"Hairspray: Live!"
With another December, comes yet another one of NBC's live musicals. Last year, NBC put on "The Wiz", which blew us all away. Then, a month later, FOX puts on "Grease: Live", which almost put NBC's previous three live musicals to shame. After "Grease" (one show I don't like), I wondered what NBC was going to do 11 months from then to top that. Then sometime after that (maybe even before, I don't remember), NBC announced they were going to do "Hairspray". I wasn't initially excited for "Hairspray" because I am not that huge a fan of the show. It's not a bad show, it's just always been on the more "meh" side to me. In the original stage show, I think the songs are very good, but all the scenes were too long and dragged out, making for a rather boring night in the theatre, whenever they weren't singing. Then, the cast announcements started to roll out for "Hairspray: Live!" Harvey Fierstein reprising his Tony award winning performance, Jennifer Hudson, Kristin Chenoweth, Ephriam Sykes...with those people involved it was very easy for me to get excited for this production. I thought "Hairspray Live" was great. I went in expecting to be bored like I am with the original "Hairspray", but I came out very impressed with the show.
"Hairspray" is the story of a plus sized, teenage Baltimore girl, named Tracy Turnblad who's dream is to dance on the Corny Collins Show, a local dance show. The year is 1962, and segregation is at it's unfortunate height. Once Tracy gets on the show, her dream is to integrate the show, and for everyone to dance together. In the mix of all of this, Tracy works hard for the affection of the show's heartthrob, Link Larkin. Also in the mix are Tracy's best friend, Penny, her love interest Seaweed, Tracy's mother, Edna, Velma von Tussle (The producer of "The Corny Collins Show) and her daughter, Amber von Tussle (A dancer on the show), who our antagonists.
Throughout the show, you can tell the teleplay writer, Harvey Fierstein, did a lot of tightening up in the script. None of the scenes felt as dragged out as they normally would, and it really contributed a lot to the show's overall entertainment value and did a better job holding my attention than the original show did. Most, if not all of the scenes, just felt shorter in general. They also cut one of the songs that I do not like, so that was great for me.
Selected from an opening casting call in which over a thousand girls attended, newcomer, Maddie Ballio played the role of Tracy Turnblad. At the beginning of the show, you could tell she was nervous, and got a little choked up during the opening number, "Good Morning Baltimore". By the second scene, Ballio didn't miss a beat. She did a really wonderful job playing the role and although I don't know her, I was very proud of her. One can only imagine the incredible honor and pressure of doing something of this scale, especially when it is your first professional theatre job.
Harvey Fierstein absolutely killed it as Edna Turnblad, as we all knew he would. I LOVED Dove Cameron (Amber), Garrett Clayton (Link), Derek Hough (Corny Collins), Andrea Martin (Prudy, Penny's mother), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Little Inez, Seaweed's younger sister), and Martin Short (Wilbur Turnblad, Tracy's father) in their roles. The other supporting roles were also well cast. Ariana Grande was quite good as Penny, although I couldn't understand a word she said in the curtain call song. Jennifer Hudson was just phenomenal as Motormouth Maybelle (Seaweed and Little Inez's mother). Her performance of the big 11'o clock number "I Know Where I've Been" was just spectacular. Hudson's performance was very well seasoned and emotional, she was perfect for that role. Kristin Chenoweth was also fantastic in the role of Velma von Tussle. She really stole the show with her big number "Miss Balitmore Crabs", which is normally a song I wouldn't like. It just goes to show that Kristin Chenoweth can do anything and I'll enjoy it.
I also have to give major props to Ephriam Sykes, who was excellent as Seaweed. Sykes has been an ensemblist in a few Broadway shows ("Hamilton" included, in which he played the role of George Eacker, the man who causes us to cry in the middle of the night), but this was the first time we actually got to SEE him take the spotlight, and not just as an understudy or in a small ensemble role.
I think that this version of "Hairspray" is the definitive version of "Hairspray". They fixed what needed to be fixed and it worked and flowed much better than the original stage show. The story and message of "Hairspray" is very relevant today and it is one that needs to be heard. Now, we wait for the 2017 live musical which is going to be "Bye, Bye, Bridie", starring Jennifer Lopez. Each year, NBC steps up their live musical game, so let's see what happens with that one.
"HAIRSPRAY: LIVE!" was directed by Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinki, with choreography by Jerry Mitchell. The cast consisted of:
Tracy Turnblad- MADDIE BALLIO
Amber von Tussle- DOVE CAMERON
Velma von Tussle- KRISTIN CHENOWETH
Link Larkin- GARRETT CLAYTON
Edna Turnbald- HARVEY FIERSTEIN
Penny Lou Pingleton- ARIANA GRANDE
Corny Collins- DEREK HOUGH
Motormouth Maybelle- JENNIFER HUDSON
Little Inez- SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH
Wilbur Turnblad- MARTIN SHORT
Seaweed J. Stubbs- EPHRIAM SYKES
Harrmain F. Spritzer- PAUL VOGT
News Reporter- BILLY EICHNER
Mr. Pinky- SEAN HAYES
Prudy Pingleton- ANDREA MARTIN
Gym Teacher- ROSIE O'DONNELL
"Hairspray" is the story of a plus sized, teenage Baltimore girl, named Tracy Turnblad who's dream is to dance on the Corny Collins Show, a local dance show. The year is 1962, and segregation is at it's unfortunate height. Once Tracy gets on the show, her dream is to integrate the show, and for everyone to dance together. In the mix of all of this, Tracy works hard for the affection of the show's heartthrob, Link Larkin. Also in the mix are Tracy's best friend, Penny, her love interest Seaweed, Tracy's mother, Edna, Velma von Tussle (The producer of "The Corny Collins Show) and her daughter, Amber von Tussle (A dancer on the show), who our antagonists.
Throughout the show, you can tell the teleplay writer, Harvey Fierstein, did a lot of tightening up in the script. None of the scenes felt as dragged out as they normally would, and it really contributed a lot to the show's overall entertainment value and did a better job holding my attention than the original show did. Most, if not all of the scenes, just felt shorter in general. They also cut one of the songs that I do not like, so that was great for me.
Selected from an opening casting call in which over a thousand girls attended, newcomer, Maddie Ballio played the role of Tracy Turnblad. At the beginning of the show, you could tell she was nervous, and got a little choked up during the opening number, "Good Morning Baltimore". By the second scene, Ballio didn't miss a beat. She did a really wonderful job playing the role and although I don't know her, I was very proud of her. One can only imagine the incredible honor and pressure of doing something of this scale, especially when it is your first professional theatre job.
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| Maddie Ballio (Tracy Turnblad), Jennifer Hudson (Motormouth Maybelle), Harvey Fierstein (Edna Turnblad), and the cast of "Hairspray: Live" preforming "You Can't Stop the Beat" |
Harvey Fierstein absolutely killed it as Edna Turnblad, as we all knew he would. I LOVED Dove Cameron (Amber), Garrett Clayton (Link), Derek Hough (Corny Collins), Andrea Martin (Prudy, Penny's mother), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Little Inez, Seaweed's younger sister), and Martin Short (Wilbur Turnblad, Tracy's father) in their roles. The other supporting roles were also well cast. Ariana Grande was quite good as Penny, although I couldn't understand a word she said in the curtain call song. Jennifer Hudson was just phenomenal as Motormouth Maybelle (Seaweed and Little Inez's mother). Her performance of the big 11'o clock number "I Know Where I've Been" was just spectacular. Hudson's performance was very well seasoned and emotional, she was perfect for that role. Kristin Chenoweth was also fantastic in the role of Velma von Tussle. She really stole the show with her big number "Miss Balitmore Crabs", which is normally a song I wouldn't like. It just goes to show that Kristin Chenoweth can do anything and I'll enjoy it.
I also have to give major props to Ephriam Sykes, who was excellent as Seaweed. Sykes has been an ensemblist in a few Broadway shows ("Hamilton" included, in which he played the role of George Eacker, the man who causes us to cry in the middle of the night), but this was the first time we actually got to SEE him take the spotlight, and not just as an understudy or in a small ensemble role.
I think that this version of "Hairspray" is the definitive version of "Hairspray". They fixed what needed to be fixed and it worked and flowed much better than the original stage show. The story and message of "Hairspray" is very relevant today and it is one that needs to be heard. Now, we wait for the 2017 live musical which is going to be "Bye, Bye, Bridie", starring Jennifer Lopez. Each year, NBC steps up their live musical game, so let's see what happens with that one.
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"HAIRSPRAY: LIVE!" was directed by Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinki, with choreography by Jerry Mitchell. The cast consisted of:
Tracy Turnblad- MADDIE BALLIO
Amber von Tussle- DOVE CAMERON
Velma von Tussle- KRISTIN CHENOWETH
Link Larkin- GARRETT CLAYTON
Edna Turnbald- HARVEY FIERSTEIN
Penny Lou Pingleton- ARIANA GRANDE
Corny Collins- DEREK HOUGH
Motormouth Maybelle- JENNIFER HUDSON
Little Inez- SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH
Wilbur Turnblad- MARTIN SHORT
Seaweed J. Stubbs- EPHRIAM SYKES
Harrmain F. Spritzer- PAUL VOGT
News Reporter- BILLY EICHNER
Mr. Pinky- SEAN HAYES
Prudy Pingleton- ANDREA MARTIN
Gym Teacher- ROSIE O'DONNELL
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