Hairspray
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Hairspray
by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
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 15, 2002[2] and won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations. It ran for over 2,500 performances and closed on January 4, 2009.[3] Hairspray has also had U.S. national tours, a London West End production and numerous foreign productions and was adapted for 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
Plot
Setting: Baltimore, Maryland, June 1962
Act 1
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 “inapppropriate 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, 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 “cutting class” to go to the audition. There she meets black dancer, Seaweed J. Stubbs (the son of the host of Negro Day, 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
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 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 she declares The Corny Collins Show officially 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 Velma 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”).
Run
Opening & Closing Dates |
Type & Version |
Theatre |
| Aug 15, 2002 - Jan 4, 2009 |
Musical / Original
|
Neil Simon Theatre, NY, USA |
| OCT 30, 2007 - MAR 28, 2010 |
Musical / Original
|
Shaftesbury Theatre London UK |
Video
Casts
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 | Jaz Flowers (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 | Garry Scale |
Background
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 be included, 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 was confident that she had hired the right team.[4]
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 were hesitant 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 chemotherapy and a hysterectomy without telling anyone but her immediate family. The treatment and surgery were successful, and Winokur returned to the project.[5] Meanwhile, Marshall had started work on Chicago, and Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell were hired by Lion to direct and 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.[6] 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” of “an entire concert”. He thought they were “pacifying” him, but he was told “they don’t want anyone but you”.[7]
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”[8]
Productions
Original Broadway Production
After a tryout at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, Hairspray opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on August 15, 2002.[2] 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, Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Linda Hart, Mary Bond Davis, Corey Reynolds, Clarke Thorell, Danelle Eugenia Wilson, Jackie Hoffman, Joel Vig and Dick Latessa.
Hairspray received Tony Award nominations in 12 categories, winning eight, including for Best Musical.
The production ran for more than six years and 2,642 performances, closing on January 4, 2009.[3] Original star Fierstein returned to the cast on November 11, 2008 and Winokur returned on December 9 for the final performances.[9][10]
Original London Production
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 show closed on March 28, 2010 after a run of nearly two-and-a-half years and over 1,000 performances.[14]
National Tours
The First U.S. national tour started in September 2003 in Baltimore and ended in June 2006.[15] The touring production starred Carly Jibson as Tracy, Bruce Vilanch as Edna, Terrell Brooks as Seaweed, Sandra DeNise as Penny, Susan Cella as Velma, and Ramona Cole (soon replaced by Charlotte Crossley) as Motormouth Maybelle.[16] When the tour stopped in Los Angeles, Marissa Jaret Winokur reprised her role as Tracy, together with the original Broadway Link, Matthew Morrison.[17]
In July 2006, a non-Equity U.S. tour opened in Atlantic City’s Harrah’s Casino. The shorter “casino version” was used for this stop of the tour, but when it moved on, it continued with the full version of the show minus the character of Lorraine. The Tour played its final performance on April 25, 2010 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside,CA.[18] A summer engagement in the Far East will follow.
After the West End production’s closing, Hairspray began touring the UK and the Republic of 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 in the role of Tracy.[19]
Las Vegas and Hairspray
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 Turnblad, respectively. 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”.[20]
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International presents the show on their new ship MS Oasis of the Seas, which made its maiden sailing in December 2009. The show is performed in the ship’s 1350 seat Opal Theater three or four times on each seven night sailing.
School Adaptation
In August 2008, the British television channel Sky1 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.[21]
International Productions
The first international production opened in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre in 2004 and ran for 245 performances. Vanessa Olivarez, a former American Idol contestant, starred as Tracy, and Jay Brazeau starred as Edna.[22] Stephanie Pitsiladis, cast as the standby for Vanessa, is the first Canadian to have portrayed the role of Tracy Turnblad.
The 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.[23]
A production in Buenos Aires, Argentina, opened on July 16, 2008 starring Enrique Pinti as Edna Turnblad. 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).[24]
On November 14, 2008, Atlantis Productions opened a production of Hairspray in Manila in the Philippines, starring Madel Ching as Tracy Turnblad and Michael de Mesa as Edna Turnblad. The production closed on December 7, 2008.[25]
On July 10, 2009, a Brazilian production opened in Rio de Janeiro, starring Simone Gutierrez as Tracy, Edson Celulari as Edna, Jonatas Faro as Link Larkin, Arlete Salles as Velma and Daniele Winits as Amber. A tour has also been announced, with stops in São Paulo (February 2010), Brasilia, Curitiba and Porto Alegre. A Dutch production of the musical will be produced by V&V Entertainment for the 2009/2010 season. Edna Turnblad will be played by Arjan Ederveen, Link Larkin by Jim Bakkum (runner-up in the first season of the dutch American Idol).
On December 6, 2009 a German production opened in Cologne. Edna Turnblad is played alternately by German actor Uwe Ochsenknecht and comedian Tetje Mierendorf. Tracy Turnblad is played by Maite Kelly, former member of The Kelly Family and Penny Pingleton by Jana Stelley. The first production of Hairspray in German language however took place at the Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland.
An Australian production of Hairspray is scheduled to open in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre in October 2010. It will be directed by David Atkins and choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance Australia judge Jason Coleman.[26] A transfer of the original Broadway/West End format of the show will open in Dubai later this year with Leanne Jones, from the West End production, reprising her role as Tracy Turnblad. Further casting to be announced.[27]
Other productions opened in Canada, Finland, Japan, South Korea,[28] Italy, St. Gallen, Switzerland (in German) and Brazil.[29] The musical also played in Shanghai, China, at the Shanghai Grand Theatre in July 2008[30] and Stockholm, Sweden in September 2008. Other productions are planned for Puerto Rico,[31] Germany, France, Israel, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Mexico[32]. Hairspray has been translated into Finnish, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Portuguese.
Musical Numbers
Act I“Good Morning Baltimore” – Tracy and Company “The Nicest Kids in Town” – Corny and Council Members “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now” – Edna, Tracy, Prudy, Penny, Velma, Amber, and Company “I Can Hear the Bells” – Tracy and Company “(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs” – Velma and Council Members with Tracy, Penny, and Little Inez “The Madison”† – Corny and Company “The Nicest Kids in Town (Reprise)”† – Corny and Council Members “It Takes Two” – Link, Tracy, and Men “Velma’s Revenge”† – Velma “Welcome to the 60′s” – Tracy, Edna, The Dynamites, and Company “Run and Tell That!” – Seaweed, Little Inez, and Detention Kids “Big, Blonde, and Beautiful” – Motormouth, Little Inez, Tracy, Edna, Wilbur, and Company “The Madison” – Corny Collins and Company “The Big Dollhouse” – Matron, Edna, Velma, Tracy, Amber, Penny, Motormouth, Female Ensemble
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Act II“Good Morning Baltimore (Reprise)” – Tracy and Company “(You’re) Timeless to Me” – Edna and Wilbur “Without Love” – Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, and Company “I Know Where I’ve Been” – Motormouth and Company “(It’s) Hairspray” – Corny and Council Members “Cooties” – Amber and Council Members “You Can’t Stop the Beat” – Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Wilbur, Motormouth †Not on the cast recording.
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Hairspray (2002 Original Broadway Cast) Best Price Here Now
Hairspray (2002 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]
Marc Shaiman, Harvey Fierstein, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Scott Wittman, Kerry Butler
Score Revisions and Additional Songs
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”.[34] After the auditions, there was a scene in the Har-De-Har Hut in which Wilbur tried to cheer up Tracy after her rejection,[35] singing that “It Doesn’t Get Better than This”. Later replaced by the similar “Positivity”, the scene was later cut from the show altogether 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 black girls and later by the Council Girls.
Although later cut early during the Seattle tryout, it was included in the 2007 movie and appears in the show’s instrumental score.[36] “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 compromising the sequence into a single scene.[37] A song called “Step on Up” was also cut in favor of “I Know Where I’ve Been”.[38] 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.[39] 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 restored as a track on the Special Edition of the 2007 motion picture’s soundtrack.[40]
Response
Critics
According to Variety, Hairspray received thirteen favorable and four mixed reviews.[41] Charles Isherwood, in his Variety review wrote: “…this sweet, infinitely spirited, bubblegum-flavored confection won’t be lacking for buyers any time soon. Arriving in an aerosol fog of advance hype, it more than lives up to its promise.”[42] 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….”[43] 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.”[44]
Box Office and Business
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.[45] The entire $10.5 million investment was recouped by May 2003 (approximately 9 months after its Broadway opening).[46] For 2002-03 it averaged 99% capacity; for 2007 it averaged 86 %.[47]
Awards and Nominations
Awards and Nominations
2003 Tony Awards
Best Musical (winner)
Best Book of a Musical (winner)
Best Original Score (winner)
Best Orchestration (nominee)
Best Actor in a Musical – Harvey Fierstein (winner)
Best Actress in a Musical – Marissa Jaret Winokur (winner)
Best Featured Actor in a Musical – Dick Latessa (winner)
Best Featured Actor in a Musical – Corey Reynolds (nominee)
Best Costume Design – William Ivey Long (winner)
Best Direction of a Musical – Jack O’Brien (winner)
Best Scenic Design (nominee)
Best Lighting Design (nominee)
Best Choreography (nominee)
2003 Drama Desk Awards
Outstanding New Musical (winner)
Outstanding Lyrics (winner)
Outstanding Music (winner)
Outstanding Book of a Musical (winner)
Outstanding Orchestrations (nominee)
Outstanding Actor in a Musical – Harvey Fierstein (winner)
Outstanding Actress in a Musical – Marissa Jaret Winokur (winner)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical – Dick Latessa (winner)
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical – Corey Reynolds (nominee)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – Kerry Butler (nominee)
Outstanding Director of a Musical – Jack O’Brien (winner)
Outstanding Costume Design – William Ivey Long (winner)
Outstanding Choreography (nominee)
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical (nominee)
Theatre World Award
Jackie Hoffman (winner)
Marissa Jaret Winokur (winner)
2007 Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards
Best Musical (winner)
Most Promising Newcomer – Leanne Jones (The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer)(winner)
2007 Olivier Award
Best New Musical (winner)
Best Actress in a Musical – Leanne Jones (winner)
Best Actor in a Musical – Michael Ball (winner)
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical – Tracie Bennett (winner)
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical – Elinor Collett (nominee)
Best Director – Jack O’Brien (nominee)
Best Theatre Choreographer – Jerry Mitchell (nominee)
Best Lighting Design – Kenneth Posner (nominee)
Best Set Design – David Rockwell (nominee)
Best Costume Design – William Ivey Long (nominee)
Best Sound Design – Steve C. Kennedy (nominee)
2007 Evening Standard Awards[48][49]
Ned Sherrin Award for Best New Musical (winner)
References
1. Waters, John (August 11, 2002). “THEATER; Finally, Footlights On the Fat Girls”. The NewYork Times. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
2. 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.
3. Jones, Kenneth (January 4, 2009). “Playbill News: Broadway’s Hairspray Has Its Final Spritz Jan. 4″. Playbill.com. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
4. New York Times article, Robin Pogrebin, October 16, 2002
5. undated interview [dead}
6. "Marissa Jaret Winokur"Encyclopedia of World Biography, accessed February 8, 2010
7. Limsky, Drew."Everything's Coming Up 'Hairspray'", The Advocate, July 23, 2002
8. The Roots, p. 142
9. Gans, Andrew. "Hairspray to Close Jan. 4, 2009; Fierstein Returns Nov. 11", playbill.com, October 22, 2008
10. Jones, Kenneth. "Tony Award Winner Winokur Will Return to Broadway's Hairspray", playbill.com November 18, 2008
11. "Hairspray Begins London Run" Playbill.com, October 11, 2007
12. "London Hairspray Breaks Record With 11 Olivier Award Nominations" playbill.com, February 6, 2008
13. [1] Official London Theatre, March 9, 2008
14. “‘Hairspray’ Posts London Closing Notices” whatsonstage.com, 28 March
15. [2] broadwayworld.com
16. [3] playbill, July 22, 2003
17. “Hairspray Teases LA” (BroadwayWorld) broadwayworld.com
18. Official U.S. tour website
19. Shenton, Mark.”Casting Confirmed for U.K. Tour of Hairspray; Olivier Winner Michael Ball Returns” playbill.com, February 8, 2010
20. Interview with Marc Shaiman on 90 Minute version broadway.com
21. Shenton, 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.
22. Information about the 2005 Toronto production playbill.com
23. South African production website hairspray.co.za
24. (Spanish)”Lágrimas y aplausos para quien será Tracy”. La Nación. 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-05-15. (Dead)
25. Hairspray Manila on November to December 2008.
26. [4]
27. [5]
28. South Korea production website
29. Hairspray in Manila atlantisproductionsinc.com
30. Hairspray China Website
31. Puerto Rico production website, 2008
32. Mexico production website, 2010
33. Hairspray about the Show hairspraythemusical.com.au
34. The Roots, p. 59
35. The Roots, p. 62
36. Review of Hairspray during its pre-Broadway run
37. The Roots, p. 109
38. The Roots, pp. 142-43
39. The Roots, p. 149
40. “Dear Listener”, Note included in the Special Edition of the 2007 Hairspray Movie Soundtrack
41. Variety, September 23, 2002 - September 29, 2002, “Critics’ Taly” [sic], Legit., p. 88
42. Variety, August 16, 2002, p. 2
43. New York Times, Ben Brantley, August 16, 2002, Section E, Part 1, Column 1
44. Kissel, Howard. New York Daily News, August 16, 2002, p. 55
45. playbill.com article, June 9, 2003
46. playbill.com article, May 30, 2003
47. broadwayworld grosses for Hairspray
48. Nathan, John.”Stewart’s Macbeth and Hairspray Triumph at London Evening Standard Awards” playbill.com, November 27, 2007
49. Evening Standard winners, Thisislondon.com, November 28, 2007
50. Hairspray official website
51. Hairspray at the Internet Broadway Database
52. Production: Hairspray Working in the Theatre seminar video at American Theatre Wing, December 2002
53. Hairspray plot summary & character descriptions from StageAgent.com
54. Extensive plot synopsis and links to song lyrics all musicals.com
Category: Musical
