Hairspray Live!

I think this was hard to do considering the other amazing movie version with Christopher Walken and John Travolta. On the other hand, Harvey Firestein is so cute as the mom, he kind of steals the show. I have no idea how he has such cleavage, but it is quite impressive. And Martin Short is adorable but just not Walken, you know. Jennifer Hudson is A-Freaking-mazing, of course. And Ariana Grande, well I had never heard her sing before today(because I'm apparently not that cool) but she did a great job.Costumes were pretty nice, and Rosie O'Donnell is actually bearable. I thought it was worth the watch. Yes there were some technical issues, however its live and therefore forgivable. Hardcore fans probably will notice the technical precision in which the dancers do their thing, the change in costumes on many of the originals etc. But the new costumes are really well done and, while different, are just as well done as the original. I had very few dislikes. Harvey was a little stiff, but he is not a young man. Ariana at the end was wearing heels that were way too high for the period, and it made her look a little kinky. Still love the shout out to Essex Community College. I graduated from Baltimore City Community College myself. Yeah! MobTown!!

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.

NBC and Fox seem to be leading the way with broadcasting live musical events and the results can be hit or miss. For every success like The Wiz, there is a misfire like The Sound of Music (is there any way to remove the horrid miscasting of Carrie Underwood in that debacle from our collective memories?). Shortly prior to the broadcast of Hairspray Live!, Fox completely stumbled with a dunderheaded effort of The Rocky Horror Show. Mercifully, Hairspray barely edges out The Wiz as a prime example of when things come together nicely.

By now most people know the story of the hit stage play and film focusing on chubby 1960s Baltimore-based teen Tracy Turnblad, whose dream of dancing on The Corny Collins Show, winning the heart of hottie Link Larkin, and championing the cause of integration for African-Americans, while taking on white Barbie nemesis Amber von Tussel and her monstrous mama Velma, producer of the very show that Tracy hopes to conquer.

The story is fun, the music by and large is bright and lively, and the production numbers veer between both personal and lavish. NBC does a creditable job of mounting a mammoth and rousing production. Although I am uncertain why they chose to omit the very funny production number The Big Dollhouse.

If there are any stumbles it comes in some quibbles in the casting. Maddie Baillio is an energetic Tracy and holds the center of the show together, but she is probably the least impressive singer/dancer of the Tracys that I have. Baillio's singing seems to take on a breathy air when notes become too strenuous for her - which is a bit too often. She does a lot of vocal straining here. Ditto, her dancing is mediocre at best, so when everyone in the cast keeps harping on what a great dancer she is, they come off a tad delusional.

Stage legend Harvey Fierstein returns to play Tracy's mom Edna, a rotund introvert forced out of the house by Tracy's popularity. I missed Fierstein on stage, but seeing him here I actually prefer John Travolta's more vulnerable take on the role in the film. Fierstein is amusing, but he cannot sing...at all. The majority of the lyrics to the songs are garbled by his trademark gravelly voice (let's be honest, Carol Channing has a gravelly voice, but she knows how to use it for effect and does not garble lyrics!) to the point where one feels like they are straining to make heads or tails of what he is saying. By contrast, Martin Short is a delight as the eternally upbeat Wilbur Turnblad.

Of the supporting cast, Garrett Clayton is a bit too bland and Ken Doll-ish as Link. Derek Hough is surprisingly strong as Corny Collins. Both Kristin Chenoweth and Dove Cameron hit all the right notes, both acting and singing-wise as the villainous Von Tussels. Cameos by performers as Rosie O'Donnell, Sean Hayes, and Ricki Lake actually seem pretty pointless.

The film's biggest misfire in my mind is the miscasting of Jennifer Hudson in the pivotal role of Motormouth Maybelle. Hudson sings well, but she is not much of an actress (fluke Oscar win included). One could best describe her efforts here as pleasant, but nothing disguises that she is all wrong for this part. Motormouth Maybelle is written as (and previously been played as) an older woman with weight issues. Watching the youthful and skinny Hudson sashay into the room, one is puzzled when she sings a song to Edna about how she has accepted her own "extra large largesse," because Hudson does not currently share any of these elements. One could get away with casting Queen Latifah in the part. One could even imagine the thrill of seeing an Aretha Franklin or Patti LaBelle play the role. But Hudson is completely wrong.

Still, for these quibbles, at the end of the day, this production largely succeeds because it is such a blast of good spirits and its message of fighting for a good cause and racial harmony seems more timely than ever in the Era of Trump Supporters.

It's not as strong as 2007's Hairspray. And can Rosie O'Donnell please stop acting. But Hairspray Live! is a vibrant and entertaining adaptation with colourful costumes, fun songs and good performances.

I LOVED 'Mamma, I'm A Big Girl Now'!

7/10 is a pretty generous rating for Hairspray Live. There were definitely some mistakes, however it was mostly enjoyable.

Good casting choices: Maddie Baillio, Harvey Fierstein, Jennifer Hudson, Kristin Chenoweth, Ephraim Sykes, Derek Hough, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, and Shahadi Wright Joseph

While Baillio's vocals are outstanding, her dancing and acting are mediocre. Fierstein is unbeatable. Hudson overdoes "I Know Where I've Been" a tad (the rewrites in the song are unnecessary) however her vocals are incredible. Chenoweth has some issues with overdoing things too, but she's legendary. Sykes is wonderful as is Joseph. Short and Martin are both hilarious. Hough's vocals keep up with his dancing.

Bad casting choices: Ariana Grande, Dove Cameron, and Garrett Clayton

Grande is simply horrible in the role of Penny. She is an awful actress and her vocals are weak. If she's going to keep singing, she should stick to her pop music and move away from musical theatre. Cameron overdoes Amber. While Amber is supposed to be irritating, Cameron made her unbearable in a bad way. Her voice is much too nasal and it makes one want to mute the TV whenever she speaks. Her vocals aren't very good either. She should stick to Disney. Although Clayton has the Link Larkin look, he wasn't the best choice for this role. I think NBC tried too hard to cast actors a younger audience would be familiar with rather than trying to please the older audience, who are more likely to watch this anyway.

The camera angles and sound were poorly done. It almost seemed like there had been little to no rehearsal for the cameramen.

If you're looking for a musical and you're not too particular, this is perfect for you. If you're an "expert" in theatre and prefer a more professional production, go see this show onstage or find a better way to spend your time.