You can check out my August 14, 2003 entry (newly added to the blog after a search of computer files) to find out what I had to say about the Broadway version of Hairspray. My views have changed a little bit...especially in light of the release of the movie version...
Which makes this yet another movie musical based on a stage musical based on a movie...if only we could unearth a book the movie was based on and a tablet the book was based on...
Anyway...the stage version of this story was a fun show that made you want to get off you ass and dance around...especially by the end of the show. The movie kind of puts something of a damper on that feeling. Its still a whole lot of fun, but it could have been even more so.
First, the casting.
There's just something off about John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad. Maybe its the weird latex face, maybe its that the role really needs a Divine or Harvey Fierstein in the role (both men were already bigger than life) or maybe its that Travolta seems to be barely tapping his talents (think I'm wrong, listen to the CD of the movie...once you divorce the look from the sound you are left with Travolta's voice...and it sounds like a barely breathy Travolta when it should sound a bit more feminine...even Harvey got that down in spots and he's got a very distinctive voice).
Christopher Walken is a good song and dance man and he handles himself well in his one big number, but at this point its more like watching Walken doing an impression of Jay Mohr doing Christopher Walken. Queen Latifah holds her own nicely in a part that's a bit more under-written than the stage version. Only Michelle Pfeiffer comes off better than her stage counterpart. This Velma von Tussle has much more bite to her (well...mostly...even though she's had a few things taken away, she's had a few things added...two new songs and better orchestrations). The kids fare much better, except Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, who is too cute and not awkward enough.
The musical numbers have been changed around somewhat. Four songs have had their order switched (I Can Hear The Bells and It Takes Two have been flipped as have I Know Where I've Been and Without Love), six songs have been cut (Mama I'm A Big Girl Now, Velma's Revenge, The Big Dollhouse, Good Morning Baltimore Reprise, You're Timeless To Me Reprise and Cooties), four songs added (Ladies Choice, The New Girl In Town, Big Blonde And Beautiful Reprise and Come So Far Got So Far To Go -- which just plays over the end credits) and a few have had lyrical changes that don't make sense to me (the worst being the deletion of Velma's verse of the big ending showstopper You Can't Stop The Beat).
The new songs actually feel like they were always part of the show and don't feel shoehorned in (particularly the Big, Blonde and Bueatiful Reprise since the subplot of Velma trying to seduce Wilbur is new and works rather well). The cut songs are missed (especially the jail cell number The Big Dollhouse), but two of them have been repurposed for the end credits (Cooties -- which is given a modern spin much to its detriment -- and Mama I'm A Big Girl Now -- which has been changed from a song that bounces back and forth between the mother/daughter teams of the Turnblads, the Pingletons and the Von Tussles to a song featuring the three women who have played Tracey -- Ricki Lake from the original film, Marissa Jaret Winokur from the original Broadway cast and Nikki Blonsky from this film, in addition to a short cameo by Harvey Firestein for a lyric or two).
A few plot points have been moved around (the protest on the TV station is now towards the end of the story) and some have been deleted entirely (the arrest after the protest). At the end of the day, the movie is still a lot of fun, but with what's missing or changed, its not as fun as it could have been.
Meanwhile, this Friday is the day I feel like I've been waiting for forever...but since I've got a wife and kid, I'm exaggerating (a bit).
The Simpsons Movie opens this week and I'm in full Simpson mode. So, having picked up the movie soundtrack...and not knowing much about the film (a first...I know...this coming from a guy who knew the end of the new Harry Potter book two days before it was published and still hasn't read it), here's a peak at what's in store (symphonically at least) this Friday (and you can bet your ass there'll be a full review between seeing the film Friday afternoon and the opening of A Raisin In The Sun which I'm producing for The Darien Players later that night -- 655-5414 for tickets, it runs until August 11 on weekends).
The fifteen tracks on this disc were all "baked by Hans Zimmer" (as it says on the cover). Inside, you discover he composed them all except "The Simpsons Theme" which was composed by Danny Elfman, but is given an amazing orchestral rendition. Most of the disc has tracks with funny titles that actually sound like what they're describing (even though I have no real idea what they are describing, but I can make assumptions about a track entitled "Release The Hounds" and the music fits the description). The "funniest" track on the CD has got to be "Spider Pig". If you've seen recent commercials for the film, you'll know what this might be, but it actually turns out to be something even bigger and better and funnier (at least musically).
Listening to the CD Soundtrack yesterday did what watching Sunday's block of episodes did, get me even more excited for a film I can't wait to see.
Friday can't get here fast enough.
Be seeing you.
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