Hairspray Live!

I saw the John Travolta movie some years ago, but don't remember a whole lot about it.

However, NBC got it right again this year. I don't recall any weaknesses other than the sound being poor in a few cases, and I wasn't able to hear dialogue.

Apparently having an unknown as the lead is the best idea. it worked last year, and Maddie Baillio did a great job. She can sing and dance and has a nice personality.

Harvey Fierstein makes an ideal drag queen. That voice!

Martin Short is surprisingly good as Tracy's father. He is basically the same character Martin Short always plays, but he just stands out so much more than I expected.

While I am kind of a square, most of this music isn't too bad compared to what passes for music in 2016. And there were even songs for someone with my particular taste.

Jennifer Hudson does a great job. Her style of singing isn't really my taste, but that's not important. She steals the show when she sings. People will like her.

Ariana Grande is so adorable as the shy best friend, but she really shows her singing and dancing talent later, and she looks good in a short skirt.

What a hypocrite Kristin Chenoweth is! All this emphasis on high moral standards but she shows off her chest. Great job, and she even hits those really high notes.

Dove Cameron does a nice job as the spoiled daughter who thinks she will be Miss Hairspray because of all the strings being pulled.

Ephraim Sykes is quite appealing as Seaweed, the teen who is tired of being a second-class citizen and teaches Tracy the moves she needs to make it, and he really stands out.

I'm sure I left someone out, but I can't think of anyone who didn't do a good job.

I was surprised by the amount of time devoted to the quest for integration, but it's an important message here.

NBC needs to keep doing these musicals.

With audio drop outs, shaky camera work, poor direction and a lead actress constantly out of breath and whose dancing was fair at best, this was difficult to watch. The frequency and length of commercial breaks was annoying. The stand out was Derek Hough. We all know he is a great dancer but the guy can sing too! During the bows at the end of the show, the director cut away just as Kristen Chenowith was about to come into camera view for her bow. Yikes! As a huge draw for the show, this goof was an insult to her and an example of the poor directing. NBC can't seem to pull off these live shows without some glaring mistakes.

I still love every second of hairspray live from start to finish. Ariana Grande and dove Cameron are my most favorites of the whole cast. Those two should make couple of more together again!!!. songs I still wish that it had a cameo of john waters (director of the original movie) that wouldve Been perfect!. But I still love the movie exactly as it is. I was so happy for ariana for being part of this, I actually watched the original 1988 and the 2007 versions of hairspray just before this (2016) version premiered.

I give the 9/10.

The musicalized Hairspray has decent but derivative songs. The best of those songs are at the beginning, but even the lesser ones are enjoyable enough.

The performers are a mixed bag. Some are excellent, like Kristin Chenoweth, and Jennifer Hudson, but the lead is only serviceable as a singer, something thrown into sharp relief early on when she sings alongside the far better Dove Cameron and Ariana Grande.

Still, it's all fun and spritely, and while there seem to be some technical hiccoughs, particularly in regards to lighting, the overall effect is quite good.

Hairspray is not as memorable or original as the movie it came from, but it's got plenty of good moments. If you like musicals, this is worth a look.

Hairspray Live deserves a great rating! While it is true there were a handful of technical bugs and when it comes to some casting choices, people who are familiar with the show might have to get used to the new cast, all the hard work and endless practice that went into this is quite an amazing feat!

Being a person of theater, film and broadcast myself, what it takes to pull something off like this in a live setting blows my mind. Life is not perfect, but what makes a live show feel more realistic, more connected on a human level than a couple of bugs or passionately exhausted vocal inflections?!

While some of the past live shows have had their struggles, Hairspray Live is a big leap in the right direction. For what it is, all the technical aspects they achieved, and how it was not pre-recorded, it is worth the watch.