Hairspray

   

You Can't Stop the Beat!

    We're back with another review! This week's musical is Hairspray. I am so so so excited for this review. I love this show with all of my heart, so I am going to try really really hard to remain an impartial judge and give you the facts. Just like last week, this week will be a review of the movie, for ease of accessibility for other Broadway fans, not only due to the COVID-19 shutdown but because this show is not currently performing on Broadway. Even though this show takes place in the 1960's, it stills has several messages relevant to current events, so I will certainly be addressing that as well. Let's get right to it! 

 

Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray (2007)

History

    The first Hairspray movie was released in 1988 as a comedy film. A Broadway musical premiered in 2002, and was an incredible success, winning 8 Tony Awards in 2003. A tour was launched later that year, and productions popped up in the UK and on London's West End. The 2007 movie (that this review is based upon) is adapted from the Broadway musical. When it was released, it was a huge success, and is credited as one of the greatest hits of the 2000's. 

Who's in the Cast?

    New, young actress Nikki Blonsky took on the lead role of outspoken activist Tracy Turnblad. John Travolta took on the role her her mom, Edna Turnblad, as this role is typically played by a male, and Christopher Walken starred as her father, Wilbur Turnblad. Amanda Bynes played Penny Pingleton, Tracy's sweet and innocent best friend, and Allison Janney played her overprotective mother, Prudence Pingleton. Link Larken, Tracy's crush, was played by Zac Efron. Brittany Snow took on the role of Amber Von Tussle, and Michelle Pfeiffer played her mother, Velma Von Tussle. Rapper Queen Latifah portrayed "Motormouth" Maybelle Stubbs. Elijah Kelley and Taylor Parks played her children, Seaweed Stubbs and Little Inez Stubbs, respectively. Finally, James Marsden starred as Corny Collins, the host of an entertainment show bearing the same name. 

Overview

    We open in 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland. Tracy Turnblad is a plump and engergetic teenager excited about life and dancing, as well as styling her hair as high as she can. She leaves for school in a happy mood (Good Morning Baltimore). Tracy waits impatiently for the school day to end, and afterwards, drags her friend Penny Pingleton to her house as fast as she can, in anticipation of their favorite dance show airing on TV. Meanwhile, the dancers and students of the Corny Collins Show are preparing rapidly to perform live on TV, and noticeably, all are white. They perform, and Tracy and Penny dance along at home while Tracy swoons over lead male dancer, Link Larkin (The Nicest Kids In Town).  Penny's mom arrives to pick up her laundry from Edna's laundry business, and is outraged that Penny is dancing to what she deems as "racket," and we see how controlling Penny's mother is. 

    Meanwhile, behind the scenes at the Corny Collins show, Velma Von Tussle, the station's manager, orders Corny and the cameramen to focus more on her daughter, lead dancer Amber Von Tussle. Another day brings another live performance of the Corny Collins show, and Tracy sadly watches Link and Amber, who are dating, dance together (It Takes Two). The host of the show, Corny Collins himself, reveals that one of their dancers is taking a leave of absence from the show and they are looking for a replacement dancer. Tracy begs her mom, Edna, to let her audition for the show, but Edna refuses. Tracy despairs, but her father Wilbur encourages her to follow her dream and audition. 

    Tracy skips school to attend the audition for her chance to be on the Corny Collins Show. At the audition, Amber and her mother bully the contestants, and Tracy in particular, for her size and progressive views on integration of black and whites on television ((The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs). Tracy leaves, rejected, and tries to sneak into her school class, but gets in trouble for skipping class. She is assigned detention, and when she gets there, all of the students are black, and are dancing together, unsupervised. She meets Seaweed Stubbs, a dancer from the Corny Collins Show who dances on Negro Day, a special day that occurs once a month with a feature of black dancers on the show. Tracy impresses the black dancers with her progressive views and dance moves, and they all bond. Link, walking down the hall, peeks into the detention room and enters to see Tracy dancing. He invites her return to the Corny Collins Show to dance again. Tracy falls even more in love with him, imaging their future together (I Can Hear the Bells). 

    Tracy takes his advice and attends the next taping of the Corny Collins show, a Hop-style dance including both whites and blacks, divided by a rope. Tracy shows off her moves, enraging Amber and catching the eye of Corny, who declares Tracy will be the newest member of the cast (Ladies' Choice). Corny asks her to introduce herself to the viewers, and during her short monologue, she reveals that if she could, she would make everyday Negro Day, which pleases Corny and infuriates Velma Von Tussle, who tries to force Corny to cut Tracy. Corny tells Velma he wants to integrate the Corny Collins show permanently, and laughs when she threatens to "cut Corny Collins from the Corny Collins Show." 

    Tracy quickly shoots to fame, and her father begins selling "Tracy merchandise," including wigs shaped like her tall hair. Mr. Spritzer, the owner of the Ultra Clutch Hairspray company and sponsor of the Corny Collins show, is pleased that his sales are increasing dramatically as more people are beginning to style their own hair like Tracy's. On the show, Amber and 2 other dances sing a song about a "new girl" taking all of their things, followed by a black trio of women singing a variation of the song (New Girl In Town). Motormouth Maybelle, the DJ for Negro Day (and Seaweed's mom), is pleased with her dancers' performance, but Velma claims they stole the song from the white girls, even though they wrote it themselves. 

    Mr. Pinky, the owner of a high-end dress shop for bigger woman, calls the Turnblad residence, wanting Tracy to be the new spokesgirl for the shop. Tracy wants her mom to be her agent for the contract, but Edna is hesitant to go out in the world, having stayed inside for the past decade, ashamed of her body. Tracy convinces her to go out, and the two have a blast at the dress shop (Welcome to the 60's). The two celebrate the contract with a dinner, and run into Velma and Amber, the former lightly bullying Edna and making her feel ashamed. Tracy tells her mom that Velma only hates her because she thinks Tracy will beat Amber for Miss Teeange Hairspray, the annual dance competition on the Corny Collins show where voters decide on the lead female dancer for the next year. 

    At school, Amber bullies Tracy and gets Tracy sent to detention again. Link, upset with Amber's bullying, joins Tracy in detention. He is a little awkward with the black dancers there at first, but they warm up to him. Seaweed invites Tracy, Link, and Penny to a party that Maybelle is hosting, and they agree to attend. They ride a bus to the party, and Seaweed explains how living as a black person comes with struggles due to segregation and racism, but that there are major upsides to black culture that racist white people will never experience. Penny (very obviously) falls head over heels for Seaweed. He also introduces them to his little sister, Little Inez Stubbs, whose dream is to be a dancer on the Corny Collins Show (Run and Tell That). Amber witnesses Link hanging out with Tracy and the black dancers, and cries to Velma, who promises to fix everything. 

    Seaweed introduces Penny, Tracy, and Link to Maybelle, who encourages them all to dance, and Tracy and Link dance together. Penny dances nervously with Seaweed. At home, Edna receives a call from "Mike" (Amber using a gruff voice) telling her where Tracy is. Edna arrives, enraged, trying to bring Tracy home, but Maybelle encourages her to stay and eat some food, and Edna obliges (Big, Blonde and Beautiful). After the dancing ends, Maybelle reveals she threw the party to have one last "hoorah," announcing that Negro Day has been ended. Tracy is outraged, and works with Maybelle to set up a protest/march to demand better treatment and desegregated television. Edna tries to ban Tracy from attending. Link tells Tracy he won't attend the march, afraid to damage his career, and Tracy leaves, heartbroken.  

    While they're at the party, Velma attempts to seduce Wilbur, hoping to ruin his relationship with Edna and have her prevent Tracy from participating in the Miss Teenage Hairspray contest. She forces herself onto an unwilling Wilbur, and Edna walks in on them (Big, Blonde and Beautiful (Reprise)). Velma plays the victim, and Edna kicks Wilbur out of the home for the night. Tracy encourages her dad to tell Edna that he didn't comply with Velma's seduction, and Wilbur tells Edna that she has and will always be the only woman for him. Edna forgives him (You're Timeless to Me). 

    The next morning, Edna realizes Tracy has snuck out to attend the protest. Maybelle warns Tracy that this will be damaging for her career, and Tracy tells her this this more important. Maybelle reflects on the struggles she and others have faced for the color of their skin, and they are willing to pay the price now to build a better future (I Know Where I've Been). The protest continues late into the night, and more and more people join in; Tracy is the only white person. Edna fights her way to the front, where Tracy is marching with Maybelle and Seaweed, and begs Tracy to come home; Tracy refuses and drags her mom along. A police brigade stops the protestors from moving forward. A police officer treats Maybelle rudely, and Tracy hits him with her sign. He claims she assaulted him, and orders his men to arrest her and everybody else. Tracy runs while Edna prevents the police from reaching her. 

    TV crews announce that Tracy "assaulted" a police officer with a "blunt instrument". Edna has returned home, and Wilbur tells her Tracy isn't there. Link appears on their doorstep, worried about Tracy, and the Turnblads let him in. Penny's mother reprimands Penny for her friendship with Tracy, and orders her to never see her again. Tracy shows up at the Pingleton household looking for safety. Penny takes Tracy to their basement, which contains a cellar comprised of a bed and a pantry, giving Tracy a safe place to stay. Mrs. Pingleton discovers Tracy and locks her in the cellar before calling the police, and then proceeds to tie up Penny in her room, banning her from leaving the house ever again. Seaweed climbs through Penny's window and the two kiss, before escaping back out the window. Penny slips Tracy the key to the cellar through the cellar window before climbing in a car with Seaweed and his friends. Tracy hides in the trunk of the car to avoid police searches, and they make their escape. Link reflects on who he used to be and how his love for Tracy has changed him (Without Love). Tracy, Penny, and Seaweed take refuge at Maybelle's record shop. She warns Seaweed and Penny that they will get a lot of hate for their relationship, but they insist they are willing to endure it together. Tracy calls her mom, and tells her a plan to take over the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant.

    The next day at the pageant, the police are standing guard, looking for Tracy. Velma is excited because it is the first live showing of the pageant, and there are agents there to watch. Corny opens the show with a song devoted to the show's sponsor, Ultra Clutch Hairspray ((It's) Hairspray). Off stage, Velma is convinced Tracy will somehow sneak into the show, but the police have seen no sign of her and are doubtful. The show carries on, with each female dancer demonstrating their dance skills for the audience, and the voting begins. Amber is far in the lead, even before her portion of the dance. In the audience, a disguised Edna Turnblad watches as Velma secretly switches the votes, leading to Amber's increased percentage. Outside, the police inform Velma that they have a "confirmed sighting" of Tracy, which turns out to be Wilbur dressed as Tracy. Velma mocks the stupidity of the police, who have been locked out of the building. The police use a giant, prop can of Ultra Clutch Hairspray to break down the studio doors, before charging in. Velma and the police begin their search for Tracy but become trapped in a tiny hallway. Meanwhile, the dancing competition has ended, and Corny begins to announce that Amber has won, but is interrupted by Tracy making a grand entrance, her hair the flattest it has ever been. Link rejects Amber and joins Tracy in dancing, and a disgraced Amber pouts. Link brings a surprised Inez Stubbs onstage and gives her the opportunity to showcase her skills. Mr. Spitnzer is horrified, but the studio audience loves it. Seaweed and Penny take the stage next, professing their love and sharing a kiss on live TV (much to the horror of Penny's mother!). Corny receives the results of the voting, and announces that the new Miss Teenage Hairspray was voted to be Little Inez Stubbs, making her the lead dancer on the show officially integrating the Corny Collins Show permanently. Interacial dancing breaks out onstage. 

    Velma throws a fit, admitting to Amber she could not have lost, because Velma switched the votes. Edna catches her confession on live camera, and Mr. Spitzner fires her. Edna then takes the stage, with Wilbur's insistence, finally proud of her own body and wishing to spite Velma. Corny drags Maybelle onstage, telling her she deserves this moment to shine. The dance floor is fully integrated, with blacks and whites dancing together instead of separated. Inez is crowned the winner, and Tracy finally shares a kiss with Link (You Can't Stop the Beat). 

Thoughts

    With race issues being the central message, I feel like this musical is especially important to talk about in this day and age. I am certainly not the most qualified cat to talk about this topic, but I will do my best. Nobody can deny that racial injustices are still happening in the United States, although perhaps not at the volume as portrayed in Hairspray. Racial discrimination still runs rampant in many different types of industries, not just the entertainment industry, as portrayed in Hairspray, and not everything has a "happy ending," like Hairspray. Nothing in real life is as easy as dancing your problems away, but Hairspray is an important movie to show that people of all backgrounds can find common ground, and if the right people work together, change can be accomplished for the better. 

    One of the most prominent scenes in the film is the protest against racial discrimination on TV. "I Know Where I've Been" is an incredibly powerful song, detailing the past and current struggles and mistreatments of blacks in America. The ambience of the scene only adds to the power, and the fight with the police near the end of the scene provides a view into real experiences still happening today. If you only watch one scene from this film, make it this one. To me, it is the most important scene in the movie. 

    Another important topic in this film is that of body image. The main character is not your typical, thin, pretty girl, but a plump outspoken one instead. The stereotypical "pretty blonde" actually turns out to be "the bad guy." This is the kind of representation so needed today. Many young girls don't have many "bigger" girls to look up to, and mental illnesses such as body dysmorphia have increasing rates today. It is important to normalize normal bodies, and not strive for "perfection," when "perfection," truly comes in many forms. Giving a small redemption arc to Amber at the end of the film helps to not completely villainize the "model" girl, so I appreciated that, but the big take away is that curvier and bigger females can have the same opportunities and capabilities as thinner girls. 

    This is one of the most star-studded casts I can think of. Big names like John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, James Marsden and Queen Latifah set the tone for an incredible performance, and newer actors like Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, and Brittany Snow stepped up to the challenge and put on a spectacular show. Elijah Kelley's performance always stands out to me, however. Among this stupendous cast, his portrayal of Seaweed is paw-some. He brings a strong element of fun, but also incredible passion and solemnity when called for. You can tell that his character has learned to live with racial struggles and is trying to make the best of things, but still has a fighting spirit. I will never get tired of watching his scenes. 

    I truly encourage everybody to watch this, kids and kittens included. One is never too young to learn about racial discrimination and how to fight against it, and it can be really beneficial to watch activism at work. Body positivity is an incredible concept to normalize, especially when younger to help build self-confidence. Plus, the music is incredible and the acting is superb. Overall, Hairspray is a fantastic and relevant show that I recommend to literally everybody.

    THERE WAS A CAT. Velma Von Tussle is seen stroking a fluffy white cat (significance in the white color!) while comforting a sobbing Amber over losing Link. I appreciate the representation, even though the cat could only be seen for less than 30 seconds. I think it would've been interesting to see the Turnblads owning a black cat, to show even more differences between themselves and the Von Tussles. Overall though, I am pleased to see a cat in a musical. It's about time!

Ratings

Find the rating scale here.

Soundtrack          ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Acting                  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lighting               ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Set                        ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall                 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cat rating             ⭐⭐

Best song: Run and Tell That

Best actor: Elijah Kelley

Best set: Street protest

Fun Facts!

• NBC produced Hairspray Live! in 2016 with big name stars like Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, and Kristen Chenoweth.
• Little Inez's character was loosely based off of Ruby Bridges. Bridges was the first black girl to attend an all-white school, and Inez was the first black girl to win an all-white dance competition. 
• Amanda Bynes (Penny Pingleton) ate an average of 40 lollipops per day while shooting scenes requiring lollipops. 
• Zac Efron was offered the role of Link Larkin following his success in High School Musical. 

Works Cited

“Hairspray.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0427327/trivia.

“Hairspray (2007 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairspray_(2007_film).