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Hairspray (musical)

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Hairspray
Hairspray.jpg
Poster for the original Broadway production

Music
Marc Shaiman
Lyrics
Scott Wittman
Marc Shaiman
Book
Mark O'Donnell
Thomas Meehan
Basis
1988 film Hairspray
Productions
2002 Seattle Tryout
 2002 Broadway
 2003 US Tour
 2004 Toronto
 2006 Las Vegas
 2007 film
 2007 West End
 2008 Buenos Aires
 2010 UK Tour
 2010 Melbourne, Australia
 2011 Sydney, Australia
 2012 Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales, UK
 2012 Merzig, Germany
 2013 UK Tour
 2013 Montréal
Awards
Tony Award Best Musical
Tony Award Best Book
Tony Award Best Score
Drama Desk Outstanding Musical
Drama Desk Outstanding Book
Drama Desk Outstanding Music
 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical
Hairspray is a 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 film Hairspray. 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.[1] When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. She then launches a campaign to integrate the show. Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s.
The musical's original Broadway production opened on August 15th, 2002.
In 2003 it won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations. It ran for over 2,500 performances and closed on January 4, 2009.[2] Hairspray has also had national tours, a London West End production, and numerous foreign productions and was adapted as a 2007 musical film. The London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning for Best New Musical and in three other categories.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Background
2 Productions 2.1 Original Broadway production
2.2 Original London production
2.3 Original Australian production
2.4 National tours
2.5 Other productions
2.6 International productions
2.7 School adaptation
3 Synopsis 3.1 Act I
3.2 Act II
4 Principal roles and casts
5 Musical numbers 5.1 Score revisions and additional songs
6 Response 6.1 Critics
6.2 Box office and business
7 Adaptations
8 Awards and nominations 8.1 Original Broadway production
8.2 Original London production
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
Background[edit]
According to interviews included as an extra feature on the 2007 film's DVD release, theatre producer Margo Lion first conceived of Hairspray as a stage musical in 1998 after seeing a television broadcast of the original film. She contacted John Waters, who gave her his blessing, then acquired the rights from New Line Cinema. Lion contacted Marc Shaiman, who expressed interest in the project only if his partner Scott Wittman could participate, and Lion agreed. The two submitted three songs – one of which, "Good Morning Baltimore", eventually became the show's opening number. Based on their initial work, Lion felt confident that she had hired the right team.[3]
Lion contacted Rob Marshall about directing the musical. At the time he was involved in negotiations to direct the screen adaptation of Chicago, but he agreed to become involved in the early development stages of Hairspray with the stipulation he would drop out if assigned the film. Marshall remembered Marissa Jaret Winokur from her brief appearance in the film American Beauty and arranged a meeting with Shaiman and Wittman. The two immediately felt she was right for the role of Tracy Turnblad but hesitated to commit without seeing any other auditions. They hired Winokur to work with them on the project with the understanding she might be replaced later. One year later, Winokur was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Certain she would lose the role if the creative team learned about her condition, she underwent a hysterectomy without telling anyone but her immediate family. The treatment and surgery succeeded, and Winokur returned to the project.[4] Meanwhile, Marshall had started work on Chicago, and Lion hired Jack O'Brien and Jerry Mitchell to direct and to choreograph, respectively. Winokur was one of the first to audition for the role of Tracy Turnblad and spent two years preparing with voice and dance lessons.[5] Tracy's mother had been portrayed by Divine in the original film, and Shaiman liked the idea of maintaining the tradition of casting a male as Edna Turnblad. Harvey Fierstein auditioned for the role with a "half hour vocal audition". He thought they were "pacifying" him, but he was told "they don't want anyone but you".[6]
According to Shaiman, one song, "I Know Where I've Been", became controversial during the genesis of the score:
"This was ... inspired by a scene late in the [1988] movie that takes place on the black side of town. It never dawned on us that a torrent of protest would follow us from almost everyone involved with the show. 'It's too sad. ... It's too preachy. ... It doesn't belong. ... Tracy should sing the eleven o’clock number.' We simply didn't want our show to be yet another show-biz version of a civil rights story where the black characters are just background. And what could be more Tracy Turnblad-like than to give the 'eleven o'clock number' to the black family at the heart of the struggle? Luckily ... the audiences embraced this moment, which enriches the happy ending to follow, and it is our proudest achievement of the entire experience of writing Hairspray."[7]
Productions[edit]
Original Broadway production[edit]
After a successful tryout at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, Hairspray opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on August 15, 2002.[8] The production was directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, with set design by David Rockwell, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Steve C. Kennedy, and the many distinctive wigs in the show by Paul Huntley. The original Broadway cast included Marissa Jaret Winokur and Harvey Fierstein in the lead roles of Tracy and Edna respectively. The cast also featured Matthew Morrison as Link, Laura Bell Bundy as Amber, Kerry Butler as Penny, Linda Hart as Velma, Mary Bond Davis as Motormouth Maybelle, Corey Reynolds as Seaweed, Jackie Hoffman as Female Authority Figure and Dick Latessa as Wilbur. The Dynamites were played by Kamilah Marshall, Shayna Steele and Judine Richard.
Hairspray received Tony Award nominations in 12 categories, winning eight, including for best musical, book, score and direction. Winokur, Fierstein and Latessa received awards for their performances. The production ran for more than six years, closing on January 4, 2009 after 2,642 performances.[2] Fierstein and Winokur returned to the cast for the final performances.[9][10]
Original London production[edit]
The West End production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on October 11, 2007 for previews before its official opening on October 30. Michael Ball played Edna, with Mel Smith as Wilbur Turnblad, newcomer Leanne Jones as Tracy, Tracie Bennett as Velma, Paul Manuel as Corny Collins, Rachael Wooding as Amber, Elinor Collett as Penny, and Ben James-Ellis as Link. The original creative team of the Broadway production, with director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, reunited for the London production.[11] The show garnered a record-setting eleven Olivier Award nominations[12] and won for Best New Musical, as well as acting awards for Best Actress and Actor in a musical (Jones and Ball).[13] The production closed on March 28, 2010 after a run of nearly two-and-a-half years and over 1,000 performances.[14]
Original Australian production[edit]
An Australian production of Hairspray opened in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre on October 2, 2010 to critical acclaim.[15] It was directed by David Atkins and choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance Australia judge Jason Coleman.[16] The show moved to Sydney from June 23, 2011. The cast includes Jaz Flowers as Tracy, Trevor Ashley as Edna, Jack Chambers as Link, and Tevin Campbell reprising his role from the Broadway production as Seaweed J. Stubbs. Atkins redesigned the production using new technologies.[17] The set uses enormous LED screens, which move around the stage in various combinations, as the characters interact with animated landscapes generated across the screens.[18] The musical opened at Sydney's Lyric Theatre at The Star Casino on 11 June 2011 and closed on 9 October 2011, ending its Australian run.
National tours[edit]
The First U.S. national tour started in September 2003 in Baltimore and ended in June 2006.[19] It starred Carly Jibson as Tracy, Bruce Vilanch as Edna, Terron Brooks as Seaweed, Sandra DeNise as Penny, Susan Cella as Velma, and Ramona Cole (soon replaced by Charlotte Crossley) as Motormouth Maybelle.[20] When the tour stopped in Los Angeles, Winokur reprised her role as Tracy, together with the original Broadway Link, Matthew Morrison.[21]
In July 2006, a non-Equity U.S. and Asian tour opened in Atlantic City's Harrah's Casino. The shorter "casino version" was used for a six-week run, but when the tour moved on, it continued with the full version of the show minus the character of Lorraine. The production starred Brooklynn Pulver as Tracy, Jerry O'Boyle as Edna, Dan Ferretti as Wilbur, Constantine Rousouli as Link, Christian Dante White as Seaweed, Alyssa Malgeri as Penny, Jarret Mallon as Corny, Happy McPartlin as Velma, Pearl Thomas as Amber and Yvette Clark as Motormouth Maybelle. Th tour played sit down engagements in Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. It played its final performance on April 25, 2010 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, California.[22]
After the West End production closed, Hairspray began touring the UK and Ireland, starting at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on April 7, 2010, following previews from March 30. The tour stars Michael Ball, Brian Conley and Michael Starke alternating as Edna, Les Dennis, Nigel Planer and Micky Dolenz alternating as Wilbur and Laurie Scarth as Tracy.[23]
It was recently announced that Hairspray will Tour the UK and Ireland in 2013. The show will open on February 13 in The Lowry Theatre in Manchester with Mark Benton playing Edna Turnblad. Lucy Benjamin playing Velma Von Tussle, Marcus Collins as Seaweed Stubbs and Freya Sutton as Tracy Turnblad, respectively. Further casting to be announced soon.[24]
Other productions[edit]
Las Vegas
A Las Vegas production ran at the Luxor Hotel in 2006 starring Katrina Rose Dideriksen as Tracy, Austin Miller as Link, and Fierstein and Latessa reprising their roles as Edna and Wilbur. This ninety-minute version was played in one act. Cut songs included "The Big Dollhouse", "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs", "Velma's Revenge", "Good Morning Baltimore (Reprise)", and "Cooties".[25]
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International presents the show on their new ship MS Oasis of the Seas, which made its maiden sail in December 2009. The show is performed in the ship's 1350 seat Opal Theater three or four times on each seven-night cruise.
Hollywood Bowl
A production at the Hollywood Bowl ran from August 5–7, 2011, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.[26] Original Broadway cast members Fierstein and Winokur reprised their roles as Edna and Tracy Turnblad. The cast also featured Corbin Bleu (Seaweed J. Stubbs), Drew Carey (Wilbur), Diana DeGarmo (Penny), Mo Gaffney (Prudy and others), Nick Jonas (Link Larkin), Darlene Love (Motormouth Maybelle), Susan Anton (Velma Von Tussle) and John Stamos (Corny Collins).[27][28]
US regional premiere The Riverton Arts Council in Riverton Utah Preformend the US regional premiere at the Sandra N. Lloyd Performing Arts Center July 30-Aug. 21 2010
International productions[edit]
The first international production opened in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre in April 2004 and ran for 245 performances. Vanessa Olivarez, a former American Idol contestant, starred as Tracy, and Jay Brazeau starred as Edna.[29] Stephanie Pitsiladis, cast as the standby for Vanessa, is the first Canadian to have portrayed the role of Tracy Turnblad.
A South African production opened in Johannesburg in October 2007 with the original direction and choreography recreated by Matt Lenz and Greg Graham. New set and costume designs were by Michael Bottari and Ronald Case.[30][31] A production in Buenos Aires, Argentina, opened on July 16, 2008 starring Enrique Pinti as Edna. The role of Tracy was cast through a reality-competition show called Yo Quiero Ser la Protagonista de Hairspray (I Want to Be Hairspray's Protagonist).[32]
On November 14, 2008, a production of Hairspray in Manila in the Philippines, starring Madel Ching as Tracy and Michael de Mesa as Edna. The production closed on December 7, 2008.[33] On July 10, 2009, a Brazilian production opened in Rio de Janeiro, starring Simone Gutierrez as Tracy and Edson Celulari as Edna. A 2010 Brazilian tour stopped in São Paulo, Brasilia, Curitiba and Porto Alegre.[citation needed]
A Dutch production ran during the 2009/2010 season. Edna Turnblad was played by Arjan Ederveen and Link was Jim Bakkum (runner-up in the first season of the Dutch American Idol).[citation needed] On December 6, 2009 a German production opened in Cologne. Edna is played alternately by Uwe Ochsenknecht and comedian Tetje Mierendorf. Tracy is played by Maite Kelly, former member of The Kelly Family and Penny is Jana Stelley. The first production of Hairspray in the German language, however, took place at the Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland.[citation needed] A re-creation of the Broadway/Wast End production of the show opened in Dubai in July 2010 with Leanne Jones, from the West End production, reprising her role as Tracy and Antony Stuart-Hicks as Edna.[34]
Other productions opened in Canada, Finland, Japan, South Korea,[35] Italy, St. Gallen, Switzerland (in German) and Brazil.[36] The musical also played in Shanghai, China, at the Shanghai Grand Theatre in July 2008[37] and Stockholm, Sweden in September 2008.[citation needed] Other productions are planned for France, Israel, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Mexico.[38] Hairspray has been translated into German, Finnish, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese and French.
In Perú, the musical will be released on 14 May 2012 starring Sergio Galliani, Jesús Neyra, Gisela Ponce de León, Rossana Fernández-Maldonado, Bettina Oneto and Oriana Cicconi.[39]
In Germany, a production of Hairspray, directed by Andreas Gergen and choreographed by Danny Costello, will premiere in Munich on July 4, 2012, and in Merzig on July 27. The cast includes Uwe Kröger as Edna Turnblad and Conny Braun as Tracy Turnblad.[40]



 Aberystwyth production poster
A production of Hairspray, directed and choreographed by Anthony Williams, will be produced by the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth, UK in the Summer of 2012. The creative team for the production includes musical director Michael Morwood, set designer Ali Allen, and sound designer Martyn J Hunt. It will run from July 2012 to September 2012. The cast includes Andrew Agnew as Edna Turnblad, Jenny O’Leary as Tracy Turnblad, Morgan Crowley as Wilbur Turnblad, and Lori Haley Fox as Velma Van Tussle.
Hairspray will premiere in New Zealand in August 2012 at the Opera House, Wellington.
In 2011 the amateur rights to Hairspray opened in Australia, resulting in over a dozen amateur productions within 12 months of each other within Melbourne alone, beginning with the Australian Amateur Premiere of SLAMS MTC's Production of Hairspray which opened in March 2011 at the Mahon Theatre starring Lucy Johnson as Tracy Turnblad, Joel Batalha as Edna Turnblad, Felicity Eastwood as Motormouth Maybell and Daniel Solomon as Link Larkin. The show received some negative feedback for colour blind casting resulting in fair skinned actors portraying African American characters, however this was stated to be due to an extremely poor turnout of dark skinned auditionees.
School adaptation[edit]
In August 2008, the British television channel Sky 1 began broadcasting Hairspray: The School Musical, which followed the development of a North London comprehensive school's production of Hairspray from audition to performance, with input from various actors and creatives, including members of the Broadway production team and the West End cast.[41]
The first amateur MTI production was produced at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts in the summer of 2008.
Bedford Girls' School returned to the London theatre version of Hairspray for their performances on February 8 and 9 2013.
Synopsis[edit]
Setting: Baltimore, Maryland, June 1962
Act I[edit]
As “pleasantly plump” teenager Tracy Turnblad lies in bed, she muses about her love for her hometown, her love of dancing, and her desire to be famous (“Good Morning Baltimore”). She goes to school and is given a warning for "inappropriate hair height". After school, Tracy rushes home with her best friend, Penny, to catch the local teenage dance show, The Corny Collins Show (“The Nicest Kids in Town”). Edna, Tracy’s shy and plus-sized mother, is ironing and complains about the noise of the music coming from the television, while Penny’s mother, Prudy complains about it being race music. After an announcement that auditions for a place on the show will be held,due to the fact that Brenda (one of the Corny Collins Council Members)leaves the show due to being pregnant. Tracy begs her mother for permission to audition. Edna, fearing that Tracy will be laughed at due to her weight, refuses. Penny and Amber (the main dancer on The Corny Collins Show) have similar arguments with their mothers ("Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now").
After gaining permission and support from her father, Wilbur, Tracy auditions for the show and bumps into teenage heartthrob, Link Larkin, which leads into a dream sequence ("I Can Hear the Bells"). Velma Von Tussle, the racist producer of The Corny Collins Show, rejects Tracy from the audition because of her size ("(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs"), as well as refusing a black girl, Little Inez. Back at school, Tracy is sent to detention for her "monumental hair-don't". There she meets black dancer, Seaweed J. Stubbs (the son of the host of "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show, Motormouth Maybelle), who teaches her several dance moves. She uses the new dance steps at the Sophomore Hop the following day to introduce herself to Corny Collins ("The Madison"). When Corny sees how well Tracy can dance, he gives her a place on the show ("The Nicest Kids in Town" (Reprise)). During the broadcast, Link, following Corny’s suggestion, sings "It Takes Two" to Tracy, much to Amber’s dismay. After the show, Mr. Spritzer, the show’s worrisome sponsor, appeals to Velma over Tracy’s appointment to the Council. Velma, threatening to fire Corny from the show, is eventually left distraught and determines to ruin Tracy ("Velma’s Revenge"). At the Turnblad house, Edna is receiving calls from fans who saw Tracy on the show. A call comes in from Mr. Pinky, the owner of a plus-size dress shop, for an endorsement. Tracy pleads with her mother to come with her and to act as her agent although Edna has not left their apartment in years. Finally making it outside, Edna is given a huge makeover, as she is told, ("Welcome to the 60's") and Tracy becomes the spokes-girl for the shop. At school, signs of Tracy’s fame are evident in the schoolyard, with graffiti on the walls and another Council Member sporting Tracy’s signature hairdo. During a game of dodge ball, a jealous Amber knocks Tracy out, and Link rushes to her side. Penny and Seaweed, who have developed a liking for each other, rush to fetch the school nurse, only to find her out sick. Seaweed, suggesting that some fun would make Tracy feel better, invites all of them to his mother’s record shop for a platter party ("Run and Tell That!"). At the shop, Tracy rallies everyone to march against the station on the following day’s Mother-Daughter Day, as blacks are not allowed on the show except for the monthly Negro Day. Before they start, Motormouth Maybelle convinces the initially reluctant Edna and Wilbur to march as well. During the protest, led by Motormouth, Velma calls the police and fights break out. When the police arrive on the scene, almost everyone is arrested ("Big, Blonde, and Beautiful").
Act II[edit]
After the march, most of the women are locked up in a women's penitentiary ("The Big Dollhouse"). Because of Velma’s dirty tactics, the governor pardons and releases both her and Amber. Wilbur bails out the remaining people, excluding Tracy who is forced to remain in jail through another one of Velma’s manipulations. Tracy is alone and wishes that Link could be with her ("Good Morning Baltimore" (Reprise)). Back at the Har-De-Har Hut (Wilbur's joke shop), Wilbur and Edna are left destitute because of the money it cost them to bail everyone out and with Tracy still in prison. Edna sympathizes with her daughter’s dream – she had dreamt of making her “own line of queen-sized dress patterns”. She and Wilbur reminisce about their past and how they can never be parted from each other (“(You’re) Timeless to Me”).
During the night, Link sneaks into the jail where he finds Tracy in solitary confinement. As Link and Tracy reunite, Penny’s mother, Prudy, punishes Penny for “going to jail without her permission” and ties her up in her bedroom where Seaweed comes to her rescue. Both couples declare their love for one another ("Without Love"). After escaping from their respective prisons, the couples seek refuge at Motormouth Maybelle’s Record Shop. Tracy thinks that it is unfair that after all of their hard work, The Corny Collins Show is still segregated. They devise a plan to help integrate the show, and Motormouth remembers their long fight for equality ("I Know Where I’ve Been").
On the day of the Miss Teenage Hairspray competition, Corny Collins starts the show with a song ("(It’s) Hairspray"). Amber shows off her talents in a bid to get more votes from the viewers ("Cooties"). Just as the results are about to be announced, Tracy (whose hair is straightened as a sign of her "non-conformity to the man") takes over the stage, and is joined by Link, Penny (now transformed from drool to cool), Seaweed, Edna, Wilbur, Little Inez, and Motormouth. Tracy is declared the winner of the competition and Corny declares The Corny Collins Show to finally be racially integrated. When all is announced, Mr. Spritzer runs onstage thrilled with the public’s response to the telecast and announces that the governor has pardoned Tracy and he offers Link a recording contract and Motormouth the position of vice president of Ultra Glow – beauty products for women of color. Prudy arrives at the station and, seeing how happy Penny is with Seaweed, accepts her daughter for who she is. At the height of the moment, the company invites Amber and Velma to join the celebration. With the station in joyous celebration, Tracy and Link cement their love with a kiss ("You Can’t Stop the Beat").
Principal roles and casts[edit]
Principal roles and casts of major productions of stage productions of Hairspray

Character
Description
Original Broadway Actor/Actress
Notable Broadway Replacements
Original West End Actor/Actress
Notable West End Replacements
Original Australian Actor/Actress
Tracy Turnblad A "pleasantly plump" teenager, who dreams of fame and fights to racially integrate The Corny Collins Show. Marissa Jaret Winokur Kathy Brier
Carly Jibson
Shannon Durig
Marissa Perry Leanne Jones Chloe Hart Charlotte Riby Jaz Flowersbr>(Kirby Lunn - Cover)
Edna Turnblad Tracy's kind, plus-sized mother – a drag role. Edna runs a laundry business out of her home. Harvey Fierstein Michael McKean
Bruce Vilanch
John Pinette
 Blake Hammond
Paul Vogt
George Wendt Michael Ball Brian Conley
Phill Jupitus
Michael Starke
Mark Benton Trevor Ashley
Amber Von Tussle Bratty, selfish resident princess of The Corny Collins Show, despite her lack of talent. She is willing to do anything to win the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant. Laura Bell Bundy Becky Gulsvig
Haylie Duff
Tara Macri
Ashley Spencer
Aubrey O'Day
 Rachael Wooding Zoe Rainey
Nicola Brazil Renee Armstrong
Velma Von Tussle Amber's scheming mother and producer of The Corny Collins Show, who pushes her daughter to seek the stardom that she never had. Linda Hart
Liz Larsen
Barbara Walsh
Isabel Keating
Michele Pawk
Mary Birdsong
Karen Mason Tracie Bennett Liz Robertson
Belinda Carlisle
Siobhán McCarthy
Lucy Benjamin Marney McQueen
Penny Pingleton Tracy's slightly dorky, devoted and perky best friend. Kerry Butler Jennifer Gambatese
Diana DeGarmo
Caissie Levy
Alexa Vega
 Elinor Collett Verity Rushworth Esther Hannaford
Link Larkin A teenage heartthrob and one of The Corny Collins Show Council Members, who falls in love with Tracy. Matthew Morrison Richard H. Blake
Andrew Rannells
Ashley Parker Angel
Aaron Tveit
 Ben James-Ellis Liam Tamne Jack Chambers
Motormouth Maybelle The owner of a downtown record shop and the host of "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show, self-described as "big, blonde and beautiful". Mary Bond Davis Darlene Love
Jenifer Lewis
 Charlotte Crossley Johnnie Fiori Sandra Marvin
Sharon D Clarke Cle Morgan
Seaweed J. Stubbs A hip "Negro Day" dancer and the son of Motormouth Maybelle who falls in love with Penny. Corey Reynolds Chester Gregory II
Tevin Campbell Adrian Hansel  Tevin Campbell
Wilbur Turnblad Tracy’s goofy father, who owns the Har-De-Har Hut joke shop and is still madly in love with his wife, Edna. He encourages Tracy to follow her dreams. Dick Latessa Jere Burns
Jerry Mathers
Jim J. Bullock
Stephen DeRosa Mel Smith Ian Talbot
Nigel Planer
Micky Dolenz Grant Piro
Corny Collins The eccentric and cocky host of The Corny Collins Show. Clarke Thorell Lance Bass
Jonathan Dokuchitz
Blake Currie Paul Manuel Gavin Alex Scott Irwin
Little Inez Seaweed's younger sister, who tries to audition for The Corny Collins Show but is turned away because she is black. Danielle Eugenia Wilson Naturi Naughton Natalie Best Raquel Jones Nancy Denis
Female Authority Figure The Matron guarding The Big Dollhouse; the Gym Teacher; and Prudy Pingleton, Penny's overprotective and often close-minded mother. Jackie Hoffman Julie Halston
Susan Mosher Wendy Somerville  Jacqui Rae
Male Authority Figure Mr. Pinky, owner of Mr. Pinky's Hefty Hideaway who gives Tracy and Edna a makeover; Principal of Patterson Park High School; and Mr. Harriman F. Spritzer, the President of Ultra Clutch Joel Vig
 Blake Hammond
Jim J. Bullock
Kevin Meaney Dermot Canavan 
Musical numbers[edit]
Main article: Hairspray (2002 album)
Act I"Good Morning Baltimore" – Tracy and Ensemble
"The Nicest Kids in Town" – Corny and Council Members
"Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now" – Edna, Tracy, Prudy, Penny, Velma, Amber, and Female Ensemble
"I Can Hear the Bells" – Tracy and Ensemble
"(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 Council Guys
"Velma’s Revenge"† – Velma
"Welcome to the '60s" – Tracy, Edna, The Dynamites, and Ensemble
"Run and Tell That!" – Seaweed, Little Inez, and Detention Kids
"Big, Blonde, and Beautiful" – Motormouth, Little Inez, Tracy, Edna, Wilbur, and Company
 Act II"The Big Dollhouse" – Matron, Edna, Velma, Tracy, Amber, Penny, Motormouth, Little Inez, and Female Ensemble
"Good Morning Baltimore (Reprise)" – Tracy
"(You’re) Timeless to Me" – Edna and Wilbur
"(You're) Timeless to Me (Reprise)" - Edna and Wilbur
"Without Love" – Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, and Ensemble
"I Know Where I’ve Been" – Motormouth and Ensemble
"(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, Velma, Amber, and Ensemble
†Not on the cast recording.

Score revisions and additional songs[edit]
Hairspray went through several revisions before and during its pre-Broadway run in Seattle, in the process eliminating and replacing several musical numbers. One of such songs, an infomercial about safety on the road titled "Blood on the Pavement", followed "The Nicest Kids in Town", and is included on the cast album. In early revisions, various songs, including "The Status Quo" and "Velma’s Cha-Cha" (its short reprise replaced by “Rage,” in turn dropped in favor of “Velma’s Revenge”), were used during Tracy’s audition and dismissal, but the team instead optioned for "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs", as the audience did not like seeing Tracy being verbally attacked after "I Can Hear the Bells".[42] After the auditions, there was a scene in the Har-De-Har Hut in which Wilbur tried to cheer up Tracy after her rejection,[43] singing that "It Doesn't Get Better than This". Later replaced by the similar "Positivity", the scene was later cut early in the Seattle tryout as it was deemed emotionally redundant.
After Tracy eventually made it on the show, there was a song "The New Girl in Town", which was sung first by the Council girls and later by the black Girls. Although later cut early during the Seattle tryout, it was included in the 2007 movie and appears in the show’s instrumental score.[44] "The Mother-Daughter Cha-Cha-Cha" was another cut number that originally followed "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful". Later, the writers absorbed the protest rally and Mother-Daughter Day into the number, thus deleting the song and folding the sequence into a single scene.[45] A song called "Step on Up" was also cut in favor of "I Know Where I’ve Been".[46] Early on in the genesis of the show, the plot involved a "Miss Auto Show" competition, as in the 1988 film, instead of "Miss Teenage Hairspray". For this competition, later revised due to the cost of cars onstage, there was a song called "Take a Spin" sung by Corny in the place where “(It’s) Hairspray” is now.[47] After Amber’s rendition of "Cooties", Tracy had a song before the finale called "It Ain’t Over ’Til the Fat Lady Sings," though, it was cut after the third reading of the show; it was included as a track on the Special Edition of the 2007 motion picture's soundtrack.[48]
Response[edit]
Critics[edit]
According to Variety, Hairspray received thirteen favorable and four mixed reviews.[49] Charles Isherwood, in his Variety Magazine 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."[50] 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...."[51] 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."[52]
Box office and business[edit]
Hairspray opened with a $12 million advance; after the Tony Awards show (in June 2003), it was expected to do five times the business it normally did on a Monday.[53] The entire $10.5 million investment was recouped by May 2003 (approximately 9 months after its Broadway opening).[54] For 2002-03 it averaged 99% capacity; for 2007 it averaged 86%.[55]
Adaptations[edit]
Main article: Hairspray (2007 film)
A film version was made and released in July 2007. The film was directed and choreographed by Adam Shankman and starred John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Zac Efron as Link Larkin, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, Elijah Kelley as Seaweed J. Stubbs, James Marsden as Corny Collins, Brittany Snow as Amber Von Tussle, and Queen Latifah as "Motormouth" Maybelle.
Awards and nominations[edit]
Original Broadway production[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
2003 Tony Award Best Musical Won
Best Book of a Musical Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan Won
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Harvey Fierstein Won
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Marissa Jaret Winokur Won
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Dick Latessa Won
Corey Reynolds Nominated
Best Direction of a Musical Jack O'Brien Won
Best Choreography Jerry Mitchell Nominated
Best Original Score Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman Won
Best Orchestrations Harold Wheeler Nominated
Best Scenic Design David Rockwell Nominated
Best Costume Design William Ivey Long Won
Best Lighting Design Kenneth Posner Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Won
Outstanding Book of a Musical Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan Won
Outstanding Orchestrations Harold Wheeler Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Harvey Fierstein Won
Outstanding Actress in a Musical Marissa Jaret Winokur Won
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Dick Latessa Won
Corey Reynolds Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Kerry Butler Nominated
Outstanding Lyrics Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman Won
Outstanding Music Marc Shaiman Won
Outstanding Director Jack O'Brien Won
Outstanding Choreography Jerry Mitchell Nominated
Outstanding Set Design David Rockwell Nominated
Outstanding Costume Design William Ivey Long Won
Theatre World Award Jackie Hoffman Won
Marissa Jaret Winokur Won
Original London production[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
2008 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical Won
Best Actor in a Musical Michael Ball Won
Best Actress in a Musical Leanne Jones Won
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Tracie Bennett Won
Elinor Collett Nominated
Best Director Jack O'Brien Nominated
Best Theatre Choreographer Jerry Mitchell Nominated
Best Set Design David Rockwell Nominated
Best Costume Design William Ivey Long Nominated
Best Lighting Design Kenneth Posner Nominated
Best Sound Design Steve C. Kennedy Nominated
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Waters, John (August 11, 2002). "THEATER; Finally, Footlights On the Fat Girls". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Jones, Kenneth (January 4, 2009). "Playbill News: Broadway's Hairspray Has Its Final Spritz Jan. 4". Playbill.com. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
3.Jump up ^ Pogrebin, Robin. "Riding High With a Big, Bouffant Hit; After 25 Years of Paying Dues, an Independent Producer Scores With 'Hairspray'". The New York Times, October 16, 2002
4.Jump up ^ undated interview thehpvtest.com[dead link]
5.Jump up ^ "Marissa Jaret Winokur"Encyclopedia of World Biography, accessed February 8, 2010
6.Jump up ^ Limsky, Drew. "Everything's Coming Up 'Hairspray'". The Advocate, July 23, 2002
7.Jump up ^ The Roots, p. 142
8.Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth (May 21, 2002). "Playbill News: A New 'Do: Capacity of Neil Simon Theatre Will Increase for Hairspray". Playbill.com. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
9.Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew. "Hairspray to Close Jan. 4, 2009; Fierstein Returns Nov. 11", playbill.com, October 22, 2008
10.Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Tony Award Winner Winokur Will Return to Broadway's Hairspray". Playbill.com, November 18, 2008
11.Jump up ^ Nathan, John. "Hairspray Begins London Run Oct 11". Playbill.com, October 11, 2007
12.Jump up ^ Nathan, John. "London Hairspray Breaks Record With 11 Olivier Award Nominations". An unknown star, Aoife O'Neill from Ireland played the role of Tracy to the joys of the westend audience. Playbill.com, February 6, 2008
13.Jump up ^ "Olivier Winners 2008". Oivierawards.com, accessed August 22, 2011
14.Jump up ^ Paddock, Terri."'Hairspray' Posts London Closing Notices" whatsonstage.com, 27 January 2010
15.Jump up ^ "'Hairspray Reviews". Hairspraythemusical.com, accessed August 22, 2011
16.Jump up ^ Field, Katherine. "'Hairspray' comes to Australia". News.ninemsn.com.au, March 5, 2010
17.Jump up ^ Cashmere, Paul. "'Hairspray' Sets A New Benchmark in Australian Theatre". Undercover.fm, October 4, 2010
18.Jump up ^ Graham, Lucy. "'Hairspray': A “Brand New Do” in Music Theatre Technology". Stagewhispers.com.au, 2010, accessed August 22, 2011
19.Jump up ^ broadwayworld.com "'Hairspray' National Tour, 2003" broadwayworld.com, accessed August 22, 2011
20.Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth. "'Hairspray' National Tour Cast Announced; Vilanch Bows in Baltimore Sept. 9". Playbill.com, July 22, 2003
21.Jump up ^ Kuryak, Timothy."Hairspray Teases LA" broadwayworld.com, August 1, 2004
22.Jump up ^ "Official U.S. tour". Hairsprayontour.com, accessed August 22, 2011
23.Jump up ^ Shenton, Mark. "Casting Confirmed for U.K. Tour of Hairspray; Olivier Winner Michael Ball Returns". Playbill.com, February 8, 2010
24.Jump up ^ http://westend.broadwayworld.com/article/HAIRSPRAY-to-Tour-Ireland-and-the-UK-in-2013-Mark-Benton-Stars-as-Edna-Turnblad-20120720
25.Jump up ^ Joy, Cara. "'Hairspray' in Vegas: Trimming a Tony Winner for a Move to the Strip". Broadway.com, December 8, 2005
26.Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew. "Hollywood Bowl to Offer 'Hairspray' in Summer 2011 Plus 'Grease', 'Sound of Music' Sing-Alongs". Playbill.com, January 26, 2011
27.Jump up ^ Gans, Andrew. "Hollywood Bowl 'Hairspray' to Feature Harvey Fierstein, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Drew Carey, Darlene Love, Nick Jonas". Playbill.com, May 24, 2011
28.Jump up ^ Hetrick, Adam and Gans, Andrew. "Susan Anton Joins 'Hairspray' at the Hollywood Bowl". Playbill.com, July 20, 2011
29.Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth. "A Bad Hair Day: 'Hairsprays Toronto Run Will End Nov. 28". Playbill.com, October 6, 2004
30.Jump up ^ South African production website hairspray.co.za[dead link]
31.Jump up ^ DeBarros, Luiz. "Review, 'Hairspray'". Mambaonline.com, 26 October 2007
32.Jump up ^ (Spanish)"Lágrimas y aplausos para quien será Tracy". La Nación. 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-05-15.[dead link]
33.Jump up ^ "'Hairspray' Manilla A Sneak Peek During Rehearsals" thebachelorgirl.com, November 5, 2008
34.Jump up ^ "'Hairspray' and 'Fame' reviewed" timeoutdubai.com, 14 July 2010
35.Jump up ^ South Korea production website hairspray-musical.co.kr[dead link]
36.Jump up ^ Hairspray in Manila". Atlantisproductionsinc.com
37.Jump up ^ "'Hairspray'" hairspraychina.cn (in Chinese), accessed August 22, 2011
38.Jump up ^ "'Hairspray' in Mexico". Mexico.broadwayworld.com, January 22, 2010 (in Spanish)
39.Jump up ^ El musical de Broadway "Hairspray" será adaptado en Lima
40.Jump up ^ "Hairspray.de" hairspray.de
41.Jump up ^ Shelton, Mark (2008-08-31). "Students Perform Hairspray in London Aug. 31 as "Hairspray: The School Musical" TV Series Begins". Playbill.com. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
42.Jump up ^ The Roots, p. 59
43.Jump up ^ The Roots, p. 62
44.Jump up ^ Review of Hairspray during its pre-Broadway run zipcon.net
45.Jump up ^ The Roots, p. 109
46.Jump up ^ The Roots, pp. 142-43
47.Jump up ^ The Roots, p. 149
48.Jump up ^ "Dear Listener", Note included in the Special Edition of the 2007 Hairspray Movie Soundtrack
49.Jump up ^ Variety, September 23, 2002 - September 29, 2002, "Critics' Taly" [sic], Legit., p. 88
50.Jump up ^ Isherwood, Charles. "'Hairspray", Daily Variety, August 16, 2002, p. 2
51.Jump up ^ Brantley, Ben."Theater Review; Through Hot Pink Glasses, a World That's Nice" The New York Times, August 16, 2002, Section E, Part 1, Column 1
52.Jump up ^ Kissel, Howard. "This Show Has Body And Bounce", Daily News (New York), August 16, 2002, p. 55
53.Jump up ^ Hernandez, Ernio."Tony Wins Signal Good News for 'Hairspray', 'Take Me Out', 'Journey', 'Nine' Box Office" playbill.com, June 9, 2003
54.Jump up ^ Simonson, Robert."Broadway Smash 'Hairspray' Returns Investment" playbill.com, May 30, 2003
55.Jump up ^ "Grosses for Hairspray broadwayworld, accessed August 22, 2011
References[edit]
O'Donnell, Mark, Thomas Meehan, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Hairspray: The Roots (2003) Faber & Faber ISBN 0-571-21143-7
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hairspray (musical).
Hairspray official website
Hairspray at the Internet Broadway Database
Hairspray at the Music Theatre International website
Production: Hairspray Working in the Theatre seminar video at American Theatre Wing, December 2002
Hairspray plot summary & character descriptions from StageAgent.com
Plot synopsis and links to song lyrics, allmusicals.com

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Hairspray (1988 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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For the 2007 remake of the same name, see Hairspray (2007 film)
Hairspray
Hairspray poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
John Waters
Produced by
John Waters
Robert Shaye
Rachel Talalay
Written by
John Waters
Starring
Ricki Lake
Divine
Debbie Harry
Sonny Bono
Jerry Stiller
Leslie Ann Powers
Colleen Fitzpatrick]
Michael St. Gerard
Music by
Kenny Vance
Cinematography
David Insley
Editing by
Janice Hampton
Studio
Palace Pictures
Distributed by
New Line Cinema
Release date(s)
February 26, 1988 (Limited)
March 11, 1988

Running time
92 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$2 million
Box office
$8,271,108[2]
Hairspray is a 1988 American romantic musical comedy film written and directed by John Waters, and starring Ricki Lake, Divine (in his final film role), Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono, Jerry Stiller, Leslie Ann Powers, Colleen Fitzpatrick, and Michael St. Gerard. Hairspray was a dramatic departure from Waters' earlier works, with a much broader intended audience. In fact, Hairspray's PG is the mildest rating a Waters film has received; most of his previous films were rated X by the MPAA. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film revolves around self-proclaimed "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation.
Hairspray was only a moderate success upon its initial theatrical release, earning a modest gross of $8 million. However, it managed to attract a larger audience on home video in the early 1990s and became a cult classic.[2][3] Most critics praised the film, although some were displeased[citation needed] with the overall campiness.
In 2002, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical of the same name, which won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2003. A second film version of Hairspray, an adaptation of the stage musical, was also released by New Line Cinema in 2007, which included many changes of scripted items from the original. The film also ranks #444 on Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.[4]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Deleted scenes
4 Reception 4.1 Critical reception
4.2 Box office
4.3 Awards
5 Other works 5.1 Broadway musical
5.2 2007 adaptation
6 Soundtrack
7 Home media
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Plot[edit]
Tracy Turnblad and her best friend, Penny Pingleton, audition for The Corny Collins Show, a popular Baltimore teenage dance show based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. Penny is too nervous and stumbles over her answers, and Nadine is cut for being black (there is a 'Negro Day' on the show on the last Thursday of every month, she is told). However, despite being overweight, Tracy becomes a regular on the show, infuriating the show's reigning queen, Amber Von Tussle, a mean, privileged, beautiful high school classmate whose pushy stage parents, Velma and Franklin Von Tussle, own Tilted Acres amusement park (based on Baltimore's Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, where racial problems occurred). Tracy steals Amber's boyfriend, Link Larkin, and competes against her for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963, fueling Amber's hatred of her.
Tracy's growing confidence leads to her being hired as a plus-size model for the Hefty Hideaway clothing store owned by Mr. Pinky. She is also inspired to bleach, tease, and rat her big hair into styles popular in the 1960s. At school, a teacher brands her hairstyle as a "hair-don't" and sends her to the principal's office, from which Tracy is sent to special education classes, where she meets several black classmates who have been put there to hold them back academically. The students introduce Tracy to Motormouth Maybelle, an R&B record shop owner and host of the monthly "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show. They teach Tracy, Penny, and Link dance moves and Penny begins an interracial romance with Motormouth Maybelle's son, Seaweed. This horrifies Penny's mother, Prudence, who imprisons her daughter in her bedroom and tries to brainwash her into dating white boys and oppose integration with the help of a quack psychiatrist, Dr. Fredrickson. Seaweed later helps her break out of the house and run away. It is implied that she will never return, as she has finally broken free from her mother.
Undeterred, Tracy uses her newfound fame to champion the cause of racial integration with the help of Motormouth Maybelle, Corny Collins, his assistant Tammy, and Tracy's agoraphobic, slightly overbearing, and overweight mother, Edna. After a race riot at Tilted Acres results in Tracy's arrest, the Von Tussles grow more defiant in their opposition to racial integration. They plot to sabotage the Miss Auto Show 1963 pageant by planting a bomb in Velma's bouffant hairdo. The plan literally blows up in Velma's face when the bomb detonates prematurely, resulting in the Von Tussles' arrest by the Baltimore police after it lands on Amber's head. Tracy, who had won the crown but was disqualified for being in reform school, dethrones Amber after the governor of Maryland pardons her (provided that Tracy gets reinstated); Tracy then shows up at the competition, integrates the show, and encourages everyone to dance.
Cast[edit]
Ricki Lake as Tracy Turnblad
Divine as Edna Turnblad and as Arvin Hodgepile
Debbie Harry as Velma Von Tussle
Sonny Bono as Franklin Von Tussle
Jerry Stiller as Wilbur Turnblad
Leslie Ann Powers as Penny Pingleton
Colleen Fitzpatrick as Amber Von Tussle
Michael St. Gerard as Link Larkin
Clayton Prince as Seaweed J. Stubbs
Ruth Brown as Motormouth Maybelle
Shawn Thompson as Corny Collins
Mink Stole as Tammy
Joann Havrilla as Prudence Pingleton
Alan J. Wendl as Mr. Pinky
Toussaint McCall as himself
John Waters as Dr. Fredrickson
Council membersJosh Charles as Iggy
Jason Downs as Bobby
Holter Graham as I.Q. Jones
Dan Griffith as Brad
Regina Hammond as Pam
Bridget Kimsey as Consuella
Frankie Maldon as Dash
Brooke Stacy Mills as Lou Ann Levorowski
John Orofino as Fender
Kim Webb as Carmelita
Debra Wirth as Shelly
Special appearancesRic Ocasek as Beatnik cat (The Italian version mis-credits him as "Rock Ocasek")
Pia Zadora as Beatnik chick
Production[edit]
John Waters wrote the screenplay under the title of White Lipstick, deriving the film partly from real events. The Corny Collins Show is based on the real-life The Buddy Deane Show, and the film's climax is based on an actual event that took place on that show in the summer of 1963.[5]
Filming for school occurred at Perry Hall High School with set locations including the library, a first-floor English class, and the principal's office.[6] In the scene set in the principal's office, the Harry Dorsey Gough (see Perry Hall Mansion) coat-of-arms that once hung in the main lobby can be seen through the doorway.[7]
The scenes set at Tilted Acres amusement park were filmed at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The film was Divine's last film and his only film with Waters in which he didn't play the lead.
Deleted scenes[edit]
A handful of scenes were cut while in post-production, some of which explained certain aspects in the film. One involved Tracy breaking into the Von Tussles' home after Franklin and Velma leave and trashing Amber's room, dying her hair in the process, thus explaining Tracy's hair color difference later in the film.[citation needed] Another scene included Brook Yeaton and Jeff Gardner in their credited roles as the "tough guys" that started a fight following the record hop and Tracy would use her can of hairspray as a weapon.[citation needed] Another scene involved roaches having infested Tracy's hair and running down her back that Amber would later witness.[citation needed] That part was cut but that scene was altered to one in which she claimed to see it in Tracy's hair at the amusement park but no one believed her.
As of 2013, these scenes are unavailable.
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
Hairspray received 3 stars from critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.[8]
The film currently holds a 97% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes; it is Waters' second-highest-rated film (behind Multiple Maniacs; the site's consensus states "Hairspray is perhaps John Waters' most accessible film, and as such, it's a gently subversive slice of retro hilarity."[9]
Box office[edit]
Hairspray opened on February 26, 1988 in 79 North American theaters, where it grossed US$577,287 in its opening weekend. On March 11, it expanded to 227 theaters, where it grossed $966,672 from March 11–13. It ended its theatrical run with $8,271,108.[10]
Awards[edit]
The film was nominated for six Independent Spirit Awards, and the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.[11]
Other works[edit]
Broadway musical[edit]
Main article: Hairspray (musical)
In mid-2002, Margo Lion teamed with writers Marc Shaiman and Thomas Meehan to turn Hairspray into a Broadway musical production. The show opened on August 15, 2002 starring Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tracy and Harvey Fierstein as Edna. The show went on to win eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in 2003. The show closed on January 4, 2009.
2007 adaptation[edit]
Main article: Hairspray (2007 film)
In 2006, New Line joined forces with Adam Shankman to make the Broadway show into a movie musical. The film was released July 20, 2007, starring John Travolta as Edna, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma, Christopher Walken as Wilbur, Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle, James Marsden as Corny, Zac Efron as Link, and newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy. The film had a $75 million budget and earned over $200 million worldwide.[12]
Soundtrack[edit]
Main article: Hairspray (1988 soundtrack)
The soundtrack was released January 27, 1995 by MCA Records. The CD featured one original song by Rachel Sweet and eleven other songs mostly from the 1960s by Gene Pitney, Toussaint McCall, among others.
Additional songs
Other songs appear in the film, but are not on the soundtrack.
"Limbo Rock" – Chubby Checker
"Day-O" – Pia Zadora
"Duke of Earl" – Gene Chandler
"Train to Nowhere" – The Champs
"Dancin' Party" – Chubby Checker
"The Fly" – Chubby Checker
"The Bird" – The Duo Tones
"Pony Time" – Chubby Checker
"Hide and Go Seek" – Bunker Hill
"Mashed Potato Time" – Dee Dee Sharp
"Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)" – Dee Dee Sharp
"Waddle, Waddle" – The Bracelets
"Do the New Continental" – The Dovells
"You Don't Own Me" – Leslie Gore
"Life's Too Short" – The Lafayettes
Home media[edit]
Hairspray was issued for the first time on VHS and LaserDisc in 1989 by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video. New Line reissued the film on VHS in 1996.
The film was released on DVD by New Line in 2003. The disc included an audio commentary by John Waters and Ricki Lake and a theatrical trailer.
See also[edit]
Cross-dressing in film and television
Racial integration
Multiculturalism
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "HAIRSPRAY (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. 1988-05-31. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "Hairspray (1988)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
3.Jump up ^ Hairspray at Rotten Tomatoes; last accessed May 5, 2007.
4.Jump up ^ "Empire Features The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". Empireonline.com. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
5.Jump up ^ Polar Levine. "Hairspray’s Revolting History". Mediachannel.org.
6.Jump up ^ David Marks. "Perry Hall's Schools: The Heart of the Community".
7.Jump up ^ "Fun Facts About Perry Hall".
8.Jump up ^ "Hairspray". Chicago Sun-Times.
9.Jump up ^ Hairspray at Rotten Tomatoes
10.Jump up ^ "Hairspray (1988)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
11.Jump up ^ "Awards for Hairspray". IMDB.
12.Jump up ^ "Hairspray (2007)". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
External links[edit]
Hairspray at the Internet Movie Database
Hairspray at Box Office Mojo
Hairspray at Rotten Tomatoes
Hairspray at Metacritic
Movieline, February 19, 1988: interview with John Waters on the making of Hairspray

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Categories: 1988 films
English-language films
1980s musical films
1980s romantic comedy films
American films
American musical comedy films
American romantic comedy films
American romantic musical films
American satirical films
American teen comedy films
American teen romance films
Films directed by John Waters
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) in film
Culture of Baltimore, Maryland
Films about race and ethnicity
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Films set in 1962
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Hairspray (2007 film)

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Hairspray
Hairspray2007poster.JPG
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Adam Shankman
Produced by
Adam Shankman
Craig Zadan
Neil Meron
Bob Shaye
Marc Shaiman
Scott Wittman
Toby Emmerich
Screenplay by
Thomas Meehan
Leslie Dixon
 Mark O'Donnell
Starring
Nikki Blonsky
John Travolta
Michelle Pfeiffer
Christopher Walken
Amanda Bynes
James Marsden
Queen Latifah
Brittany Snow
Zac Efron
Elijah Kelley
Allison Janney
Music by
Marc Shaiman
Cinematography
Bojan Bazelli
Editing by
Michael Tronick
Studio
Ingenious Media
 Zadan/Meron Productions
Distributed by
New Line Cinema
Release date(s)
July 20, 2007

Running time
116 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$75 million[2]
Box office
$202,548,575[3]
Hairspray is a 2007 American musical film based on the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John Waters's 1988 comedy film of the same name. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows the "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation.
Adapted from both Waters' 1988 script and Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell's book for the stage musical by screenwriter Leslie Dixon, the 2007 film version of Hairspray is directed and choreographed by Adam Shankman. Hairspray features songs from the Broadway musical written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, as well as four new Shaiman/Wittman compositions not present in the original Broadway version.
Opening to positive reviews, Hairspray met with financial success, breaking the record for biggest sales at opening weekend for a movie musical,[4] which the film held until July 2008 when it was surpassed by Mamma Mia![5] and later High School Musical 3: Senior Year in October.[6] Hairspray went on to become the fourth highest grossing musical film in US cinema history, behind the film adaptations of Grease, Chicago, and Mamma Mia!.[5] Available in a variety of formats, Hairspray's Region 1 home video release took place on November 20, 2007.[7] USA Network purchased the broadcast rights to Hairspray and was scheduled to debut the film on cable television in February 2010, but in the end it did not broadcast that month, instead the film was pushed back and premiered on USA on July 24, 2010, with sister channel Bravo also showing it multiple times, and in February 2011 aired on ABC for over-the-air broadcasts.[8]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Early development
3.2 (Screen to) stage to screen changes
3.3 Pre-production and casting
3.4 Principal photography
3.5 Shankman's inspirations
3.6 Setting
4 Musical numbers 4.1 Song score production and changes
5 Reception 5.1 Box office
5.2 Critical reception
5.3 Washington Blade boycott controversy
5.4 Home media
5.5 Awards
6 Canceled sequel
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Plot[edit]
May 3, 1962: Tracy Turnblad, a cheerful, overweight high school student living in Baltimore, Maryland steps out of her apartment ("Good Morning Baltimore") and endures a day’s worth of school before she and best friend Penny Pingleton can watch their favorite television show, The Corny Collins Show, a teen dance show broadcast from local station WYZT ("The Nicest Kids in Town").
The teenagers featured on the show attend Tracy and Penny's school, among them the arrogant and wealthy Amber von Tussle and her boyfriend, Link Larkin, the lead male dancer. Amber’s mother, Velma, manages WYZT and makes sure Amber is featured and that The Corny Collins Show remains a racially segregated program. Corny Collins and his Council Members are white; black kids are only allowed on the show on "Negro Day", held the last Tuesday of each month and hosted by R&B disc jockey Motormouth Maybelle, who owns the local record shop.
Tracy's reclusive mother, Edna, and Penny's strict, religious mother, Prudy, disapprove of their daughters' fascination with the program, despite the fact that Prudy watches the show herself; Tracy's father, Wilbur, a joke-shop proprietor, is more lenient. Corny Collins announces that one of the Council Members, Brenda, is pregnant, and is going on a leave of absence, so auditions for a replacement will be held during school hours the next day ("It Takes Two"). When Tracy attends, Velma rejects her for being overweight and supporting integration ("(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs"). Tracy is sent to detention by Miss Wimsey for skipping school, discovering the "Negro Day" kids practicing their dances in the detention hall. Tracy befriends the students' best dancer, Motormouth Maybelle's son, Seaweed, who teaches Tracy several dance moves. As Tracy leaves detention, she inadvertently bumps into Link and dreams of a life with him ("I Can Hear the Bells"). At a record hop, Tracy’s moves attract the attention of Corny Collins ("Ladies' Choice") and he appoints her to the Council ("The Nicest Kids in Town (Reprise)").
Tracy becomes one of Corny's most popular Council Members. This, however, threatens Amber's chances of winning the show's yearly "Miss Teenage Hairspray" pageant ("The New Girl in Town") and her relationship with Link, as he grows fonder of Tracy. Mr. Pinky, a slightly off-centered salesman, suggests that Tracy be the spokesgirl for his Hefty Hideaway boutique. Tracy persuades Edna to accompany her to the Hefty Hideaway as her agent, and in the process helps cure her mother's agoraphobia ("Welcome to the '60s").
Tracy introduces Seaweed to Penny, and the two are smitten. One afternoon, Amber has Tracy sent to detention. Link follows after taunting their teacher Mr. Flak. Seaweed invites the girls and Link to follow him and his sister Little Inez to a platter party at Motormouth Maybelle's store ("Run and Tell That"). Edna finds Tracy and tries to take her home, until Maybelle convinces her to stay and tells her to take pride in herself ("Big, Blonde and Beautiful"). Maybelle informs everyone that Velma has canceled "Negro Day". Tracy suggests that Maybelle and the others stage a demonstration for the next afternoon, a day before the "Miss Teenage Hairspray" pageant. Realizing that he has a chance at stardom by singing at the pageant, Link does not attend the demonstration. After the party, Edna goes to Wilbur's shop to flirt with him, but Velma gets there first and tries to seduce Wilbur ("Big, Blonde and Beautiful (Reprise)"). After accusing Wilbur of infidelity, Edna, out of resentment for Velma, forbids Tracy from being on the show. Wilbur and Edna reconcile ("(You’re) Timeless to Me").
The next morning, Tracy sneaks out of the house to join the protest ("I Know Where I've Been"), which comes to a halt at a police roadblock set up by Velma. The protesters are arrested, but Tracy runs to the Pingletons, where Penny hides her in a fallout shelter. Prudy catches Tracy and calls the police before tying Penny to her bed. Seaweed and his friends, having been bailed out by Wilbur, help Tracy and Penny escape. Link visits Tracy’s house to look for her and realizes that he loves her. Seaweed and Penny acknowledge their love during the escape from her house ("Without Love").
With the pageant underway ("(It’s) Hairspray"), Velma places police officers around WYZT to stop Tracy. She also changes the pageant tallies so Amber is guaranteed to win. Penny arrives at the pageant with Edna incognito, while Wilbur, Seaweed and the Negro Day kids help Tracy infiltrate the studio to participate in the Miss Teenage Hairspray contest. Link breaks away from Amber to dance with Tracy; later, he pulls Little Inez, who has arrived at WYZT with Maybelle, to the stage to dance in the pageant.
Little Inez receives the most votes and wins the pageant, officially integrating The Corny Collins Show. Velma confesses her tally-switching scheme to her daughter in front of a camera offstage, causing her to get fired. The Corny Collins Show set explodes into a celebration as Tracy and Link cement their love with a kiss ("You Can’t Stop the Beat").
Cast[edit]
Main charactersNikki Blonsky as Tracy Edna Turnblad, an optimistic, overweight teenage girl who loves dancing, Tracy's racial color-blindness leads her to become an active supporter for the integration of The Corny Collins Show. Hairspray is Blonsky's debut as a professional actress.[9]
John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Tracy's mother and agent, an agoraphobe ashamed of her obesity. Travolta's casting as Edna continues the tradition of having a man in drag portray the character, going back to the original 1988 film, which featured drag queen Divine as Edna and at Hairspray's Broadway version, which featured Harvey Fierstein as Edna.[10] Executives at New Line Cinema originally expected the part to be filled by an actor accustomed to playing comic roles, tossing around names such as Robin Williams, Steve Martin, and Tom Hanks.[10] However, Travolta was aggressively sought after by producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for this role because he had starred as Danny Zuko in Grease, the second most successful movie musical to date, beaten only by Mamma Mia!.[11]
Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, the manager of station WYZT and a racist and weightist, former beauty queen Velma is interested in keeping her daughter Amber in the spotlight and The Corny Collins Show segregated. Hairspray is the first film featuring Pfeiffer to be released in five years. Stardust, also featuring Pfeiffer, was shot before Hairspray, but released three weeks afterwards.[12] The peculiarity of Pfeiffer and Travolta appearing onscreen together (Travolta starred in Grease, Pfeiffer in Grease 2) was not lost on the production staff;[12] Travolta requested that Pfeiffer play the part of the villainess.[10]
Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Tracy's father, the easygoing proprietor of the "Hardy-Har Hut" joke shop below the Turnblad family's apartment. John Travolta had asked that Walken be considered for the part,[10] and he eventually beat out Billy Crystal[13] and Jim Broadbent[14] for the role of Wilbur.
Amanda Bynes as Penny Lou Pingleton, Tracy's best friend, a sheltered girl who falls in love with Seaweed, despite the efforts of her racist and stern mother, Prudy Pingleton. A young actress famous for appearances on Nickelodeon TV shows and in feature films, Bynes was one of the few movie stars cast among the teen roles.[15]
James Marsden as Corny Collins, the host of The Corny Collins Show; his politically progressive attitudes lead him to fight his show's imposed segregation. Corny Collins is based upon Baltimore TV personality, Buddy Deane, who hosted an eponymous local teen dance show in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[16] James Marsden beat out both Joey McIntyre and X-Men costar Hugh Jackman for the part.[17]
Queen Latifah as "Motormouth" Maybelle, a Baltimore rhythm and blues radio DJ who hosts "Negro Day" on The Corny Collins Show. Maybelle also runs a record shop on North Avenue. Queen Latifah appeared in the successful Zadan/Meron film musical Chicago, and worked under Adam Shankman's direction in Bringing Down the House.[18] She beat out soul legend Aretha Franklin for the role of Maybelle.[13]
Brittany Snow as Amber Von Tussle, Velma's bratty daughter and the lead female dancer on The Corny Collins Show. Amber becomes Tracy's enemy when Tracy threatens both Amber's chances of winning the "Miss Teenage Hairspray" crown and Amber's relationship with her boyfriend, Link. Snow previously worked with Shankman in The Pacifier.[17] Hayden Panettiere was also considered for the part of Amber, but was decided against in part because of her then-upcoming work with the NBC television series Heroes.[17]
Zac Efron as Link Larkin, Amber's boyfriend and the lead male dancer on The Corny Collins Show. Link is a singer who becomes more attracted to Tracy. The character is based in part upon Elvis Presley.[17] Efron, a popular teen actor who played Troy Bolton in the Disney Channel TV film High School Musical, was initially thought by Adam Shankman to be "too Disney".[17] Shankman's sister, executive producer Jennifer Gibgot, convinced her brother to cast Efron, believing that the teen star would draw a substantial teen crowd.[17]
Elijah Kelley as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Maybelle's son, a skilled dancer who teaches Tracy some dance moves and falls in love with her friend, Penny. Kelley, a relative newcomer to film, overcame other auditioners and several popular R&B stars for the part of Seaweed.[15]
Allison Janney as Prudence "Prudy" Pingleton, Penny's mother, a zealous Catholic whose strict parenting keeps Penny from experiencing social life. Her husband is serving out a prison sentence for a crime unspecified in the film.
Minor rolesPaul Dooley as Harriman F. Spritzer, the owner of the "Ultra Clutch" company and the main sponsor of The Corny Collins Show. Although Mr. Spritzer prefers to keep The Corny Collins Show segregated, he will follow public opinion if it increases sales.
Jayne Eastwood as Miss Wimsey, Tracy’s geography teacher; gives Tracy the detention note that first leads her to Seaweed.
Jerry Stiller as Mr. Pinky, the owner of a dress shop called Mr. Pinky's Hefty Hideaway, who hires Tracy as his spokesgirl. In the original film, Stiller played Wilbur Turnblad.
Taylor Parks as Little Inez Stubbs, Maybelle's teenage daughter and Seaweed's younger sister, Inez is a skilled dancer. Inez is based in part upon Ruby Bridges, the first black child to attend a formerly all-white school in the state of Louisiana.[16]
George King as Mr. Flak, Amber, Link, and Tracy's history teacher. He gives Tracy detention when Amber frames Tracy of drawing a picture of him with breasts. He gives Link detention as well for saying, "Kiss my ass" in Tracy's defense.
Council membersCurtis Holbrook as Brad
Hayley Podschun as Tammy
Phillip Spaeth as Fender
Cassie Silva as Brenda
Nick Baga as Sketch
Sarah Jayne Jensen as Shelley
Jesse Weafer as I.Q.
Kelly Fletcher as Lou Ann
J.P. Ferreri as Joey
Spencer Liff as Mikey
Laura Edwards as Vicky
Tabitha Lupien as Becky
Corey Gorewicz as Bix
Joshua Feldman as Jesse
Becca Sweitzer as Darla
Everett Smith as Paulie
Tiffany Engen as Noreen
Brooke Engen as Doreen
The DynamitesShayna Steele
Kamilah Marshall
Terita Redd
Cameos
In addition to the principal actors, the film contained several cameo appearances by individuals involved in the history of Hairspray:
Ricki Lake (Tracy Turnblad in the original film) as William Morris Talent Agent #1,[19] (Audio) performs "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now".
Adam Shankman (choreographer/director of the film) as William Morris Talent Agent #2 (Audio) sings "Tied Up in the Knots of Sin" with Marc Shaiman which is heard when Prudy turns the record player on while she ties up Penny.[19]
Marc Shaiman (co-lyricist and music writer of the film) as William Morris Talent Agent #3 (Audio) sings "Tied Up in the Knots of Sin" with Adam Shankman which is heard when Prudy turns the record player on while she ties up Penny.[19]
Scott Wittman (co-lyricist and music writer of the film) as William Morris Talent Agent #4.[19]
John Waters (writer and director of the original film) as the "flasher who lives next door"
Jamal Sims (Associate choreographer) as one of the Detention Kids
Anne Fletcher (Associate choreographer) as the school nurse
Zach Woodlee (Associate choreographer) as Smoking teacher
Singing cameosMarissa Jaret Winokur (Original Broadway cast's Tracy) performs "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now"
Harvey Fierstein (Original Broadway cast's Edna) as brief singing cameo in the end credits "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now"
Corey Reynolds (Original Broadway cast's Seaweed) as singer of "Trouble on the Line". The song is heard shortly after "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" until Maybelle announces the cancellation of Negro Day.
Arthur Adams (One of the Broadway cast's Seaweed) performs "Boink-Boink" which is heard during "Big, Blonde and Beautiful".
Chester Gregory (One of the Broadway cast's Seaweed) performs "Breakout", which is heard during Tracy's introduction to Seaweed in detention.
Aimee Allen performs "Cooties"
Production[edit]
Early development[edit]
Following the success of the Broadway musical of the same name, which won eight Tony Awards in 2003, New Line Cinema, who owned the rights to the 1988 John Waters film upon which the stage musical is based, became interested in adapting the stage show as a musical film. Development work began in late 2004, while a similar film-to-Broadway-to-film project, Mel Brooks' The Producers, was in production.[20]
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the executive producers of the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of the Broadway musical Chicago, were hired as the producers for Hairspray,[21] and began discussing possibly casting John Travolta and Billy Crystal (or Jim Broadbent) as Edna and Wilbur Turnblad, respectively.[20] Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell, authors of the book for the stage musical, wrote the first draft of the film's screenplay, but were replaced by Leslie Dixon, screenwriter for family comedies such as Mrs. Doubtfire and Freaky Friday.[20] After a year's deliberation on who should direct the film, Zadan and Meron finally decided to hire Adam Shankman to both direct and choreograph Hairspray.[22] Upon learning he had been hired, Shankman arranged a meeting with John Waters, who advised him "don't do what I did, don't do what the play did. You've gotta do your own thing."[11] Despite this, Shankman still noted "all roads of Hairspray lead back to John Waters."[11]
Tony Gardner (designer) and his company Alterian, Inc.were hired to design and create the look of Edna Turnblad on John Travolta. Costume designer Rita Ryak wanted to put Edna into several revealing outfits, so Travolta ended up being encapsulated in prosthetics. He wore silicone prosthetics on his head and neck, and foam latex arms and legs that connected to a spandex and foam body suit.[citation needed]
(Screen to) stage to screen changes[edit]
Dixon was primarily hired to tone down much of the campiness inherent in the stage musical.[23] The 2007 film's script is based primarily on the stage musical rather than the 1988 film, so several changes already made to the plot for the stage version remain in this version. These include dropping several characters from the 1988 version (such as Arvin Hodgepile (the role Mr. Spritzer fills), Velma's husband Franklin, Corny's assistant Tammy, the beatniks, et al.), removing the Tilted Acres amusement park from the story, and placing Velma in charge of the station where The Corny Collins Show is filmed.
"Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now", a popular number from the stage musical, features Tracy, Penny, and Amber arguing with their respective mothers. Neither Shankman nor Dixon could come up with a solution for filming the song that did not require a three-way split screen — something they wanted to avoid[23] — and both felt the number did not adequately advance the plot.[23][24] As a result, the song was reluctantly dropped from the film during pre-production, although it is used by Shaiman as an instrumental number when the Corny Collins kids dance the "Stricken Chicken". A special version of the song was recorded for the film's end credits in May 2007, during the final score recording process, which featured vocals from each of the three women most famous for portraying Tracy Turnblad: Ricki Lake from the 1988 film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the original Broadway cast, and Nikki Blonsky from the 2007 film.[25] Harvey Fierstein, who portrayed Edna as part of the original Broadway cast, has a brief cameo moment in the end credits version of the song as well.[25]
"It Takes Two", a solo for Link, was moved from its place in the stage musical (on Tracy's first day on The Corny Collins Show) to an earlier Corny Collins scene, although only the coda of the song is used in the final release print, and the song's background music can be heard immediately after the reprise of "The Nicest Kids in Town". "Cooties", a solo for Amber in the stage musical, is present in this film as an instrumental during the Miss Teenage Hairspray dance-off. Similar to "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now", a version of "Cooties", performed in a contemporary pop rendition by Aimee Allen, is present during the end credits.
One notable difference between the stage musical, the original film, and the 2007 film version of Hairspray is that Tracy does not go to jail in the 2007 version (thus eliminating the musical's song "The Big Dollhouse"). In both previous incarnations of Hairspray, Tracy is arrested and taken to jail along with the other protesters. Edna is presented in this version as an insecure introvert, in contrast to the relatively bolder incarnations present in the 1988 film and the stage musical.[23] Among many other elements changed or added to this version are the removal of Motormouth Maybelle's habit of constantly speaking in rhyming jive talk, and doubling the number of teens in Corny Collins' Council (from ten on Broadway to twenty in the 2007 film).[26]
Dixon restructured portions of Hairspray's book to allow several of the songs to blend more naturally into the plot, in particular "(You're) Timeless to Me" and "I Know Where I've Been". "(You're) Timeless to Me" becomes the anchor of a newly invented subplot involving Velma's attempt to break up Edna and Wilbur’s marriage and keep Tracy off The Corny Collins Show as a result. The song now serves as Wilbur's apology to Edna, in addition to its original purpose in the stage musical as a tongue-in-cheek declaration of Wilbur and Edna's love for each other.[23] Meanwhile, "I Know Where I've Been", instead of being sung by Maybelle alone after being let out of jail, now underscores Maybelle's march on WYZT (which takes place in the stage musical only briefly during "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful").[23]
The song "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful" was inspired by a line that Tracy delivered in the original film ("Now all of Baltimore will know: I'm big, blonde and beautiful!"), but in the stage version and in this film, Motormouth Maybelle performs the song. A reprise of the song was added to the 2007 film, which is sung by Edna and Velma.[citation needed]
Pre-production and casting[edit]
Hairspray was produced on a budget of $75 million.[2] An open casting call was announced to cast unknowns in Atlanta, New York City, and Chicago. After auditioning over eleven hundred candidates,[27] Nikki Blonsky, an eighteen-year-old high school senior from Great Neck, New York who had no previous professional acting experience, was chosen for the lead role of Tracy.[28] Relative unknowns Elijah Kelley and Taylor Parks were chosen through similar audition contests to portray siblings Seaweed and Little Inez Stubbs, respectively. John Travolta was finally cast as Edna, with Christopher Walken ultimately assuming the role of Wilbur.[10] Several other stars, including Queen Latifah, James Marsden, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Allison Janney were chosen for the other supporting adult roles of Motormouth Maybelle, Corny Collins, Velma Von Tussle, and Prudy Pingleton, respectively. Teen stars Amanda Bynes, and Zac Efron were cast as Tracy's friends Penny and Link, and Brittany Snow was cast as her rival, Amber Von Tussle. Jerry Stiller, who played Wilbur Turnblad in the original film, appears as plus-sized women's clothes retailer Mr. Pinky in this version.[29]
Since Hairspray's plot focuses heavily on dance, choreography became a heavy focus for Shankman, who hired four assistant choreographers, Jamal Sims, Anne Fletcher, and Zach Woodlee, and put both his acting cast and over a hundred and fifty dancers through two months of rehearsals.[26][30] The cast recorded the vocal tracks for their songs as coached by Elaine Overholt in the weeks just before principal photography began in September.[30]
Principal photography[edit]
Principal photography took place in Toronto, and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from September 5-December 8, 2006.[31][32] Hairspray is explicitly set in Baltimore, Maryland and the original 1988 film had been shot on location there, but the 2007 film was shot primarily in Toronto because the city was better equipped with the sound stages necessary to film a musical.[33][34] The opening shots of the descent from the clouds and the newspaper being dropped onto the stoop are the only times that the actual city of Baltimore is shown in the film.[34]
The majority of the film was shot at Toronto's Showline Studios.[35] Most of the street scenes were shot at the intersection of Dundas Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue. A PCC streetcar with Toronto Transit Commission livery is seen in the opening sequence. Some of the signs for the 1960s-era stores remain up along the street. Toronto's Lord Lansdowne Public School was used for all of the high school exteriors and some of the interiors, while the old Queen Victoria School in Hamilton was also used for interiors. Scenes at Queen Victoria were shot from November 22 to December 2, and the school was scheduled to be demolished after film production was completed.
Thinner than most of the other men who have portrayed Edna, Travolta appeared onscreen in a large fat suit, and required four hours of makeup in order to appear before the cameras.[10] His character's nimble dancing style belies her girth; Shankman based Edna's dancing style on the hippo ballerinas in the Dance of the Hours sequence in Walt Disney's 1940 animated feature, Fantasia.[11] Although early versions of the suit created "a dumpy, Alfred Hitchcock version of Edna,"[36] Travolta fought for the ability to give his character curves and a thick Baltimore accent.[10] Designed by Tony Gardner, the fat suit was created using lightweight synthetic materials, consisting of layered pads and silicone, which was used from the chest upwards.[36] The suit provided the additional benefit of covering Travolta's beard, eliminating the problem of his facial hair growing through his makeup midday.[36]
Shankman's inspirations[edit]
Shankman included "a lot of winks" to films that influenced his work on Hairspray:[11]
The film's opening shot — a bird's eye view of Baltimore that eventually descends from the clouds to ground level — is a combination of the opening shots of West Side Story and The Sound of Music.[11][37]
Before we see a full shot of Tracy, we see individual shots of her upraised right and left arms. This is reminiscent of our first views of Sadie Thompson (Joan Crawford) in the 1932 film Rain.
Several scenes involving Tracy, such as her ride atop the garbage truck during the "Good Morning Baltimore" number and her new hairstyle during "Welcome to the '60s", are directly inspired by the Barbra Streisand musical film version of Funny Girl.[11][37][38][39]
During "Without Love", Link sings to a photograph of Tracy, which comes to life and sings harmony with him. This is directly inspired from the MGM musical The Broadway Melody of 1938, in which a young Judy Garland swoons over a photo of actor Clark Gable as she sings "You Made Me Love You".[11]
The dress that Penny wears during "You Can't Stop the Beat" is made from her bedroom curtains, which can be seen during "Without Love". This is homage to The Sound of Music, where Maria uses old curtains to make play clothes for the von Trapp children.[40]
Setting[edit]

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The film is set in Baltimore, Maryland in 1962, in the time of John F. Kennedy's presidency. As shown in the film, the houses in Baltimore's early residential neighborhoods are directly attached structurally, and are usually set up in the form of loft houses, mostly due to the construction of a store below. In the opening, a trolley runs down the road's center. Since then, these have been removed in favor of rapid transit systems. In addition, many people can be seen with various styles of Beehives.
Many 1960s cultural references are shown in the film. For example, an Esso station can be seen in the opening song, "Good Morning Baltimore". Esso changed its name to Exxon since then, but still operates in Canada as a division of ExxonMobil.
Musical numbers[edit]
See also: Hairspray (2007 soundtrack)



"Good Morning Baltimore"




The chorus of the film's opening number, "Good Morning Baltimore", as performed by Nikki Blonsky.
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1."Good Morning Baltimore" – Tracy
2."The Nicest Kids in Town" – Corny and Council Members
3."It Takes Two" – Link (only coda used)
4."(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs" – Velma and Council Members
5."I Can Hear the Bells" – Tracy
6."Ladies' Choice" – Link
7."The Nicest Kids in Town (Reprise)" – Corny and Council Members
8."The New Girl in Town" – Amber, Tammy, Shelley, and The Dynamites
9."Welcome to the '60s" – Tracy, Edna, The Dynamites, and Hefty Hideaway Employees
10."Run and Tell That" – Seaweed, Little Inez, and Detention Kids
11."Big, Blonde, and Beautiful" – Motormouth
12."Big, Blonde, and Beautiful (Reprise)" – Edna and Velma
13."(You're) Timeless to Me" – Edna and Wilbur
14."I Know Where I've Been" – Motormouth and Company
15."I Can Wait" (deleted song) – Tracy
16."Without Love" – Link, Tracy, Seaweed, Penny, and Detention Kids
17."(It's) Hairspray" – Corny and Council Members
18."You Can't Stop the Beat" – Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Motormouth, and Company
19."Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)" (end credits) – Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, Nikki Blonsky, and Elijah Kelley
20."Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" (end credits) – Ricki Lake, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Nikki Blonsky with Harvey Fierstein
21."Cooties" (end credits) – Aimee Allen
Song score production and changes[edit]
Music producer/composer/co-lyricist Marc Shaiman and co-lyricist Scott Wittman were required to alter their Broadway Hairspray song score in various ways in order to work on film, from changing portions of the lyrics in some songs (e.g., "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs", "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful", and "You Can't Stop the Beat") to more or less completely removing other songs from the film altogether.
"Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now", a popular number from the stage musical, features Tracy, Penny, and Amber arguing with their respective mothers. Neither Shankman nor Dixon could come up with a solution for filming "Mama" that did not require a three-way split screen — something they wanted to avoid[23] — and both felt the number did not adequately advance the plot.[23][24] As a result, "Mama" was reluctantly dropped from the film during pre-production, although it is used by Shaiman as an instrumental number when the Corny Collins kids dance the "Stricken Chicken". A special version of "Mama" was recorded for the film's end credits in May 2007, during the final score recording process, which featured vocals from each of the three women most famous for portraying Tracy Turnblad: Ricki Lake from the 1988 film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the original Broadway cast, and Nikki Blonsky from the 2007 film.[25] Harvey Fierstein, who portrayed Edna as part of the original Broadway cast, has a brief cameo moment in the end credits version of "Mama" as well.[25]
"It Takes Two", a solo for Link, was moved from its place in the stage musical (on Tracy's first day on The Corny Collins Show) to an earlier Corny Collins scene, although only the coda of the song is used in the final release print, and the song's background music can be heard immediately after the reprise of "The Nicest Kids in Town". "Cooties", a solo for Amber in the stage musical, is present in this film as an instrumental during the Miss Teenage Hairspray dance-off. As with "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now", a version of "Cooties", performed in a contemporary pop rendition by Aimee Allen, is present during the end credits.
The performance of a vintage dance called The Madison, present in both the 1988 film and the stage musical, was replaced for this version by a newly composed song, "Ladies' Choice". Portions of the Madison dance steps were integrated into the choreography for the musical number "You Can't Stop the Beat", and the song to which the dance is performed on Broadway can be heard during Motormouth Maybelle's platter party in the film, re-titled "Boink-Boink". "The Big Dollhouse" and "Velma's Revenge" were the only songs from the musical not used in the film in any way.
Shaiman and Wittman composed two new songs for the 2007 film: "Ladies' Choice", a solo for Link, and "Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)", a song performed during the end credits by Queen Latifah, Blonsky, Efron, and Kelley. Another "new" song in the 2007 film, "The New Girl in Town", had originally been composed for the Broadway musical, but was deemed unnecessary and discarded from the musical. Director Shankman decided to use the song to both underscore a rise-to-fame montage for Tracy and to showcase Maybelle's "Negro Day", which is never actually seen in either of the earlier incarnations of Hairspray.[41]
One additional Shaiman/Wittman song, a ballad entitled "I Can Wait", was composed for the film as a solo for Tracy, meant to replace the stage musical's reprise of "Good Morning Baltimore". "I Can Wait" was shot for the film (Tracy performs the number while locked in Prudy's basement), but was eventually deleted from the final release print. The audio recording of "I Can Wait" was made available as a special bonus track for customers who pre-ordered the Hairspray soundtrack on iTunes, and the scene itself was included as a special feature on the film's DVD release.[42]
Post-production took place in Los Angeles. Composer/co-lyricist Shaiman continued work on the film's music, employing the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra to record instrumentation for both the songs and the incidental score.[25]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Hairspray debuted in 3,121 theaters in North America on July 20, 2007, the widest debut of any modern movie musical.[43] The film earned $27,476,745 in its opening weekend at #3, behind I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.[3] This made Hairspray the record-holder for the biggest sales at opening weekend for a movie musical.[4] This record was later broken by the release of Mamma Mia!, which grossed $27,605,000 on its opening weekend.[44] Hairspray has since gone on to become the fourth highest grossing musical in U.S. cinema history, surpassing The Rocky Horror Picture Show ($145 million) and Dreamgirls ($103 million), released seven months prior.[5] Ending its domestic run on October 25, 2007, Hairspray has a total domestic gross of $118,871,849 and $202,548,575 worldwide.[3] Its biggest overseas markets include the United Kingdom ($25.8 million), Australia ($14.4 million), Japan ($8 million), Italy ($4.6 million), France ($3.9 million) and Spain ($3.8 million).[45] This made Hairspray the third musical film in history to cross $200 million internationally, behind 1978's hit Grease ($395 million) and 2002's Chicago ($307 million).[5] It is the seventh highest-grossing PG-rated film of 2007, and has grossed more than other higher-budgeted summer releases like Ocean's Thirteen ($117 million) and Evan Almighty ($100 million).[46]
Two weeks after its original release, new "sing-along" prints of Hairspray were shipped to theaters.[47] These prints featured the lyrics to each song printed onscreen as subtitles, encouraging audiences to interact with the film. On January 4, 2008, Hairspray was re-released in New York and Los Angeles for one week because John Travolta was present for Q&A and autographs.[48]
Critical reception[edit]
Hairspray has garnered acclaim from film critics such as Roger Ebert, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe, as well as a smaller number of reviews comparing it unfavorably to the Waters original. The film is one of the top picks on Metacritic, with an average of 81.[49] It scored a 91% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, also indicating excellent reviews,[50] making it one of 2007's best-reviewed films.[51] Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor named it the 4th best film of 2007.[52] Lou Lumenick of the New York Post named it the ninth best film of 2007.[52]
Ebert gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, saying that there was "a lot of craft and slyness lurking beneath the circa-1960s goofiness," also stating that "The point, however, is not the plot but the energy. Without somebody like Nikki Blonsky at the heart of the movie, it might fall flat, but everybody works at her level of happiness..."[53] Ebert also noted that this film is "a little more innocent than Waters would have made it..."[53] Krishna Shenoi, of the Shenoi Chronicle, called the movie "Shankman's masterpiece," saying that it moved away from his previous works into a different direction, making a light comedy that deals with serious issues maturely. Shenoi also said that the film was everything he wanted Grease to be. Lou Lumenick of The New York Post hailed Hairspray as "The best and most entertaining movie adaptation of a stage musical so far this century — and yes, I’m including the Oscar-winning Chicago," calling it "one of the best-cast movies in recent memory..."[54] New York Daily News critic Jack Matthews called the film "A great big sloppy kiss of entertainment for audiences weary of explosions, CGI effects and sequels, sequels, sequels."[55] The Baltimore Sun review offered Michael Sragow's opinion that "in its entirety, Hairspray has the funny tilt that only a director-choreographer like Shankman can give to a movie," pointing out that Shankman skillfully "puts a new-millennial zing behind exact re-creations of delirious period dances like the Mashed Potato."[56] Dana Stevens from Slate called Hairspray "intermittently tasty, if a little too frantically eager to please."[57] Stevens noted that "Despite its wholesomeness, this version stays remarkably true to the spirit of the original, with one size-60 exception: John Travolta as Edna Turnblad," saying "How you feel about Hairspray will depend entirely on your reaction to this performance..."[57]
The New Yorker's David Denby felt the new version of Hairspray was "perfectly pleasant," but compared unfavorably to the Broadway musical, since "[director Adam Shankman and screenwriter Leslie Dixon] have removed the traces of camp humor and Broadway blue that gave the stage show its happily knowing flavor."[58] Denby criticized the dance numbers, calling them "unimaginatively shot," and he considered "the idea of substituting John Travolta for Harvey Fierstein as Tracy’s hefty mother... a blandly earnest betrayal."[58] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com found Hairspray "reasonably entertaining. But do we really need to be entertained reasonably? Waters' original was a crazy sprawl that made perfect sense; this Hairspray toils needlessly to make sense of that craziness, and something gets lost in the translation."[59] Zacharek was also displeased with the way Latifah's performance of "I Know Where I've Been" was incorporated into the movie, saying "The filmmakers may believe they're adding an extra layer of seriousness to the material... [but] the inclusion of this big production number only suggests that the filmmakers fear the audience won't get the movie's message unless it's spelled out for them."[59]
Washington Blade boycott controversy[edit]
Although it was generally received well by both critics and the box office, Hairspray nonetheless garnered some criticism upon its release by individuals in the gay community. Much of this criticism surrounded Travolta's portrayal of Edna Turnblad, a role played in the original film by celebrated drag performer Divine, and in the stage adaptation by Harvey Fierstein. Kevin Naff, a managing editor for Washington, DC/Baltimore area online gay news site The Washington Blade called for a boycott of the new Hairspray film, alleging that Scientology, in which Travolta believes, was patently homophobic, and allegedly supported workshops designed to "cure" homosexuals.[60] Adam Shankman protested Naff's proposed boycott, stating that Travolta was not homophobic, as he (Shankman), Waters, Shaiman, Wittman, and several other members of the creative staff were homosexual, and Travolta got along well with the entire crew.[61] "John's personal beliefs did not walk onto my set," said Shankman. "I never heard the word 'Scientology.'"[61]
Home media[edit]
Hairspray was released in standard DVD and HD Blu-ray Disc formats in Region 1 and on VHS on November 20, 2007. The Blu-ray disc is encoded with 7.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio.[7] The standard DVD was released in two versions: a one-disc release and a two-disc "Shake and Shimmy" edition.
Bonus features on the two-disc release include two audio commentaries, a feature-length production documentary, featurettes on the earlier versions of Hairspray, dance instruction featurettes, deleted scenes including Tracy's deleted song "I Can Wait", a slightly extended ending, and an alternate version of the "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" reprise, and behind-the-scenes looks at the production of each of the film's dance numbers. The Blu-ray release, a two-disc release, includes all of the features from the two-disc DVD, and includes a picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes feature, which runs concurrently with the film. An HD DVD version of the film was originally slated for release in 2008, but was canceled due to New Line Cinema's announcement that it would go Blu-ray exclusive with immediate effect, thus dropping HD DVD support.[62][63]
Awards[edit]
Following is a list of awards that Hairspray or its cast have won or for which they have been nominated.[64]
Wins2008 MTV Movie Awards Breakthrough Performance (Male) - Zac Efron
2007 Hollywood Film Festival & Hollywood Awards[65] Hollywood Producers of the Year — Craig Zadan and Neil Meron[66]
Hollywood Supporting Actor of the Year — John Travolta[67]
Hollywood Ensemble Acting of the Year Award — Musical/Comedy[68]
13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards[69][70][71][72] Best Acting Ensemble
Best Young Actress – Nikki Blonsky
Nominations65th Golden Globe Awards[72] Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Best Actress, Musical or Comedy — Nikki Blonsky
Best Supporting Actor — John Travolta
13th Annual Critics' Choice Awards[73] Best Comedy Movie
Best Family Film
Best Song "Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)"
14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Canceled sequel[edit]
Due to Hairspray's financial success, New Line Cinema had asked John Waters to write a sequel to the film.[74] Waters reunited with director/choreographer Adam Shankman for the project, and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman were set to compose the film's musical numbers.[74][75]
The story would have looked at Tracy's entering the late 1960s era of music and the British Invasion,[76] and used the Vietnam War as a backdrop.[77] While no official casting was announced, New Line said that they hoped to "snag much of the original Hairspray cast."[74] John Travolta, however, publicly announced that he would not return because he is "not a big sequel guy".[78]
The sequel was set for a mid-July 2010 release by Warner Bros., which owns New Line Cinema.[74] However in June 2010, director Shankman told British press that Hairspray 2 is no longer in development.[79] Shaiman has also said that there will be no sequel.[80]
See also[edit]
Cross-dressing in film and television
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray (1988 film)
References[edit]
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6.Jump up ^ "High School Musical" breaks record. Reuters
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8.Jump up ^ Dempsey, John (2007-10-04). "USA all lathered up for Hairspray". Variety. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
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14.Jump up ^ "Jim Broadbent Cast as Wilbur in Hairspray Film". BroadwayWorld.com. 2006-08-07. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
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16.^ Jump up to: a b Yaeger, Lynn (2007-07-24). "Watered Down: The truth behind Hairspray". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
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19.^ Jump up to: a b c d Shankman, Adam (Director) (2007-11-20). Hairspray: Commentary with Director Adam Shankman and Nikki Blonsky (DVD). New York, NY: New Line Cinema. Event occurs at 1:28:50 - 1:29:03. Retrieved 2008-07-23. "By the way, for those who don't know the agents are Marc Shaiman, uh, that's [Adam Shankman] in the sunglasses, there's Ricki Lake, and Scott Wittman, the other lyricist, smoking...."
20.^ Jump up to: a b c Mohr, Ian (March 2007). "Casting looms for New Line's younger-skewing Hairspray.". Daily Variety. Archived from the original on December 26, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
21.Jump up ^ "Craig Zadan and Neil Meron Signed to Produce New Line Cinema's Musical Film Version of Hairspray". Time Warner. 2004-11-29. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
22.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (2007-07-11). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #2". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
23.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Verini, Bob (July /August 2007). "Miss Beehive-ing: Leslie Dixon styles Hairspray for the Big Screen." Script. pp. 60-66
24.^ Jump up to: a b Shankman, Adam (2007-07-21). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #3". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
25.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Burlingame, Jon (2007-07-11). "You Can't Stop The Beat: Shaiman's unrivaled songwriting talent is outed by Hairspray colleagues". The Film Music Society. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
26.^ Jump up to: a b Shankman, Adam (2007-07-21). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #13". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
27.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (2007-07-16). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #7". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
28.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (2007-07-19). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #9". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
29.Jump up ^ "Jerry Stiller to Make Cameo in Hairspray Film, Waters Too". BroadwayWorld.com. 2006-09-14. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
30.^ Jump up to: a b Shankman, Adam (2007-07-21). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #11". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
31.Jump up ^ Kennedy, John (2006-06-21). "Summer of stars". Canada.com. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
32.Jump up ^ "Internet Movie Database — List of Films shot in Hamilton, Ontario". Retrieved 2008-01-29.
33.Jump up ^ "Interview with director Adam Shankman on WBAL-TV Baltimore (at 4:16)". Youtube.com. YouTube. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
34.^ Jump up to: a b Zadan, Craig (Producer) (2007-11-20). Hairspray: Commentary with Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (DVD). New York, NY: New Line Cinema. Event occurs at 0:00:43 - 0:01:15. Retrieved 2008-07-23. "Except that opening shot of Baltimore is the only shot of Baltimore in the entire movie. That and the newspaper going down on the stoop were actually shot in Baltimore. The Baltimore film commission made a big play to try and have us come there. We asked the question 'Do you have big sound stages?' and, uh, unfortunately the answer was no. When you do a movie musical you need big sound stages to build big sets, so because Baltimore did not have any big sets we shot in Toronto."
35.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (2007-07-21). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #12". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
36.^ Jump up to: a b c Washington, Julie (2007-07-20). "North Olmsted native Tony Gardner creates John Travolta's fat suit for Hairspray". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
37.^ Jump up to: a b Zadan, Craig (Producer) (2007-11-20). Hairspray: Commentary with Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (DVD). New York, NY: New Line Cinema. Event occurs at 0:02:00 - 0:02:47. Retrieved 2008-07-23. "So the opening shot, basically coming down through the clouds and finding Baltimore is our homage to Robert Wise, to the director of West Side Story and The Sound of Music because both of those movies begin with shots through the clouds coming down. In West Side Story, it was through the streets of New York to find the Jets on this... schoolyard, and in, of course, the classic Sound of Music coming down through the clouds and finding Maria spinning on the mountaintop. And the other homage that we have in this song is, uh, our homage to Funny Girl. When Tracy Turnblad eventually gets on top of that garbage truck, that was our homage to Barbra Streisand in a tugboat during "Don't Rain on My Parade" in, in that great sequence in Funny Girl."
38.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (2007-07-25). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #15". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
39.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (Director) (2007-11-20). Hairspray: Commentary with Director Adam Shankman and Nikki Blonsky (DVD). New York, NY: New Line Cinema. Event occurs at 0:45:23 - 0:45:42. Retrieved 2008-07-23. "This was Michelle Pfeiffer's first scene, and [Blonsky's] hairstyle I stole... as a joke off of Funny Girl, which is also what the garbage truck was too, which is like the tugboat in Funny Girl, but Barbra Streisand has, like, a hairdo just exactly like this in, umm, the scene where she goes over to Nicky Arnstein."
40.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (Director) (2007-11-20). Hairspray: Commentary with Director Adam Shankman and Nikki Blonsky (DVD). New York, NY: New Line Cinema. Event occurs at 1:37:47 - 1:37:59. Retrieved 2008-07-23. "I think we had to sew Amanda into that dress.... It's her curtains from her bedroom which is an homage to Sound of Music. Another one of my little musical references."
41.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (2007). Hairspray: Soundtrack to the Motion Picture [Liner notes]. New York: New Line Records.
42.Jump up ^ Shankman, Adam (2007-08-07). "The Director's Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #19". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
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54.Jump up ^ Lumenick, Lou (2007-07-17). "Tons of Fun: Star-studded Musical Large and in Charge". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-08-26.
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68.Jump up ^ "Hairspray gets Ensemble Acting Honors from Hollywood Film Festival". Hollywood Film Festival. 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
69.Jump up ^ ""Old Men" Tops Critics' Choice Awards". CBS News. 2008-01-08. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
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72.^ Jump up to: a b "New Line Records Scores High on Billboard" (Press release). New Line Cinema. 2008-01-08. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
73.Jump up ^ Hayes, Dade (2007-12-11). "Broadcast critics go Wild". Variety. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
74.^ Jump up to: a b c d Gans, Andrew (2008-07-23). "John Waters to Pen Sequel to "Hairspray" Movie Musical". Playbill.com. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
75.Jump up ^ Fleming, Michael (2008-07-23). "New Line asks for more Hairspray". Variety. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
76.Jump up ^ Hetrick, Adam (2008-12-01). "You Can't Stop the Beat: "Hairspray" Film Sequel Seeking Screenwriters". Playbill.com. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
77.Jump up ^ ""Hairspray 2: White Lipstick" Plans". Moviesblog.mtv.com. January 5, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
78.Jump up ^ "John Travolta Will Not Return for "Hairspray 2"". Flixster.com. October 28, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
79.Jump up ^ Director Adam Shankman Says HAIRSPRAY 2 is Dead collider.com
80.Jump up ^ Hetrick, Adam."'Hairspray' Musical Film Sequel Will Not Materialize" playbill.com, June 3, 2010
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Hairspray (2007 film)
Official website
Hairspray at the Internet Movie Database
Hairspray at AllRovi
Hairspray at Box Office Mojo
Hairspray at Rotten Tomatoes
Hairspray at Metacritic

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Categories: 2007 films
English-language films
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2000s romantic comedy films
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African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) in film
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Films about race and ethnicity
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Hairspray (2007) - Plot Summary Poster 
Hairspray  (2007) 
 
Plot Summary


Showing all 3 plot summaries
Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager with all the right moves, is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin, much to Tracy's mother Edna's dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. With all of the help of her friend Seaweed, Tracy makes it on the show, angering the evil dance queen Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma. Tracy then decides that it's not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of Seaweed, Link, Penny, Motormouth Maybelle, her father and Edna, she's going to integrate the show.....without denting her 'do!
- Written by leoprez1030
It's 1962 and teenagers Tracy Turnblad and her friend Penny Pingleton are watching the Corny Collins show. When the chance to dance on the show arrives, Tracy quickly takes the opportunity. Not only does he dancing skills attract Corny Collins, but also the attention of teenage heart throb, Link Larkin. But not everyone is happy with the decision to have her dance on the show. The shows manager, Velma von Tussle will do anything to get Tracy off the show, even if it has to include Tracy's parents of new friends Seaweed and Motormouth Maybelle.
- Written by Film_Fan
Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad and her best friend Penny Pingleton audition to be on The Corny Collins Show and Tracy wins. But when scheming Amber Von Tussle and her mother plot to destroy Tracy, it turns to chaos.
- Written by Corey Semple <Hairsprayer122107>
Synopsis

May 3, 1962 begins the same as every other school day for Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), an overweight high school student from Baltimore...
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IMDb > Hairspray (2007) > Synopsis

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May 3, 1962 begins the same as every other school day for Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), an overweight high school student from Baltimore, Maryland. She endures a day's worth of boring classes so that she and her best friend Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes) can race home to catch their favorite TV program, The Corny Collins Show. The program, a teen dance show, is broadcast from Baltimore's station WYZT on weekday afternoons.
Some of the teenagers featured on the show also attend Tracy and Penny's school, in particular snobby rich girl Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow) and her heartthrob boyfriend Link Larkin (Zac Efron), with whom Tracy is madly in love. Amber's mother Velma (Michelle Pfeiffer) manages station WYZT, and goes out of her way to make sure Amber is prominently featured and that Corny Collins remains a segregated program. Corny Collins (James Marsden) and all of his "Council Kids" are white; black kids are only allowed on Corny Collins on "Negro Day", held the last Tuesday of each month and hosted by local R&B radio DJ Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah).
Neither Tracy's plus-sized shut-in laundress mother Edna (John Travolta) nor Penny's strict Catholic mother Prudy (Allison Janney) approve of their daughters basing their lives around a TV show, particularly one where teens dance to "race music". Tracy's father Wilbur (Christopher Walken), a joke-shop proprietor, is far more lenient. On one day's show, Corny Collins announces that one of his "Council Kids" is going on a leave of absence, and auditions for a replacement will be held the next morning - during school hours. However, Velma turns Tracy away at the audition for being overweight and supportive of integration. Tracy is sent to detention for skipping school, but finds that detention hall is where the black kids hang out and dance. Tracy befriends the detention hall's best dancer, Motormouth Maybelle's son Seaweed (Elijah Kelley), who teaches Tracy several R&B dance moves. These moves secure Tracy a spot on The Corny Collins Show.
Tracy quickly becomes one of Corny's most popular Council Kids and a threat to Velma's quest to have Amber win the show's yearly "Miss Teenage Hairspray" pageant. In addition, Tracy also becomes a threat to Amber's courtship with Link, as he becomes increasingly fond of Tracy and less so of Amber. Tracy's popularity earns her a sponsorship offer from clothes salesman Mr. Pinky (Jerry Stiller), who wants Tracy to be the spokesgirl for his "Hefty Hideaway" boutique for plus-sized women. Tracy convinces Edna to accompany her to the Hefty Hideaway and act as her negotiating agent, and in the process brings her mother's days as an agoraphobe to an end.
At school, Tracy eventually introduces Seaweed to Penny, and the two are instantly smitten with each other. One afternoon after Amber deliberately gets Tracy sent to detention, Link gets himself deliberately sent there in support of her. There Seaweed invites the girls and Link to follow him and his sister Little Inez (Taylor Parks) to a platter party at Motormouth Maybelle's record shop. At the party, Maybelle informs everyone that Velma has canceled Negro Day. Tracy suggests that Maybelle and the others stage a protest march, which they plan for the next afternoon, a day before the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant. Link, scheduled to sing at the pageant and worried about his budding career, backs out of the demonstration and accidentally offends Tracy in the process.
The next morning, Tracy sneaks out of the house to join the protest march, which comes to a halt at a police roadblock set up by Velma. The entire company of protesters is arrested, although Tracy manages to escape. She flees to the Pingletons' house, where Penny lets her hide out in a basement fallout shelter. However, Prudy discovers Tracy and calls the police, tying Penny to her bed upstairs with a jump rope. Seaweed and a few of the other detention kids (having been bailed out by Wilbur) arrive and help Tracy and Penny escape, and the kids concoct a plan to crash the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant. Meanwhile, Link visits Tracy's house in order to look for her, and realizes that he is as much in love with her as she is with him. Seaweed and Penny also acknowledge their love during the escape from her house.
With the pageant underway, Velma, leaving nothing to chance, places policemen around and inside station WYZT in order to prevent Tracy from entering. In addition, Velma switches the tallies from the pageant's phone lines so that Amber is guaranteed to win. Penny arrives at the pageant with an incognito Edna, while Wilbur, Seaweed, and the Detention Kids help Tracy sneak past the police and into the studio in time to participate in the Miss Teenage Hairspray dance-off. Link breaks away from Amber to dance with Tracy; then he pulls Inez, who has just arrived at WYZT with Maybelle, to the stage to dance for the pageant.
Against all expectations, Inez receives the most votes and wins the pageant, officially integrating The Corny Collins Show. A perturbed Velma loudly declares her frustration, informing her daughter of the tally-switching scheme. Unknown to Velma, Edna has turned a camera on her, and Velma's outburst is broadcast live on the air, getting her fired. Meanwhile, The Corny Collins Show set explodes into a celebration as Link and Tracy cement their love with a kiss.


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Edit 
Hairspray (2007) Poster 
Hairspray  (2007) 
 
Trivia


Showing all 35 items
Jump to: Cameo (3) | Spoilers (1)


Meryl Streep and Madonna were considered for the role of Velma Von Tussle.
 2 of 2 found this interesting  | Share this


Film debut of Nikki Blonsky, who celebrated her 18th birthday with her family and friends while on the set of this movie.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Elijah Kelley had to go through an hour of hair dressing every day.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


It took John Travolta four hours to put on the 30-pound fat suit and 5 gel-filled silicone face prosthetics to become Edna Turnblad.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Amanda Bynes' pigtails took two hours in hair and make-up every morning.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Nikki Blonsky revealed on the May 16, 2007 edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show that when she entered the studio on the first day, John Travolta had said to her, "Come to Momma".
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


The soundtrack for the new "Hairspray" features a rendition of all of the "original" Tracys (Ricki Lake from the first film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the Broadway cast, and Nikki Blonsky from this film) singing "Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now". Harvey Fierstein appears near the end, but he isn't credited.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Penny Pingleton's dress in the "You Can't Stop the Beat" song was made from the curtains in her room.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Costume designer Rita Ryack actually got vintage outfits for some of the characters to wear during a number of the scenes shot in the high school. Link Larkin's blue sweater was a sweater vest found at a vintage shop.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


The first time a John Waters story made into a movie was not filmed in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland; Toronto was used instead.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


The creative team modified several songs from the Original Broadway production, removed others, and added some new songs. "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now", a number performed in the stage musical by Tracy, Penny, and Amber opposite their respective mothers, was reluctantly cut from the script during pre-production - but was sung over the credits by all three "original" Tracys (Ricki Lake, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Nikki Blonsky). While the crew liked the song, screenwriter Leslie Dixon felt the number did not adequately advance the plot, and would also be impossible to film without a three-way split screen, which neither she nor director Adam Shankman wanted to use. "It Takes Two", sung in the stage musical by Link to Tracy during her first day on "The Corny Collins Show", was moved to an earlier scene in the film; Link sings it just before Tracy learns that the TV station will be holding auditions for a new Council Member. However, only the song's coda remains in the final release. "Cooties", performed by Amber at the climactic "Miss Teenage Hairspray" pageant in the stage musical, is an instrumental during the pageant contestants' dance-off. "Mama" and "It Takes Two" are also instrumentals during scenes featuring broadcasts of "The Corny Collins Show". A reprise of "Big, Blond, and Beautiful", sung by Velma and Edna, was added to the film as part of a new subplot involving Velma Von Tussle's attempt to seduce Tracy's father Wilbur. "I Can Wait", a climactic ballad written for the film, was to have been performed by Tracy as she is hiding out in Penny's basement. The sequence was cut from the final release print. "The New Girl in Town" was written for the stage musical, dropped during the workshopping stage, resurrected, and used in this film to underscore Tracy's rise-to-fame montage, and to show "The Corny Collins Show" on Negro Day. "Ladies' Choice", performed by Link at a school dance, was added to replace "The Madison", a dance number carried over into the stage musical from Hairspray. "Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)" was written for the film for use during the closing credits.
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After Penny and Seaweed fall in love, she sings, "And if they try to stop us, Seaweed/We'll call the N-double A-C-P." Until the Supreme Court's 1967 decision in Loving v. Virginia, interracial marriage was illegal in 17 states, including Maryland. In Baltimore, Maryland, in 1962, Seaweed and Penny's relationship was illegal.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


When Prudy Pingleton reads the Bible out loud to herself, she reads Genesis 19:30-38, in which Lot's daughters get their father drunk and then conceive children with him.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


The "Nicest Kids in Town" are: Amber Von Tussle, Brad, Tammy, Fender, Brenda, Sketch, Shelley, IQ, Lou-Ann, Joey, Mickey, Vicki, Becky, Bix, Jessie, Darla, Paulie, Noreen, Doreen, Link Larkin and (when Brenda leaves) Tracey Turnblad.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


With $27.5 million, this had the best opening ever for a movie musical until Mamma Mia!.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Adam Shankman made Zac Efron make out with the picture frame in the "Without Love" sequence for over an hour.
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The original Broadway production of "Hairspray" opened at the Neil Simon Theater on August 15, 2002, ran for 2,642 performances and won the 2003 Tony Awards for the Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score. It is Broadway's 21st longest running show ever (February 2013). Cast included Marissa Jaret Winokur (Tracy), Harvey Fierstein (Edna), Clarke Thorell (Corny Collins), Laura Bell Bundy (Amber), Matthew Morrison (Link), Kerry Butler (Penny), Linda Hart (Velma), Dick Latessa (Wilbur), Corey Reynolds (Seaweed) and Mary Bond Davis (Motormouth Maybelle).
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Billy Crystal and Jim Broadbent were both considered for the role of Wilbur Turnblad.
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To facilitate filming for the "Run and Tell That" dance number, the production cut up a 1957 GMC transit bus into 9 pieces.
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According to Film Journal International, the song "Big, Blonde and Beautiful (Reprise)" was added in as at the suggestion of Michelle Pfeiffer to replace a scripted scene, giving her the chance to sing.
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Arvin Hodgepile and Franklin von Tussle, two characters from the 1988 film, do not appear in this version. The actors who played them died: Divine in 1988 and Sonny Bono in 1998.
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This film brings together John Travolta who starred in Grease, and Michelle Pfeiffer who starred in Grease 2. One day, while the cast was waiting between takes, Travolta began singing "Summer Nights". Co-stars Amanda Bynes and Zac Efron were so excited that they immediately began sending text messages to their friends about what was happening.
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Most of the cast jokingly called "You Can't Stop the Beat" "you can't stop to breathe" because of its pace and fast-moving lyrics. Queen Latifah said she had no trouble singing a lot of words very quickly because of her background as a rapper.
 Is this interesting?  | Share this


Season 3 American Idol runner up Diana DeGarmo auditioned to play Penny Pingleton but did not get the part because she was "too short". She is, however, in the Broadway show.
 Is this interesting?  | Share this


Amanda Bynes' character, Penny, is seen constantly eating lollipops. Her father, who is a dentist, became very worried for Amanda's dental health, as it was estimated she ate about 40 lollipops a day. Amanda told him that she wasn't really eating all of them, when in reality she ate them all.
 Is this interesting?  | Share this


Four songs were written for the film, but didn't make the final cut: "I Can Wait" (the only one filmed, available on Special Edition DVD), "Mrs. Von Tussle Says" (meant to replace Miss Baltimore Crabs), "Save Your Applause 'Till The End" (Velma follows Tracy around, complaining), and "Turn Back The Hands of Time" (Original "Come So Far"). All 4 songs are on the 2-Disc Special Edition Soundtrack.
 Is this interesting?  | Share this


In a classroom scene, a teacher mentions that Everest is not Earth's highest geographical point. She asks what the actual highest point is, and the bell rings. The answer is Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador, which is the furthest point from the Earth's center, but closer to local sea level than Everest. (The Earth bulges at the equator.) However, as the movie is set in 1962, and the analysis that led to Mt. Chimborazo being described that way was performed recently, it is extraordinarily unlikely that's what the teacher is referring to. Also, by the measurement that lists Mt. Chimborazo is highest, Everest is not 2nd, but 10th. Almost certainly, the reference is to K2, which is a point of contention.
 Is this interesting?  | Share this


Adam Shankman offered the role of Link Larkin to Zac Efron after seeing him in High School Musical.
 Is this interesting?  | Share this


Actor Dermot Mulroney plays cello on the soundtrack along with the Hollywood Studio Orchestra.
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Aretha Franklin auditioned for the role of Motormouth Maybelle, but lost out to Queen Latifah.
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The character played by Sonny Bono in the original film does not appear in this film, but the part was the husband of the Michelle Pfeiffer character. Pfeiffer previously appeared in The Witches of Eastwick with Bono's first wife, Cher.
 Is this interesting?  | Share this


Cameo


Ricki Lake, Adam Shankman, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman:  William Morris talent agents in the finale - note Shaiman's very out of character and period beard.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Jerry Stiller:  Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray, now appears as Mr. Pinky.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


John Waters:  The flasher in the opening 'Good Morning Baltimore' sequence.
 1 of 1 found this interesting  | Share this


Spoilers


The trivia item below may give away important plot points.


The song "You Can't Stop the Beat" was changed for the movie version. When it is performed of Broadway the last verse is sung by Velma and Amber von Tussel, providing a form of redemption for the villainous characters. This does not happen in the movie. The Broadway lyrics are: Ever since we first saw the sun/It seems von tussle girls are always Tryin' to please someone/But now we're gonna shake and shimmy it/And have some fun Today! In the movie this is changed to: Ever since we first saw the sun/a man and woman liked to shake it when the day is done/And so I'm going to shake and shimmy and have some fun today.
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Hairspray (2007) Poster 



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Hairspray (2007)
  117 min   -  Comedy | Musical | Romance  -  20 July 2007 (USA)  

6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 73,124 users   Metascore:  81/100 
 Reviews: 384 user  | 217 critic  |  37  from  Metacritic.com 

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.

Director:
 Adam Shankman
Writers:
 Leslie Dixon (screenplay), John Waters, 2 more credits »
Stars:
 John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky |  See full cast and crew »  

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 Comedy | Musical | Romance

     8.4/10  

A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Stars: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds




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. 
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Cast
Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta  John Travolta   ... 
Edna Turnblad

Michelle Pfeiffer  Michelle Pfeiffer   ... 
Velma Von Tussle

Christopher Walken  Christopher Walken   ... 
Wilbur Turnblad

Amanda Bynes  Amanda Bynes   ... 
Penny Pingleton

James Marsden  James Marsden   ... 
Corny Collins

Queen Latifah  Queen Latifah   ... 
Motormouth Maybelle

Brittany Snow  Brittany Snow   ... 
Amber Von Tussle

Zac Efron  Zac Efron   ... 
Link Larkin

Elijah Kelley  Elijah Kelley   ... 
Seaweed

Allison Janney  Allison Janney   ... 
Prudy Pingleton

Nikki Blonsky  Nikki Blonsky   ... 
Tracy Turnblad

Taylor Parks  Taylor Parks   ... 
Little Inez

Jayne Eastwood  Jayne Eastwood   ... 
Miss Wimsey

Paul Dooley  Paul Dooley   ... 
Mr. Spritzer

Jerry Stiller  Jerry Stiller   ... 
Mr. Pinky

See full cast »
. 
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Storyline

Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager with all the right moves, is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin, much to Tracy's mother Edna's dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. With all of the help of her friend Seaweed, Tracy makes it on the show, angering the evil dance queen Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma. Tracy then decides that it's not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of Seaweed, Link, Penny, Motormouth Maybelle, her father and Edna, she's going to integrate the show.....without denting her 'do! Written by leoprez1030
 Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis 
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Plot Keywords:
 dance | friend | audition | best friend | dancing | See more » 
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Taglines:
 Who's who behind the do?  See more » 
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Genres:
  Comedy |  Musical |  Romance 
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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG for language, some suggestive content and momentary teen smoking |  See all certifications » 
Parents Guide:
  View content advisory »  . 
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Details

Official Sites:
 Metropolitan Films [France] | New Line Cinema [United States] 
Country:
 USA | UK
Language:
 English
Release Date:
 20 July 2007 (USA) See more » 
Also Known As:
 Hairspray: Em Busca da Fama See more » 
Filming Locations:
 Lakeview Restaurant, 1132 Dundas Street. W, Toronto, Ontario See more » 
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Box Office

Budget:
 $75,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend:
 £2,045,912 (UK) (20 July 2007)
Gross:
 $118,823,091 (USA) (19 October 2007) See more » 
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Company Credits

Production Co:
 New Line Cinema, Ingenious Film Partners, Zadan / Meron Productions See more » 
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Specs

Runtime:
 117 min
Sound Mix:
 Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS
Color:
 Color
Aspect Ratio:
 2.35 : 1 See full technical specs » . 
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Did You Know?

Trivia
Most of the cast jokingly called "You Can't Stop the Beat" "you can't stop to breathe" because of its pace and fast-moving lyrics. Queen Latifah said she had no trouble singing a lot of words very quickly because of her background as a rapper. See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goofs
In the scene with Mr. Pinky, after he gives Tracy donuts, Edna moves her purse from her right arm to her left arm twice. See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quotes
[first lines]
Tracy Turnblad: [singing] Oh, oh, oh, woke up today, feeling the way I always do. Oh, oh, oh, hungry for something that I can't eat. Then I hear that beat. That rhythm of town starts calling me down. It's like a message from high above. Oh, oh, oh, pulling me out to the smiles and the streets that I love. Good morning, Baltimore!
See more »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Connections
Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #18.89 (2010) See more »
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Soundtracks
The New Girl in Town
 Music by Marc Shaiman
 Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
 Performed by Brittany Snow with Sarah Jayne Jensen, Hayley Podschun,
Kamilah Marshall, Terita Redd and Shayna Steele
 (c) 2007 New Line Tunes (ASCAP)
 All Rights Reserved
See more » .

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  Who is the father of Brenda's baby?
Q:  What's the deal with Miss Baltimore Crabs? What does it mean?
Q:  Is this a remake?
See more (Spoiler Alert!) » . 
User Reviews


Amazing    
5 July 2007 | by Montreal Kid  (Canada) – See all my reviews

Just got back from the premiere and this was an amazing movie. I wasn't expecting it to be comparable to the Broadway but it was amazing. The casting was really well done, the sets were very well decorated. Costumes were impressive. Travolta was an excellent Edna. It is definitely worth seeing. Laugh your head off funny. Music and performances had everybody in the theater dancing or tapping their feet. If you want to have fun, go see this movie. You will dance all the way home. I think this will be one of the better movies of the summer and definitely deserves a few awards. I can't wait for it to be released so I can bring all my friends and family.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
87 of 153 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Review this title | See all 384 user reviews »
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Message Boards
Recent Posts
WHY John Travolta instead of an actual woman to play Edna?!  storytellersinc 
Big girl movies?  Movie-Whore 
About black people -No trolling, I swear!  rog89 
James Marsden ('Corny Collins')  jellifish_in_da_house 
Penny's mom, Prudy. Is she....  director777 
HELP! Why was Edna shocked seeing the 3 black woman on TV???  loves_it_gorgeous 
Discuss Hairspray (2007) on the IMDb message boards »
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Synopsis
Hairspray is based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, with a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman. Hairspray is directed by Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.
In Hairspray, it’s 1962, the ’50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion – to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance programme, ‘The Corny Collins Show’ and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the programme’s reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her ‘do? Only in Hairspray! Welcome to the ’60s!
The musical features an original score by Marc Shaiman (who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut’) and Scott Whittman. Their songs take Tracy from the soundstage of a ’60s-style dance show to the streets of Baltimore to a downtown rhythm and blues record shop..

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Cast
Mark Benton
MARK BENTON 
Edna Turnblad
Lucy Benjamin b and w
LUCY BENJAMIN 
Velma Von Tussle
Freya Sutton
FREYA SUTTON 
Tracy Turnblad
Luke Striffler
LUKE STRIFFLER 
Link Larkin
Sandra Marvin B AND W
SANDRA MARVIN 
Motormouth Maybelle
Adrian Hansel
ADRIAN HANSEL 
Seaweed
Paul Rider
PAUL RIDER 
Wilbur Turnblad
Gemma Sutton B AND W
GEMMA SUTTON 
Amber Von Tussle
Lauren Hood
LAUREN HOOD 
Penny Pingleton
Charles Ruhrmund - new main
CHARLES RUHRMUND 
Corny Collins
Wendy Somerville
WENDY SOMERVILLE 
Female Authority Figure
Daniel Stockton
DANIEL STOCKTON 
Male Authority Figure
Gabrielle Brooks
GABRIELLE BROOKS 
Inez
Amelia Adams Pearce
AMELIA ADAMS-PEARCE 
Lou-Ann
Jocasta Almgill
JOCASTA ALMGILL 
Peaches (Dynamite)
Lori Barker BlackandWhite
LORI BARKER 
Cindy (Dynamite)
Piers Bate
PIERS BATE 
Brad
Arun Blair-Mangat
ARUN BLAIR-MANGAT 
Swing
Sophia Brown
SOPHIA BROWN 
Pearl (Dynamite)
Andrew Bryant
ANDREW BRYANT 
IQ
Georgia Carling B AND W
GEORGIA CARLING 
Swing
Rhiannon Chesterman
RHIANNON CHESTERMAN 
Shelly
Mark Hilton
MARK HILTON 
2nd Edna/ 1st Wilbur/ 1st Male Authority Figure cover
Francesca Hoffman
FRANCESCA HOFFMAN 
Tammy
Samantha Hull
SAMANTHA HULL 
Brenda
Claudia Kariuki
CLAUDIA KARIUKI 
Lorraine
Lewis Kirk BLACK AND WHITE
LEWIS KIRK 
Fender
Sam Lathwood2
SAM LATHWOOD 
Assistant Dance Captain/Swing
Fela Lufadeju
FELA LUFADEJU 
Duane
Simone Mistry Palmer
SIMONE MISTRY-PALMER 
Swing
Nikki Pocklington
NIKKI POCKLINGTON 
Walking Tracy Cover
Nathaniel Morrison
NATHANIEL MORRISON 
Gilbert
David Ribi
DAVID RIBI 
Sketch
Noel Samuels
NOEL SAMUELS 
Thad
Laura Thorogood
LAURA THOROGOOD 
Dance Captain/Swing

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Creative Team

Creative Team
Book by Mark O’Donnell, Thomas Meehan
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman
Based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters
Choreography by Jerry Mitchell
Directed by Jack O’Brien

Producers

STAGE ENTERTAINMENT UK LTD

Technical Team

David Rockwell - Set Design

William Ivey Long - Costume Design

Kenneth Posner - Lighting Design

Steve Canyon Kennedy - Sound Design

Paul Huntley - Wigs & Hair Design

Harold Wheeler - Orchestrations

Matt Lenz - Associate Director

Helen Dixon - UK Dance Supervisor

Mark Hilton - UK Production Supervisor

Nicholas Skilbeck - Musical Supervisor

Peter White - Musical Director

David Grindrod Associates - Casting

Andrew D Edwards - Associate Set Designer

Jack Galloway - Associate Costume Designer

Richard Mawbey - UK Wig & Hair Design

Alistair Grant - Associate Lighting Designer

Gareth Owen - Associate Sound Designer

Andrew Corcoran - Assistant Musical Director

Musical Co-ordination Services Ltd - Orchestral Management

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Awards


West End Awards

VARIETY CLUB AWARDS 2009
MUSICAL THEATRE PRIZE

VARIETY CLUB AWARDS 2008
BEST MUSICAL

OLIVIER AWARDS 2008
BEST NEW MUSICAL
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
 Michael Ball
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
 Leanne Jones
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
IN A MUSICAL
 Tracie Bennett

WHAT'S ON STAGE THEATREGOERS' CHOICE AWARDS 2008
BEST NEW MUSICAL
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
 Michael Ball
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
 Leanne Jones
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
 Tracie Bennett
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
 Ben James-Ellis
BEST DIRECTOR
 Jack O'Brien
BEST CHOREOGRAPHER
 Jerry Mitchell

CRITICS' CIRCLE AWARDS 2008
BEST MUSICAL
BEST NEWCOMER
 Leanne Jones

EVENING STANDARD THEATRE AWARDS 2007
BEST NEW MUSICAL


Broadway Awards

8 TONY AWARDS, INCLUDING...
BEST MUSICAL
 Hairspray
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
 Jack O'Brien
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
 Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
 Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
 William Ivey Long

10 DRAMA DESK AWARDS
OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL
 Hairspray
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
 Jack O'Brien
OUTSTANDING MUSIC
 Marc Shaiman
OUTSTANDING LYRICS
 Scott Wittman
 Marc Shaiman
OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
 Mark O'Donnell
 Thomas Meehan
OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS
 Harold Wheeler
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
 William Ivey Long

NEW YORK DRAMA CRITICS' CIRCLE AWARD
BEST MUSICAL

OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE
 2002-03 AWARDS
OUTSTANDING BROADWAY MUSICAL
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
 Jack O'Brien
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
 William Ivey Long

DRAMA LEAGUE AWARDS
DISTINGUISHED PRODUCTION
 OF A MUSICAL

GRAMMY 2002
BEST MUSICAL SHOW ALBUM
 Marc Shaiman – Composer/Lyricist.
 Scott Wittman – Lyricist.
 Marc Shaiman – Producer
 Pete Karam – Engineer/Mixer


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Downloads


Hairspray Wallpaper 1
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1600 x 1200
Hairspray Wallpaper 1

Hairspray Wallpaper 2
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1600 x 1200
Hairspray Wallpaper 2

Mask
You can have your own Ultra Clutch hairstyle!
Mask

Miss Teenage Hairspray Badge
Create your own contest with your friends, and crown the winner!
Miss Teenage Hairspray Badge

I Love Hairspray Certificate
Are you Hairspray's biggest fan?!
I Love Hairspray Certificate

Photo Frame Greeting Cards
A special gift for your friend, or just keep for yourself!
Photo Frame Greeting Cards

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Gallery


Production Photos
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-19
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-120
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-193
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-274
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Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-769
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-838
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Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1001
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1306
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1421
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1531
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1628x
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1707
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1711
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1746
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1943
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-1985 DG Edit
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2171
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2263
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2240
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2346
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-3623
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2443
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2501
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2616
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2822
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-2913
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-3151
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-3376
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-3492
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-3760
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-3995
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-4045
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-4131
Hairspray-Tour-9-02-13-Lowry-4487 Edited Crop v2




Rehearsal Photos
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Studio Photos
5 - HG2_8746 (139)
2 - Mark solo HG2_8680 (73)
8 - HG2_9260 (62)
MARCUS COLLINS AS SEAWEED STUBBS 3
MARCUS COLLINS AS SEAWEED STUBBS 2
MARCUS COLLINS AS SEAWEED STUBBS 1
HG2_8936 EDIT
7 - HG2_8975 (14)
HG2_4906-A---Edited-S2
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HG2_5084-A---Edited-S2
HG2_5250-A---Edited-SA2
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Videos
Hairspray UK Tour - Brand New Trailer!
Hairspray 2013 UK Tour Trailer
Hairspray Video Diary 1: Hairspray 2013 UK Tour Photo Shoot
Hairspray Video Diary 2: Backstage at the launch!
Hairspray 2013 UK Tour - Sneak Peek - Run and Tell That

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Celebrity Fans

West End Celebrity Fans

AT THE
SHAFTESBURY THEATRE...
Adele Silva
 Alan Rickman
 Angela Rippon
 Ant and Dec
 Anthea Turner
 Arlene Phillips
 Barbara Windsor
 Beverley Knight
 Bradley Walsh
 Cameron Mackintosh
 Caroline Quentin
 Cheryl and Ashley Cole
 Chris Rock
 Christopher Biggins
 Cilla Black
 Claire Sweeney
 Clive Anderson
 Craig Revel Horwood
 Dannii Minogue
 David Walliams
 Dawn French
 Denise Van Outen
 Denzel Washington
 Elaine Paige
 Eleanor Simmonds
 Fern Britton
 Gethin Jones
 Gok Wan
 Gordon Ramsey
 Graham Norton
 Griff Rhys Jones
 Guy Ritchie
 Heather Small
 Henry Winkler
 Ian Hislop
 Ian McKellen
 Jackie Brambles
 Jason Donovan
 Jennifer Saunders
 Jill Halfpenny
 Joan Collins
 John & Norma Major
 John Barrowman
 Jonathan Ross
 Judi Dench
 Julia Mckenzie
 June Whitfield
 Kara Tointon
 Katherine Jenkins
 Katie Price (Jordan)
 Laurence Fishburne
 Lenny Henry
 Louisa Lytton
 Matt Lucas
 McFly
 Michelle Collins
 Natalie Casey
 Nicola Roberts
 Noel Edmonds
 Pamela Anderson
 Paul Merton
 Paul Nicholas
 Paula Wilcox
 Peter Jones
 Peter Kay
 Phillip Schofield
 Phill Jupitus
 Rihanna
 Ronnie Corbett
 Russell T Davies
 Sheridan Smith
 Stockard Channing
 Sue Pollard
 Susie Quatro
 Tara Newly
 Tom Chambers
 Tony Blackburn
 Vanessa Feltz



Broadway Celebrity Fans

AT THE
NEIL SIMON THEATER...
Bette Midler
 David Rockwell
 Debbie Gibson
 Diane Sawyer
 Kathleen Turner
 Martin Short
 Matthew Broderick
 Nathan Lane
 Patricia Hearst
 Richard Kind
 Ricki Lake
 Rosie O'Donnell
 Rufus Wainwright
 Sarah Jessica Parker


Harispray Tour Celebrity Fans

CARDIFF...
Alex Jones
 Carly Stenson
 Caryl Parry Jones
 Colin Charvis
 Craig Phillips
 Derek Brockway
 Elin Fflur
 Faith Brown
 Huw Llewelyn Davies
 Jason Mohammad
 Jennifer Metcalfe
 Jermaine Beckford
 Mark Moraghan
 Mikel Arteta
 Rebecca Evans
 Ricky Whittle
 Rhydian Roberts
 Ruth Jones
 Scarlet Strallen
 Shan Cothi
 Tim Rhys-Evans


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Latest News
You can’t stop the beat – HAIRSPRAY IS BACK!
Stage Entertainment is delighted to announce the return of the Nicest Kids in Townas Hairspray embarks on its second UK and Ireland tour from February 2013!
Big Musical! Big Comedy! Big Hair!
It’s 1962, the 50s are out and change is in the air.  Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion – dancing.  She wins a spot on the local TV dance programme, The Corny Collins Show and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity.  But can a trendsetting hair-hopper like Tracy get her massively shy Mom out of the apartment, beat evil Amber to be crowned Miss Hairspray, integrate Corny’s show for good AND win the heart of local heartthrob Link Larkin, all without denting her super high ‘do’?  If anyone can, Tracy can!
Hairspray opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London in October 2007 to universal critical acclaim. The show won Best Musical at the Olivier Awards, the Evening Standard Awards, the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice awards, the Critics’ Circle Awards and the Variety Club Showbiz Awards! In 2010 the multi-award winning production hit the road, visiting theatres throughout the UK and Ireland. Almost two million people have seen this incredible show since its West End debut, and now you have the chance to enjoy the happiest, funniest, sunniest show in town during this strictly limited 2013 tour. Coming to a theatre near you.

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Latest News
Mark Benton to star as Edna Turnblad!
Stage Entertainment UK is very pleased to announce that Mark Benton (Waterloo Road and Early Doors) will be starring in the role of Edna Turnblad in the 2013 UK and Ireland tour of Hairspray!

Mark Benton is one of the country’s most loved and recognisable television actors with roles in programmes as diverse as Early Doors, Eureka Street, Catterick, Second Coming, City Lights, Booze Cruise, Land Girls, and The Street. He can currently be seen as Chalky in the BBC series Waterloo Road. On stage he has appeared in work at the National Theatre, the Old Vic, the Lyric Hammersmith, the Donmar Warehouse, the Royal Court and the RSC.
Mark Benton said: “I can’t wait to start Hairspray, it’s going to be amazing fun and an interesting challenge for me as it’s my first adventure into the world of musicals…that I get to go on that adventure playing a Baltimore housewife is an added bonus! As a musical I think it has everything, great songs, great script, really interesting story and lots and lots of laughs…I hope!” We can’t wait to see him as the big, blonde and beautiful Edna, can you?
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Lucy Benjamin to play Velma Von Tussle!
The producers of HAIRSPRAY are delighted to announce that EastEnders star Lucy Benjamin will join leading man Mark Benton on the show’s forthcoming UK tour. Lucy will play the role of scheming TV executive and archetypal ‘showbiz mom’ Velma Von Tussle. Mark and Lucy will also be joined by newcomer Freya Sutton as big-hearted, big-haired teen heroine Tracy Turnblad.
Lucy Benjamin’s earliest credits include the musicals Annie, Barnardo and Worzel Gummidge in the West End before making her television debut in Doctor Who.  She played the lead character Julie Craig on ITV’s smash hit teen drama Press Gang before starring as Lisa Fowler in the BBC’s EastEnders.  During her time on EastEnders she featured in some of the show’s biggest storylines including the infamous Who Shot Phil Mitchell? saga, with more than 22 million people tuning in to see her character revealed as the shooter.  Other television credits include Casualty, Kingdom, The Afternoon Play, Doctors and, most recently, Holby City and in 2006 Lucy won The X Factor: Battle of the Stars.  On stage she has appeared in The Pretender Agenda in the West End, the UK tour of Framed and last year’s sell out production of Peter Pan at the Mayflower Theatre Southampton.
Lucy Benjamin said: “Hairspray is an absolute dream come true for me.  I’m so excited to be returning to my musical theatre roots and to be cast in one of the biggest and best shows around, well, it was worth the wait!  I’m a huge fan of the films and loved the show in the West End.  Velma is a great character too, a piece of work of course but she’ll be a wonderful challenge and to play opposite Mr Mark Benton, he’s the icing on the cake!”
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Marcus Collins to play Seaweed Stubbs
The producers of HAIRSPRAY are delighted to announce that The X Factor’s Marcus Collins will join stars Mark Benton and Lucy Benjamin on the show’s forthcoming UK and Ireland tour, which opens at Manchester’s Lowry Theatre in February next year.
Marcus Collins will play Seaweed Stubbs, one of the coolest kids at Patterson Park High, son of DJ Motormouth Maybelle and love interest of Penny Pingleton.  He joins previously announced Mark Benton as larger than life Edna Turnblad, Lucy Benjamin as scheming TV executive Velma Von Tussle and newcomer Freya Sutton as big-hearted, big-haired teen heroine Tracy Turnblad.
Liverpool born and bred, Marcus Collins rose to fame, and won the hearts of the nation, on ITV1’s 2011 season of The X Factor.  Mentored by music legend Gary Barlow and hugely popular throughout the series, Marcus eventually finished as runner up in front of a sold out audience at Wembley Arena and more than 14 million viewers watching at home.  Since then he has toured the UK as part of The X Factor Live tour and has released the Top 10 album, Marcus Collins.  His leading role in Hairspray marks his musical theatre debut.
Marcus Collins said: “I can’t express how thrilled I am to be joining the tour of Hairspray.  It’s been a pretty amazing year for me and now to be cast in my dream role feels like a new part of the adventure!  Having trained in musical theatre since my early teens I’m just itching to get into rehearsals now and so excited to be working with Mark, Lucy and the rest of the company.  Roll on February.”
The cast also includes Gemma Sutton, Lauren Hood, Sandra Marvin, Gabriella Brooks, Josh Piterman, Daniel Stockton, Wendy Sommerville, Jocasta Almgill, Sophia Brown, Lori Barker, Andrew Bryant, David Ribi, Lewis Kirk, Piers Bate, Amelia Adams-Pearce, Francesca Hoffman, Samantha Hull, Fela Lufadeju, Noel Samuels, Claudia Kariuki, Simone Mistry-Palmer, Arun Blair-Mangat, Sam Lathwood, Laura Thorogood, Nikki Pocklington and Mark Hilton.
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Review Roundup: The Lowry, Salford
We had our first press night and the reviews are in!

*****
‘HAIRSPRAY IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE BEST TOURING MUSICAL YOU WILL SEE THIS YEAR.’
Whatsonstage.com
****
‘A FUN PACKED RIDE FULL OF CHEEKY HUMOUR AND INFECTIOUSLY CATCHY SINGALONG TUNES’
Manchester Evening News
*****
‘THIS IS A PARTY WITH A HEART’
The Public Reviews
‘GLITTERY COSTUMES, UPBEAT SONGS AND SUPERB CHOREOGRAPHY ALL COMBINED WITH EXCEPTIONAL ACTING SKILLS TO CREATE A TRULY THRILLING PRODUCTION.’
Mancunian Matters
‘THIS IS POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT AT ITS BEST FROM A COMPANY THAT KNOWS HOW TO SEND ITS AUDIENCES HOME HAPPY AND SHOUTING FOR MORE.’
The British Theatre Guide
‘THIS IS A MUSICAL BIG ON HAIR, FUN, MUSIC AND TALENT – WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?’
Daily Post
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Review Roundup: Sunderland Empire
We’ve had some lovely reviews for the show from Sunderland!

“IT’S BIG, IT’S BOLD AND IT’S BEAUTIFULLY EXECUTED – HAIRSPRAY IS A SHOW BURSTING WITH LIFE”
Sunderland Echo
“IT’S THE FEEL-GOOD MUSICAL OF THE YEAR”
Sun FM
“BIG HAIR, BIG HEART, BIG FUN!”
Shields Gazette
“ONE OF THE MOST FUN FILLED SHOWS I’VE EVER SEEN – MARK BENTON WAS GENIUS AS EDNA – WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND!”
Real Radio
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Review Roundup: The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
We loved performing at The Alhambra Theatre in Bradford, and it seems Bradford loved us too!
“THIS SHOW IS A BIG-HEARTED MUST-SEE”
Telegraph and Argus
*****
“YOU REALLY CAN’T STOP THE BEAT, AND WHEN IT’S THIS GOOD, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT TO?”
The Public Reviews


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Review Roundup: Milton Keynes Theatre
Wow! What a fantastic first night in Milton Keynes and we think the reviews say it all!
“THE MUSICAL GIVES YOU EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER WANT, AND THEN SOME!”
Dunstable Today
“‘HAIRSPRAY’ IS A TRULY FUN SHOW, AND AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING CELEBRATION OF EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF SIZE, SHAPE OR RACE.”
Milton Keynes Citizen

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Review Roundup: The Mayflower, Southampton
Fantastic reviews from last night’s press night! It seems the press loved it and so do you guys*!
“FEEL GOOD DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE, IT SIMPLY JUST HAS TO BE SEEN”
The Daily Echo
“HAIRSPRAY IS THE ULTIMATE BREATH OF FRESH AIR – A FEEL-GOOD STAGE SHOW WHICH WILL STILL FEEL GOOD THE NEXT MORNING”
Chichester Observer
“HAIRSPRAY IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST-SEE AND I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO LEAVE THE THEATRE WITHOUT A HUGE SMILE ON THEIR FACE”
www.portsmouth.co.uk
“LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!…GREAT SHOW, GREAT CAST, GREAT ATMOSPHERE!”
Leah Mcgrath*
Lymington
“BRILLIANT SHOW!!! HAD A PROPER BOOGIE ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE…WOW!”
Amie*
Southampton

*Audience reviews taken from The Mayflower Theatre website
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Watch our brand new tour trailer here!
Click here to see our brand new tour trailer featuring the Hairspray 2013 UK tour cast!

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Review Roundup: Liverpool Empire
We’re here! City of the Beatles, European Capital of Culture (2008) and MOST importantly hometown of Seaweed J Stubbs himself… Marcus Collins! So what did the reviewers think?
9/10
“IF YOU DON’T LEAVE WITH A GRIN ON YOUR FACE THEN THERE’S NO HOPE FOR YOU.”
Liverpool Echo
****
“HAIRSPRAY IS A MUSICAL WITH EVERYTHING: CANDY COLOURS; PERKY CAST AND PLOT; WHOLEHEARTEDLY ENERGETIC SINGING AND DANCING; FOR EVERYONE; FANS, OLD AND NEW, WERE RAPTUROUS. AND YOU CAN’T ARGUE WITH THAT”
Whatsonstage.com
*****
“TRULY ONE OF THE BEST MUSICALS I HAVE EVER SEEN…YOU NEEDA TICKET!“
LS Media
****
“A SENSATIONAL NIGHT OUT AT THE THEATRE”
The Public Reviews
****
“THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, ‘HAIRSPRAY’ IS BIG, BOLD AND BURSTING WITH TALENTED STARS, A MUSICAL GUARANTEED TO HAVE YOU SINGING AND DANCING ALONG IN YOUR SEAT.”
Click Liverpool

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Olivier Awards 2013


Hairspray would like to wish a massive ‘Good Luck’ to everyone involved in Sunday’s awards! Especially as this will be the first year that highlights of the awards will be broadcast on national television!
You can catch the highlights programme on ITV at 10:15pm on Sunday evening!
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Review Roundup: The King’s Theatre, Glasgow
We were straight back from a week off and ready to get Glasgow on their feet, dancing, and by the looks of these reviews that is exactly what’s happened!
“FOR SHEER ENTERTAINMENT VALUE YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT HAIRSPRAY IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE VERY BEST OF THEM.”
STV
*****
“SUPERLATIVES FAIL… IT IS THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF MUSIC, MOVEMENT AND ENSEMBLE, A MASSIVE BROADWAY PRODUCTION WITH A HEART BIGGER THAN EDNA TURNBLAD’S UNMENTIONABLES”
Whatsonstage.com
*****
“YOU’LL LEAVE WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE WHILE TAPPING YOUR FEET AS YOU GO STRAIGHT BACK TO THE BOX OFFICE TO BEG FOR ANOTHER TICKET.”
Backstagepass.biz

****
“DAMN THAT GIRL CAN SING!”
Theatre in Scotland

“BEG, BORROW OR STEAL TO GET A TICKET TO SEE THIS SHOW!“
UK Theatre Network

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Review Roundup: Birmingham Hippodrome
We’ve had some gorgeous reviews from our time in Birmingham!

*****
“HAIRSPRAY IS AN ENERGETIC BALL OF FUN BUT CARRIES A DEEP MESSAGE; IT’S GOT EVERYTHING A PERFECT MUSICAL COULD WANT!”
Whatsonstage.com
****
“THE PULSATING FINALE TO THIS SHOW LEFT MY POST-THEATRE AUDIENCE CHATTERING TEN-TO-THE-DOZEN – AND WISHING THE CAST COULD HAVE SUNG YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT FOR A WHOLE HOUR.”
Birmingham Mail
“THIS FIRST RATE CAST JUST KEEP ON DELIVERY OVER AND OVER.”
Shropshire Star
“THE SHOW HAS EVERYTHING!”
Broadwayworld.com
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Review Roundup: Grand Opera House, Belfast
Hey Belfast, welcome to the sixties! What a fantastic opening night here in Northern Ireland! You can see what the audience thought by clicking here – and the press certainly enjoyed it too!
*****
“SWEET BUT NOT SENTIMENTAL, FUN BUT NOT DUMB, ON LAST NIGHT’S EVIDENCE, THE ENDLESSLY ENTERTAINING HAIRSPRAY WLL NEVER RUN DONE.”
Belfast Telegraph
“THERE’S SO MUCH EXCITEMENT IN HAIRSPRAY I RECKON YOU NEED TO SEE IT TWICE TO REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT’S GOING ON ON STAGE.”
Belfast Times

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Review roundup: Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Two lovely reviews from Cardiff as Hairspray settles in to two weeks at the Wales Millennium Centre!
*****
“IT’S EXTREMELY HARD NOT TO LOVE SOMETHING THAT HAD PEOPLE LITERALLY DANCING THEIR WAT OUT OF THE THEATRE.”
Wales Online
“THIS PRODUCTION OF HAIRSPRAY MANAGES TO BRING THE MAGIC AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARD OF THE WEST END TO WALES’ CAPITAL.”
Quench
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Review roundup: Theatre Royal, Nottingham
The reviews for Hairspray in Nottingham are in and they’re looking great!

“HAIRSPRAY IS AN INFECTIOUS BARREL OF FUN WHICH PROVES THAT IF YOU WANT TO CURE THE ILLS OF THE WORLD ALL YOU REALLY NEED IS LOVE… AND GREAT MUSIC.”
Nottingham Post
“BY THE END, MANY OF THE AUDIENCE WE ON THEIR FEET DANCING OR CLAPPING ALONG, AND I CAN’T IMAHINE THERE WERE MANY WHO LEFT WITHOUT A SMILE ON THEIR FACE. IT’S TOTALLY UPLIFTING!”
Newark Advertiser
“THIS IS FEEL-GOOD THEATRE AT ITS VERY BEST.”
Hucknall Dispatch
“MY BIG ADVICE FOR THE WEEK – GO SEE IT! THIS HAIRSPRAY WILL HAVE YOU FIRMLY FIXED IN PLACE RIGHT UNTIL ITS SHOWSTOPPER OF AN ENDING.”
Leftlion


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Casting Announcement


The producers Stage Entertainment announce today that Marcus Collins who plays Seaweed Stubbs on the tour will be leaving the show due to an ongoing health complaint.  Having recently come down with severe Gastro Enteritis he has been advised by doctors to take a brief time out to recover.
Stage Entertainment said:
“We’re sorry that Marcus won’t be able to carry on with Hairspray and thank him for his amazing performance and the sterling work he’s done for this production.  Everyone at Stage Entertainment and the touring company of the show will miss him and wishes him the very best for the future.”
Marcus’ understudy Fela Lufadeju will assume the role of Seaweed until further notice.
The Hairspray cast is led by stage and screen star Mark Benton as larger than life Edna Turnblad and EastEnders’ Lucy Benjamin as scheming TV executive Velma Von Tussle.  They are joined by newcomer Freya Sutton as big-hearted, big-haired teen heroine Tracy Turnblad and original West End cast member Sandra Marvin, as Motormouth Maybelle.
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Review roundup: Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin.
We opened in Dublin last week to some fantastic reviews! We are looking forward to the next two weeks playing in this lovely city.

*****
“COLOURFUL CAVALCADE OF SONG AND DANCE, UNALLOYED ENTHUSIASM, OUTRAGEOUS COSTUMES AND ZESTY CHOREOGRAPHY”
Metro Herald

****
“HAIRSPRAY IS A DAZZLING JOY OF A SHOW”
Mail on Sunday

****
“HAIRSPRAY IS A FANTASTICALLY CHOREOGRAPHED PIECE OF WORK…’YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT’ SINGS TRACY. I WOULDN’T WANT TO.”
The Herald
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Review Roundup: Bristol Hippodrome
We’ve had some simply fabulous reviews from our time in Bristol!

“IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A FUN, FEEL-GOOD SHOW THIS SUMMER HOLIDAYS – THEN GET YOURSELF A TICKET FOR HAIRSPRAY.”
Exeter Express and Echo
“A B-I-G NIGHT OUT IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. OH BOY IT IS GOOD!”
Nailsea People
“THIS IS A NIGHT TO REMEMBER; THERE ARE NO MUSICALS MORE ‘FEEL GOOD’ THAN HAIRSPRAY”
The Gazette
“A FUN GIRLS’ NIGHT OUR FULL OF ENERGY, WITH FEEL GOOD FACTOR 50″
Swindon Advertiser
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Review Roundup: Leeds Grand Theatre
After a fabulous press night in Leeds the reviews are in!

“IRREPRESSIBLE JOY”
The York Press
“AMAZING COSTUMES AND WIGS, CLEVER STAGING AND EXCELLENT MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT HAIRSPRAY IS A FABULOUS FEELGOOD FACTOR MUSICAL PERFECT FOR THE BANK HOLIDAY”
Yorkshire Post
“HARD TO KEEP A SMILE OFF YOU FACE AND YOUR TOES FROM TAPPING”
The Public Reviews
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Review Roundup: Edinburgh Playhouse
We’ve had a fantastic start to the run here in Edinburgh, just look at what the papers say!

****
Sunday Mail
“HAIRSPRAY CAPTURES PERFECTLY THE OPTIMISM AND IRREPRESSIBLE ENERGY OF YOUTH”
Edinburgh Evening News
*****
A FABULOUSLY FUN, FEEL-GOOD FROLIC FOR ALL THE FAMILY, NOT TO BE MISSED”
The Public Reviews
****
“WITH A LARGE BUBBLING CAST, ENTERTAINING DANCING AND CATCHY MUSIC, IT IS THE PERFECT SHOW IN CREATING A CONTAGIOUS GLEEFUL SPIRIT WHICH WILL BE ENJOYED BY ALL OF THE FAMILY”
Backstage Pass

“AMAZING. BEG, BORROW OR STEAL TO GET A TICKET TO SEE THIS SHOW”
UK Theatre Network



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Review Roundup: His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
We’re nearly at the end of the tour, but that doesn’t stop the fantastic reviews from flooding in!

“HAIRSPRAY TAKES THE OLD SAYING ‘GO BIG OR GO HOME’ AND RAMPS IT TO THE MAX… THE RESULT IS A NIGHT OUT THAT WILL KEEP A SMILE ON YOUR FACE”
Evening Express
“FOR SHEER ENTERTAINMENT VALUE YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT HAIRSPRAY IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE VERY BEST OF THEM”
STV
And the audience reviews…
“#Hairspray was phenomenal! Think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a full HMT audience on their feet for a performance!”
Andrew Cross ‏
“@Hairspray2013 @markbenton100 was so good tonight. Might have to go again.. #youcantstopthebeat”
Lisa Smith ‏
“Best thing I’ve ever seen. Ever #hairspray”
Rachel Don ‏
“Hairspray was absolutely amazing!! The whole cast was fab, especially @markbenton100! I’ll be singing the songs all day at work tomorrow!”
Stephanie McBeath ‏
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