Hairspray the Musical

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Set in Baltimore, 1962, a less enlightened era, 16 year Tracy Turnblad is a big girl, with big hair, a big hair and big dreams...and all she wants to do is dance. What started as a cult John Waters movie in 1988, became a musical in 2002, with the tradition of the piece is that Edna Turnblad, one of the leading female characters, is always played by a man.

 

Hairspray Musical

WELCOME TO
THE 60s

 

Hairspray is a Broadway musical (with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan), based on the 1988 John Waters movie by the same name. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues. In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program (based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show). When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. She then launches a campaign to racially integrate the show. ''Hairspray'' is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s.

 

Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

Hairspray on Broadway Montage 

Hairspray Broadway Musical Tour Montage

Montage of Scenes from HAIRSPRAY the musical on Tour!

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Hairspray's original Broadway production opened in 2002 and won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations. As of April 2008, it has played for over 2,300 performances. Hairspray has also enjoyed U.S. national tours and numerous foreign productions and was adapted for a 2007 musical film. The London West End production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning for Best New Musical and in three other categories.
Contents

 

Hairspray Michael Ball Leanne Jones

Musical Numbers: 

Act I
* "Good Morning Baltimore" - Tracy and Company
* "The Nicest Kids in Town" - Corny and Council Members
* "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" - Edna, Tracy, Prudy, Penny, Velma, Amber, and Company
* "I Can Hear the Bells" - Tracy and Company
* "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs" - Velma and Council Members with Tracy, Penny, and Little Inez
* "The Madison" - Corny and Company
* "The Nicest Kids in Town (Reprise)" - Corny and Council Members
* "It Takes Two" - Link, Tracy, and Men
* "Velma's Revenge" - Velma
* "Welcome to the 60's" - Tracy, Edna, The Dynamites, and Company
* "Run and Tell That!" - Seaweed, Little Inez, and Detention Kids
* "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful" - Motormouth, Little Inez, Tracy, Edna, Wilbur, and Company


Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

Act II
* "The Big Dollhouse" - Matron, Edna, Velma, Tracy, Amber, Penny, Motormouth, Little Inez, Female Ensemble
* "Good Morning Baltimore (Reprise)" - Tracy
* "(You're) Timeless to Me" - Edna and Wilbur
* "Without Love" - Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, and Company
* "I Know Where I've Been" - Motormouth, Tracy, Nadine, and Company
* "(It's) Hairspray" - Corny and Council Members
* "Cooties" - Amber and Council Members
* "You Can't Stop the Beat" - Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Wilbur, Motormouth, Amber, Velma, and Company

Hairspray Official Cast Recording 

Hairspray (2002 Original Broadway Cast)

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 12/31/2009)Buy Now

The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful. I wholeheartedly recommend this CD for a bright and fun original cast recording. If you don't believe me, have a look at some of the videos on this page to have a listen for yourself.

 

Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

Hairspray (London) in Rehearsals 


Rehearsals Week 1

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Rehearsals Week 2

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Rehearsals Week 3

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Rehearsals Week 4

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Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

What The Critics Say: 

According to Variety, Hairspray received 13 favorable and 4 mixed reviews. Charles Isherwood, in his Variety review wrote: "...this sweet, infinitely spirited, bubblegum-flavored confection won't be lacking for buyers any time soon. Arriving in an aerosol fog of advance hype, it more than lives up to its promise." Ben Brantley wrote: "So what if it's more than a little pushy in its social preaching? Stocked with canny, deliriously tuneful songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and directed by Jack O'Brien with a common touch that stops short of vulgarity, 'Hairspray' is as sweet as a show can be without promoting tooth decay. ...[it] succeeds in recreating the pleasures of the old-fashioned musical comedy without seeming old-fashioned. ...Shaiman... is taking the infectious hooks and rhythms from period pop and R&B and translating them into the big, bouncy sound that Broadway demands.... And while the savvy arrangements... nod happily to Motown, Elvis, Lesley Gore ballads and standards like "Higher and Higher," the score's appeal isn't nostalgic. It's music that builds its own self-contained, improbably symmetrical world...." New York's Daily News wrote, "As Tracy, Marissa Jaret Winokur has the heft, the pipes and an enormously appealing stage presence. Her dancing may not be as special as the plot suggests, but she wins your heart... With this role, Fierstein places himself in the great line of Broadway divas."

 

Hairspray Leanne Jones



Meet Leanne Jones, who plays Tracy Turnblad (London) 

Leanne Jones

Hairspray The Musical - Interview with Leanne Jones playing Tracy Turnblad.

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Do you want to see Hairspray? 

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Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

Hairspray in a Paperback (of sorts) 

Hairspray: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Hit Broadway Musical (Applause Books)

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/31/2009)Buy Now

Want to know more about the Show? Wish you knew all the lyrics? Then, this book is for you

 

Hairspray Leanne Jones



Meet Michael Ball, who plays Edna Turnblad (London) 

Michael Ball

Hairspray The Musical:Interview with Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad

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Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

Hairspray Souvenir Companion Book 

Hairspray: The Roots

Amazon Price: (as of 12/31/2009)Buy Now

 

Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

Get Ready For A Sing-a-long... 

Here are the words...

Hairspray You can't stop the beat



Now sing along...

Hairspray at the Royal Variety Show 2007 

Hairspray the Musical at Royal Variety Performance 2007

London cast of Hairspray performing You Can't Stop the Beat. Featuring Leanne Jones, Ben Ellis, Michael Ball, Mel Smith and many more. Enjoy!!

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Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

Why I like Hairspray 

There came a time in the life of Musical theatre, where it was cool to be sad. the best shows seemed to be the ones that could move you...to the point of depression. Hairspray is the exact opposite. It's fun, bouncy, lively and to top it all off, the music is awesome! If you're feeling a bit low, all you have to do is put the soundtrack on and a smile can't help but creep onto your face. this has to go down in history as one of the great feel good shows. Once you've met Tracy Turnblad, you can't help but be touched by her good humour and sunny outlook on life, and as her dreams start to come true, you can't help but root for the larger than life girl. I can't recommend this show enough.

 

Broadway Cast Hairspray the Musical

 

Did you know...The Broadway version of Hairspray is based upon the John Waters film of the same title. Recently is 2007, a film musical was released, based on the stage musical version. So there has now been 3 generations of Hairspray...they all have slightly different storylines, but all have the same heart...it's all about Tracy Turnblad and her quest to dance.

Hairspray clips from the 2007 Movie 


Hairspray Trailer Movies: Upcoming New Musical

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Nikki Blonsky "You Can't Stop the Beat" Macy's Parade 2007

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Which Hairspray film do you prefer? 

Hairspray (Full-Screen Edition)

Hairspray (Full-Screen Edition)

It's 1962 and change is in the air in Baltimore. T more...0 points

Hairspray

Hairspray

Comedy in which two \""girls\"" more...0 points

Hairspray (Two-Disc Shake & Shimmy Edition)

Hairspray (Two-Disc Shake & Shimmy Edition)

It's 1962 and change is in the air in Baltimore. T more...0 points

 

Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

It's Debate Time... 

Recently, on Broadway, a lot of musicals have been created from pre-existing films, for instance, 'Legally Blonde - the Musical', 'The Producers' and of course 'Hairspray'...but is this the right way to go...

Is it 'OK' for Musicals to be based on films?

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Yes! If they are entertaining and fun, why not?

The_Homeopath says:

Absolutely! Entertainment shouldn't have set "rules".

Homeguide says:

Maybe, only if the musical is produced from an outstanding film

cappuccino136 says:

Any inspiration can work as long as it is done well. As long as the final result is a good show, I say that any source can be fair game.

MarcoG says:

I don't see a problem with it, ONLY if the music is exceptional and it works as a cohesive piece! Let's not have another 'Desperately Seeking Susan The Musical' - what? You haven't heard of that??...exactly (it lasted 2 weeks!)

No. It's boring and unoriginal

kab says:

I think there is too much recycling in entertainment as a whole. I would rather they convert books into shows rather than movies (new audience), but I don't think the shows themselves are bad.

 

 

Hairspray the MusicalHairspray

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by MarcoG

I am an artist who also works in theatre. You can read my blog here. If you have any theatre based lenses, feel free to join my theatricality group x (more)

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