibly intimate theatre, like I was practically conversation distance away) and I did not believe for a second that Deedee anywhere under 21- I would have had a hard time even buying 21.
Anyway, final impressions: I was really disappointed, I thought the show was just pretty bad and there was no belting and I'm sorry if you are not gonna make your songs cathcy and tuneful at least you should make them have the shi* belted out of them....
Oh well, was anyone else in the audience, what did you think?
-------Edited Post---------
Oct. 2-Turns out I had to go see it again and I don't know exactly what it was but I catually ended up liking it this time. There was belting this time, some of the songs were re-arranged, I think a couple were added, better acting more jokes. I think some people were in better vocal health also, I won't say exactly who but some people were not sounding very good during the first couple of previews. Overall, I eat my words and I liked it.
1. I got to see them rehearse a little before the show which was cool cause I went in as a big Kerry Butler fan, and I stood not 3 feet away from her and smiled as she looked so nervous and cute trying to make sure she would remember everything.
2. The show starts and basically people, if you are deciding whether or not to see the show ask yourself this"Did I like the movie?" if the answer is yes then you will enjoy the show-if the answer is no, don't bother. they somehow managed to include almost every scene from the movie with most of the same dialogue and in terms of songs a lot of the dialogue from the movie was just put into song form. The show moves along nicely and you don't get lost anywhere, very smooth transitions, clever staging etc. Bad story in the first place, I'm sorry the audience was mainly made up of people involved in the show in some way(including friends and family of cast members) and they still ddidn't respond that well to the jokes and things. Not to mentiopn it is disturbing as hell to see Kerry Butler playing such a bad ass , you see A LOT of skin and simulated sex(of course) and she is just acting really raunchy and naughty as a whole. Jeff Mcarthy was a great sherrif, wasn't too impressed with his vocie and Karen Ziemba of course made a great Lucia and David Burtka a good Matt. Basically, everyone played their characters the exact same way they were in the movie, so I really can't say too much in terms of acting choices. The only part I really enjoyed was the very end wwhere it seemed like people got real, although it was an odd way to end the show, just Deede going like"go away" at the audience and then that is the end.
3. The curtain call-no standing ovations, minimal cheering so much so that the actors didn't know if they should take a second bow b/c the applause ddidn't really warrant it.
4. I accidentally was sitting next to the shows creators and I guess maybe speaking a little too loudly to my friend about some of the parts I didn't like, I hope they didn't hear me.
5. If the show ever goes to Broadway which I must say I have a really hard time beleiving it will as it so raunchy and so bad on the whole,but if it ever does they better get a theater where people cannot see so closely because I was in the third row(the magic is an incredibly intimate theatre, like I was practically conversation distance away) and I did not believe for a second that Deedee anywhere under 21- I would have had a hard time even buying 21.
Anyway, final impressions: I was really disappointed, I thought the show was just pretty bad and there was no belting and I'm sorry if you are not gonna make your songs cathcy and tuneful at least you should make them have the shi* belted out of them....
Oh well, was anyone else in the audience, what did you think?
-------Edited Post---------
Oct. 2-Turns out I had to go see it again and I don't know exactly what it was but I catually ended up liking it this time. There was belting this time, some of the songs were re-arranged, I think a couple were added, better acting more jokes. I think some people were in better vocal health also, I won't say exactly who but some people were not sounding very good during the first couple of previews. Overall, I eat my words and I liked it.
"I guess she is one very confident girl who feels if you see it, it shall be.
I hope she sees a room with a piano player and a bunch of scary middle-aged queens sitting behind a table, talking to each other as she auditions!!"
-Marc Shaiman on Kelly Osbourne in Hairspray
Updated On: 10/3/04 at 03:19 AM
I hope it gets better. Maybe it would have been very very good if the creators heard you! Then they would be getting feedback on things that needed to be changed. What things that you saiddo you think they heard?
