Comments on: Hairspray

By: John

John — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:51:49 +0000

It’s a point well worth flipping.

It seems to be the stage equivalent of all the films that are remakes of TV shows. Safe product is the product most likely produced – in any medium.

Unfortunately.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:40:47 +0000

Thanks for the context reminder.

I’ll flip your point about Broadway around, and say — isn’t it sad that so many Broadway shows are licensed from other media? I know it’s because it’s so expensive to mount a show, and known properties are considered safer (although that didn’t help Carrie, the Musical, which needed a slap upside the head for a reality check much earlier in the process).

I did like the Producers movie musical more than the original film, but that’s only because so much of what the original movie clever and original had been spoiled for me before I saw it. The new version had singing and dancing to freshen it up.

By: John

John — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:31:41 +0000

Some of the things you mention were in the original and it should be remembered that version was a semi-autobiographical film by a person – John Waters – who was actually in Baltimore in the early 60s as a teen and relating what actually went on through his own, one-of-a-kind vision. The new film is a remake and an adaptation of a stage adaptation that transformed it into family fare. So it’s a third generation version of what was originally a first person take on the subject matter.

Eh, I don’t see why everything has to be a Broadway musical these days. I won’t see the musical version of the Producers either – the original comedy was good enough for me.