Last week on NBC, Dec. 7th, theatre lovers like myself tuned in for "Hairspray Live!" If you don't know how these live musicals on TV work, then I'll give you a quick run down. For several months, the cast and crew work and rehearse in studios in Los Angeles for this one night only performance. They broadcast this LIVE. Which means anything can happen. No re-takes, no edits, you get the main idea. It is basically watching Broadway on your TV.
Some other musicals they have done live in the past on TV are "The Wiz," "Sound Of Music," and "Grease." I have to say, "Hairspray" was pretty darn good. The cast couldn't have been any better! Maddie Baillio starred as Tracy Turnblad, joined by Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad, Martin Short as Wilbur Turnblad, Disney star Dove Cameron as Amber Von Tussle, THE Broadway diva Kristin Chenoweth as Velma Von Tussle, Garrett Clayton as heart throb Link Larkin, pop singer Ariana Grande as Tracy's friend Penny Pingleton, Andrea Martin as Prudy Pingleton, Dancing With The Star's Derek Hough as Corny Collins, Sean Hayes as Mr. Pinky, Ephraim Sykes as Seaweed J. Stubbs, powerhouse Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle, Rosie O'Donnell as the gym teacher, and the sweet Shahadi Wright Joseph as Little Inez. This cast was great! They had immense amounts of energy, raw emotions, and portrayed the characters of the show very well.
Maddie Baillio had us as soon as she began singing Good Morning Baltimore. Oh and we can't forget about how phenomenal she was with Harvey Fierstein. Love love love!!
Kristin was a perfect fit for Velma, or shall I say Miss Baltimore Crabs? The sass she portrayed cracked me up, those high notes were mind blowing, and honestly she slayed.
One of the songs in the show that has been most talked about in social media is Jennifer Hudson's version of "I Know Where I've Been." Let me just tell you something: the song itself is quite the tear-jerker and also quite powerful, but with Jennifer Hudson doing it, I was blown away. One word for this: emotional. If you haven't heard her version of it, I highly recommend you to do so.
Derek Hough, we all know him from DWTS, but oh how we loved him as Corny Collins. Also he has such a great singing voice! WHO KNEW?! He brought so much life into the show and fit Corny to the T. Thanks for showing off Ultra Clutch Hairspray with the Nicest Kids in Town to us!! (see what I did there?!).
I could go on and on about how well this production was done. Literally. There is so much to talk about!!
Of course when you are doing a show on live television, mishaps can happen. That's what make it live! Mistakes do happen, such as lighting issues, mics going off or cutting in and out, slips while dancing, but the important part is, is that if those things do happen (which they did), the actors just keep going like the professionals they are!!
Overall, this was such a fun show to watch. The dancing was exciting, energetic, and precise throughout the whole show. The costumes and sets made me feel like I was in the 1960s. Which by the way, the set changes were amazing! Quite effortless! The music itself is extremely fun and upbeat in this show and the cast did a wonderful and outstanding job expressing those feelings. They truly couldn't stop the beat. The theatre community is so thankful that these live musicals on TV are becoming more and more popular. We love them and hope that they will continue in the near future.
