Hairspray Live on NBC

[bcla]

I recorded it and went through parts of it with my kid - maybe half of it. We'll finish watching tomorrow. It also wasn't live on the West Coast. The outdoor scenes started out with the twilight at Universal Studios.

I'm pretty sure the singing wasn't live, right?

And I saw the promo for Bye Bye Birdie Live next year. I saw the version that ABC did in the 90s with Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. That was pretty good.

 

[Kenny1113]

Saw some of it.
Eh! Wasn't a fan. I agree with a pp- lacked energy. I did not care for the choreography. Unlike Grease and rocky horror-I loved the choreography.

 

[lorimay]

I enjoyed it and glad I watched.
I agree with PP that said "Tracy" didn't have the energy of other's in the role in the past, she was adorable, but not the best dancer IMO.
I knew Jennifer Hudson would steal the show because of her amazing voice, she didn't disappoint.
Looking forward to Bye Bye Birdie next year....... and it will be here before we know it.

 

[sam_gordon]

Anyone else thinking there were about to be some "wardrobe malfunctions"? Specifically Kristen Chenowith (a number of times) and Jennifer Hudson in the final scene?

 

[Mizzoufan]

It was my least favorite live production that NBC has done.

 

[Mizzoufan]

I enjoyed it and glad I watched.
I agree with PP that said "Tracy" didn't have the energy of other's in the role in the past, she was adorable, but not the best dancer IMO.
I knew Jennifer Hudson would steal the show because of her amazing voice, she didn't disappoint.
Looking forward to Bye Bye Birdie next year....... and it will be here before we know it.

I didn't know they were doing that. I don't think it will very good.

 

[L&Lfan]

I thought the original Broadway choreography and even the movie's were better than this production.

I think a lot of these "modern" pop stars have very little talent beyond that which they were "created' to do, imo. Of course, there have been a few exceptions over the years.

 

[L&Lfan]

I enjoyed it and glad I watched.
I agree with PP that said "Tracy" didn't have the energy of other's in the role in the past, she was adorable, but not the best dancer IMO.
I knew Jennifer Hudson would steal the show because of her amazing voice, she didn't disappoint.
Looking forward to Bye Bye Birdie next year....... and it will be here before we know it.

To be honest, I thought Tracy was about 40 pounds beyond "plump" and that might have attributed to her lack of energy. Rikki Lake is still the definitive Tracy Turnblad to me.

 

[Mizzoufan]

I wish NBC or any other channel you do Wicked live. I would love that.

 

[RedAngie]

Anyone else thinking there were about to be some "wardrobe malfunctions"? Specifically Kristen Chenowith (a number of times) and Jennifer Hudson in the final scene?

I really didn't notice about KC, but yeah, JH's girls were seconds and millimeters away from popping out at the end.

To be honest, I thought Tracy was about 40 pounds beyond "plump" and that might have attributed to her lack of energy. Rikki Lake is still the definitive Tracy Turnblad to me.

I liked Ricki Lake's cameo during the "Welcome to the Sixties" scene. Also, the actress who played Tracy in the Broadway show. Can't recall her name right now.

 

[Caskett616]

I wish NBC or any other channel you do Wicked live. I would love that.

That won't happen for many, many years. As long as the Broadway and touring shows bring in lots of money, they won't show it for free.

 

[bcla]

I liked Ricki Lake's cameo during the "Welcome to the Sixties" scene. Also, the actress who played Tracy in the Broadway show. Can't recall her name right now.

No John Waters though. I thought that maybe the drunk at the bar looked like him, but apparently he had a previous scheduled event. The producers did ask him to come in for a cameo. He was at some scheduled event.

http://www.wbaltv.com/article/video-john-waters-on-hairspray-live/8479441

 

[MinnieMouse84]

I liked it overall. Kristin Chenoweth and Jennifer Hudson were the highlights for me. Ariana Grande was awful.

 

[aprilgail]

I

I absolutely LOVED Edna, he was fabulous, and stole every scene. What a performance.
OMG, I also just LOVED Jennifer Hudson. I think I saw some of her fellow cast members with jaws open, or openly touched, when she performed her big number.
Martin Short. What can I say... Martin Short!

Those three things made it worth it.

Edna made it painful to watch(listen to!!) for me- it was horrific.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I liked Ricki Lake's cameo during the "Welcome to the Sixties" scene. Also, the actress who played Tracy in the Broadway show. Can't recall her name right now.

I notice they didn't have the Tracy from the 2007 movie musical there. Perhaps she was asked to appear but declined. Or maybe the producers intentionally snubbed her and anybody connected with that dreadful film. They paid great homage to John Waters, the producer of the 1988 film, to Divine, the original Edna, and even to Edith Massey (Edie the Egg Lady) from Pink Flamingos.

 

[SummerLuvin]

Overall I enjoyed some of the performances including Kristin Chenoweth and Jennifer Hudson. Ariana Grande's acting is well horrifying, but her singing voice is amazing. The little girl who is Seaweeds Little Sister was amazing in my opinion. I also thought Martin Short did a good job.

 

[lancermom]

I loved the original non-musical film. (There was plenty of recorded music during the dancing scenes, but the cast didn't sing.) And what a cast!!! Ricki Lake with parents Divine and Jerry Stiller. The rival girl was singer Vitamin C and parents Debbie Harry (Blondie) and Sonny Bono. Special cameos by Ric Ocasek of The Cars and Pia Zadora as a beatnik couple. And director John Waters himself as a crazy psychologist. Wow!!!

I didn't get a chance to see it on Broadway, but saw a touring cast in L.A.

The movie version of the Broadway musical was ruined by John Travolta's pathetic performance. It's pretty much unwatchable because of him.

I'll be watching the live TV version. I understand Harvey Fierstein was in the original Broadway cast, so hopefully it will be good. I saw him in La Cage Aux Folles about 2011.

I actually took dance classes with the girl that played Amber (Vitamin C, really Colleen Fitzpatrick). I told my son who was highly amused and said, "so, I guess she was a better dancer than you?" Little brat, LOL. Weirdly enough, I also went theater camp and was in a production of West Side Story with one other person in the movie (Josh Charles), and then in college, became friendly with someone who was a production assistant. It's like all my worlds collided with that one movie.