MCT CampusWhat happens when you take a Broadway musical, a star-studded cast and a screenplay missing a few plot points from the original score? A highly entertaining, though slightly creepy, feature film.
“Hairspray,” which came out in July 2007, recreates the 2002 Broadway hit that won eight Tony Awards. It’s a feel-good film that leaves you smiling long after the credits have rolled. It is a cute, fun movie that addresses the issue of segregation in 1960s Baltimore.
It seems, however, that the film’s writers reached some interesting conclusions about how to make up for one plot change. I admit I was more than a little disturbed when Link [Zac Efron] danced and sang to a picture of Tracy [Nikki Blonsky] during “Without Love.” In the musical, Link visits Tracy in jail and they’re singing to each other between the bars of the cell. In the movie version, Link is alone in Tracy’s room singing to her picture, lying on her bed and eating her half-eaten candy bar; incidentally, the picture sings back. It all seems very strange to me, although very entertaining. The moment when he lies down on her bed and hugs her picture into her pillow is most suggestive; it’s clear that his intentions with her are not pure.
I maintain that Zac Efron is the only actor alive who could have done that scene without laughing and without asking the director what the hell he was thinking. Let me make myself clear: this is not a compliment to his acting ability.
Personally, I prefer the vocals from the original Broadway cast. In general, the Hollywood stars seem unable to cope with the more demanding passages. I really felt that sometimes they were just speaking their musical lines, but I guess we can’t expect film actors all to be great singers. It all sounded fine; computers can take care of that. But I would hardly expect many of these performers to be able to really fill a Broadway theatre with genuine sound night after night. Some of the harder passages of singing were changed into something that was easier or in a different range. A little disappointing to someone who’s used to listening to the original soundtrack, which features Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tracy and Mary Bond Davis as Motormouth Maybelle.
A few songs were cut out entirely, including “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now” and “The Big Dollhouse.” An instrumental version of “Cooties” was played in the background during a dance competition at the end of the movie, but Amber Von Tussle [Brittany Snow] did not sing the number.
I find it very interesting that the two songs in which Amber has significant singing parts are both cut and she doesn’t even sing for the entire picture. This leads me to wonder if her singing voice was just too horrible to even consider putting it on the movie’s soundtrack. Is it just coincidence that her songs were cut,or was it strategic?
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the movie experience. It was entertaining, fun and enjoyable. I recommend seeing it if you haven’t already.
All I have to say is beware of its quirks and be prepared to laugh a lot. No seriously, a lot.