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Hairspray


Hairspray

One of the best stage adaptations out there

I never saw Hairspray on stage but I now wish I had.

I saw the original film, I thought it was a true delight from Lake’s performance to Stiller’s. This movie is officially revived.

Newcomer Nikki Blonsky plays Tracy Turnblad, a Baltimore girl in the 60s who dreams on being on the local "Corny Collins show", she can dance very well and has a fantastic singing voice, but she is not skinny or pretty by regular standards. John Travolta, who dresses in drag, plays Edna Turnblad, Tracy’s mother, immediately shoots down her dreams because she doesn’t want her to get hurt. After a failed audition to Velma Von Tussle (played by, Tracy thinks her dreams are over. Then Corny Collins (played by James Marsden, who has a wonderful singing voice, and is funny) hosts Tracy’s school dance, where she impresses him, she gets on the show. Velma isn’t happy because she is ugly* and supports "Negro day"

There is also, another thing in here that I consider a sub-plot about racism, which beautifully blends in with Tracy’s dreams. On the "Corny Collins show" there is a "Negro day", Velma hates it, and is very racist (as most people were in the 60s.) When Velma cancels "Negro day" all of the people on there protest, including Tracy.

I loved this film, the cameos where fun, (especially John Waters’) except for one thing, a bunch of wasted opportunities. I really wanted Amanda Bynes to sing more, and a song for when Allison Janney was correcting her daughter would have been cool.

* I think she is pretty but that is what Velma thinks