Talkin’ Broadway: Hairspray (Feb 18th, 2024) Study Guide.
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Hairspray (Feb 18th, 2024)
Study Guide:
Talkin’ Broadway - Hairspray
February 18th, 2024 | 2-4pm
West Bloomfield Library
4600 Walnut Lake Rd,
West Bloomfield Township, MI 48323
Co-Hosts:
Liz Lombard is an acclaimed singer, actor, improv artist, and pediatric occupational therapist. Her career in musicals led her to earn her master's degrees in occupational therapy, specializing in sensory processing and pediatrics. She founded The Sensory Concierge to support neurodiverse families as they step outside their daily routines to attend concerts, shows, and other special events. Favorite roles include Miss Clavel in national tour of Madeline and the Bad Hat, May in Age of Innocence, Merry-Go-Round, Hope in the Fringe Festival’s Storytime with Mr. Butterman, and Tracy Partridge in the Fringe Festival’s The Bardy Bunch. She can be found most evenings performing a variety of show tunes for her 3-year old twins, while her husband dances along (quite well!).
GENERAL NOTES:
Hairspray (2002) is an American musical with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on John Waters's 1988 film of the same name.
Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of performing on a TV dance show in 1960s Baltimore — and works to integrate the show in the process — in this musical version of the John Waters film.
Synopsis - Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the production follows teenage Tracy Turnblad's dream to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight, leading to social change as Tracy campaigns for the show's integration.
Themes:
Hairspray explores racial prejudice and freedom of expression.
Though commonly considered a feel-good period piece, Hairspray has much to teach our current moment about the power of active allyship, positive self-image, open-mindedness and respect for people of all identities. With its plus-sized heroine, emphasis on racial equality, and a leading female character (Edna) conceived to be performed by a cross-dressed male, Hairspray highlights the ways in which our popular culture tends to exclude or marginalize those who exist outside of the white cisgender mainstream. The show is enjoyable and infectiously cheerful but serves as a reminder that “dancing together” remains an ongoing project; one that requires action, awareness, and a bit of Tracy’s relentless optimism. Hairspray leaves us tapping our toes and its final words challenge us to be the change we wish to see in the world: Let’s dance!
Premiered and Notable Productions -
The musical opened in Seattle in 2002 and was invited to perform on Broadway in under nine months. Within one year, Hairspray won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. Hairspray closed its Broadway doors six years later, only to open a West End production and begin a national tour.
After a successful tryout at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, Hairspray opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on August 15, 2002. Jack O'Brien directed the production, which Jerry Mitchell choreographed, with set design by David Rockwell, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Steve C. Kennedy, and the show's many distinctive wigs by Paul Huntley.
Hairspray has also had national tours, a West End production, and numerous foreign productions and was adapted as a 2007 musical film. The London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning four, including Best New Musical.
The first U.S. national tour started in September 2003 in Baltimore and ended in June 2006
Royal Caribbean, Hollywood Bowl
In August 2008, the British television channel Sky 1 began broadcasting Hairspray: The School Musical, which followed the development of a North London comprehensive school's production of Hairspray from audition to performance, with input from various actors and creatives, including members of the Broadway production team and the West End cast
HAIRSPRAY LIVE - served as NBC's fourth entry in its series of made-for-TV musical telecasts; "Hairspray Live! shimmers with outstanding performances, an engaging story, and songs that let its stars shine." John Waters called the special "OK—but the weakest" of Hairspray's various iterations, expressing reservations about some of the casting decisions, as well as lamenting that neither he nor any surviving cast members of The Buddy Deane Show, the real-life basis of The Corny Collins Show, were consulted for the production
Source Material - John Waters’ Hairspray (1988); a dramatic departure from Waters's earlier works, with a much broader intended audience. Hairspray's PG is the least restrictive rating a Waters film has received; most of his previous films were rated X by the MPAA. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film revolves around self-proclaimed "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation.
It was only a moderate success in theaters, but became a cult classic in the 1990s. In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"
Creative Team & Background -
theater producer Margo Lion first conceived of Hairspray as a stage musical in 1998 after seeing the original film on television. She contacted John Waters, who gave her his blessing, then acquired the rights from New Line Cinema. Lion contacted Marc Shaiman, who expressed interest in the project only if his partner, Scott Wittman, could participate, and Lion agreed.
Composer-
Marc Shaiman: “[I Know Where I’ve Been ] was ... inspired by a scene late in the [1988] movie that takes place on the black side of town. It never dawned on us that a torrent of protest would follow us from almost everyone involved with the show. "It's too sad. ... It's too preachy. ... It doesn't belong. ... Tracy should sing the eleven o'clock number." We simply didn't want our show to be yet another showbiz version of a civil rights story where the black characters are just background. And what could be more Tracy Turnblad-like than to give the "eleven o'clock number" to the black family at the heart of the struggle? Luckily ... the audiences embraced this moment, which enriches the happy ending to follow, and it is our proudest achievement of the entire experience of writing Hairspray.”
Directorial Invention -
The opening song “Good Morning, Baltimore” was meant to be a John Waters version of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” from the musical Oklahoma!, a 1940’s show. Adapting a 1960’s doo wop style to accompany the lyrics, this piece sets the tone of the lively, colorful, and fun show Hairspray is. The Dynamites, the three African American doo wop singers, were meant to symbolize The Supremes, a very famous group in the ’60s. Other songs such as the show stopping (and closing) number “You Can’t Stop the Beat” were inspired by other famous ’60s songs like “River Deep, Mountain High” and “The Beat Goes On.”
Among all of these famous songs written in the time Hairspray takes place, a genre that would not be seen until the late ’60s makes an appearance on the Broadway stage–Motown. Songs such as “Run and Tell That” or “Without Love” are the essence of this funky groove that is Motown. However, it is not just a coincidence that the two major Motown songs are sung by the main kids of the show. What Tracy, Link, Penny, and Seaweed all have in common is that they are “forward thinkers”, just like in this time period, Motown was a forward genre. These four characters all believe in integration and an end to racism (although Link takes a little while longer than everyone else.) Another interesting musical push forward is that Motormouth Maybelle sings “I Know Where I’ve Been”, a song originally meant for Tracy to sing as the ‘eleven o’clock number.’ However, in an effort to prevent the black community from staying in the background, like most other shows with a white abolitionist, they were given a voice, and what a voice she had. Velma’s number, “Miss Baltimore Crabs” had a Latin sound–a completely different genre from any other song in the show, really setting her apart from the other characters. This piece, interestingly enough, was also the only song in the whole show written in a minor key, giving Velma a more villainous feel.
On Civil Rights: The main issue of Hairspray is racial segregation. As the Civil Rights Movement was very much alive in the 1960’s, Hairspray takes place in Baltimore, 1962, in the midst of it all. The movie Hairspray was written in the ’80s, another time of prevalent racism, and the Broadway musical began in the late ’90s and premiering in 2002–both times of still prevalent racism. Moral of the story is we make progress, but we have yet to reach our final goal.
In order for this to be allowed, African Americans were required to take a literacy test, pass residency requirements, and poll taxes before being allowed to vote. Having fewer rights than everyone else and mostly being less fortunate due to this, African Americans were not able to perform these tasks, as expected.
Jim Crow laws were tragically implemented in the Southern United States, mandating that black people and white people must be kept apart.The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation, "Jim Crow" being a pejorative term for an African American. Such laws remained in force until 1965.
In addition, the time period was also significant for other social and political movements, driving civil rights advocates to fight for equality for all ethnic groups. The Corny Collins Show that Tracy and Penny watch together after school is a symbol of the growing popular culture and political trends that evolved in America during that decade.
Tracy risks her privilege of being on The Corny Collins Show so she can join the protests and fight for a better future. The song “I Know Where I’ve Been” gives viewers a look at past struggles and future resolutions. As Motormouth Maybelle sings, those in the Black community march with picket signs as Tracy walks alongside them. The march that Tracy participates serves to represent multiple protests and boycotts Black Americans participated in to fight for racial equality.
At the end of the show Hairspray, African Americans were finally allowed to be shown on the Corny Collins Show regularly along with the white dancers. This was a great triumph in the 1960’s, paralleled by the changed perception of African Americans on television once Martin Luther King made an appearance. MLK gave African Americans the image of “non resistant” and “peacemakers.” Although this was a great feat in the fight for equality, there will still be numerous acts of racial violence in the decades to come.
Though unrealistic at times, Hairspray provides a hopeful, charming, and hilarious story about the value of community and celebrating differences that challenged topics of conversation on Broadway at the time.
On Pop Culture/TV: The Corny Collins Show represents the growth and popularity of DJs, dance, music, film, and television. The show is broadcast on TV in black-and-white, lacking color. Teenagers who lived in the 1960s like Tracy and Penny often spent hours watching these programs and copying dance moves to embrace the rise of popular culture. Tracy’s dream of being on the show resembles the normal adolescent’s dreams of becoming famous and known by everyone.
As the Civil Rights Movement was very much alive in the 1960’s, Hairspray takes place in Baltimore, 1962, in the midst of it all. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 gave African Americans the freedom to vote, but racism still prevailed. Jim Crow laws were tragically implemented in the Southern United States, enforcing segregation. In Hairspray, Tracy Turnblad, star dancer on a fictional TV program The Corny Collins Show, joins the plight for equality and helps trailblaze the show’s integration.
Though unrealistic at times, Hairspray provides a hopeful, charming, and hilarious story about the value of community and celebrating differences that challenged topics of conversation on Broadway at the time. It has been translated to every entertainment medium, and there are many reasons its story is so beloved and worthy of its many iterations. The story’s core messages of self-love, acceptance, and social activism continue to resonate across generations.
Becoming recognizable overnight seemed possible during this decade because of new artists entering the scene like Bob Dylan and The Beatles, along with the events that captured national attention, like the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the assassination of U.S. president John F. Kennedy. Almost any event or person seemed primed for massive coverage, and rising to stardom was a mixture of luck and timing.
Major Awards - In 2003, Hairspray won eight Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical, out of 13 nominations. It ran for 2,642 performances, and closed on January 4, 2009.
Casting Notes - Matthew Morrison, Kerry Butler, Marissa Jaret Winkour, Laura Bell Bundy, and Harvey Fierstein were in the original cast! They have all gone on to have extremely successful careers in entertainment.
In the film, the thrill of show business allowed Waters to push the limits, casting Harris Glenn Milstead, better known by his stage name Divine, as Tracy’s mother, Eva. Another proud Baltimore resident, Divine was known for his female drag personality, so establishing him as Eva, a mother who spends her days ironing clothes for neighbors and the racist owner of the TV station, seemed an ideal fit. Sadly, the role would be Divine’s last as he passed away days after the movie premiered.
Fun Facts:
The Corny Collins Show is based on The Buddy Deane Show, which was a knock off show of American Bandstand. The show also featured teenagers showing off the most recent popular dance moves.
The original Broadway production had 15 musicians, 11 in the orchestra pit and 4 in other rooms. However, when it originally was performed in the Neil Simon Theatre, there was a requirement to have 18 musicians, so the play added four onstage musicians: Link on guitar, Penny on harmonica, Velma on the keyboard, and Spritzer on the glockenspiel.
Many famous men, including drag icon Divine (the roles’ muse, 1988 Film), have played Edna Turnblad. These men include: Harvey Fierstein (2002 Broadway), George Wendt (2008 Broadway), Bruce Vilanch (2007 Tour), and John Travolta (2007 Film).
Unfortunately, The Buddy Deane Show, didn’t have as happy of an ending as Hairspray's The Corny Collins Show. While both shows struggle with the concept of integration, The Buddy Deane Show went off the air instead of integrating its two casts. But when asked about the happy ending, writer John Walters said, “This is musical comedy. Who needs the ugly truth? I gave Hairspray the happy ending it deserved.”
In Maryland in 1962, interracial relationships were illegal, meaning Penny’s concerns are justified when she sings, “And if they try to stop us, Seaweed/We’ll call the NAACP.” This was so until the 1967 Supreme Court decision to legalize all heterosexual relationships.
The original script for the Broadway musical included several songs that were later dropped from the score. These songs included, “The Status Quo,” “Step On Up,” “It Ain’t Over Til The Fat Lady Sings,” “Velma’s Cha Cha,” “Rage,” and “Take A Spin.”
Further reading;
What I Think About When I Hear That Broadway is Racist | by Heathcliff Saunders
What 'Hairspray' Reveals About Racism in America - The Atlantic
https://theatre.fsu.edu/a-note-from-the-dramaturg-hairspray/