I was never inspired to watch Hairspray (neither the musical nor the film). However, the movie was playing in the video rental store a couple of weekends ago when Zibin and I went to look for something to watch. It looked and sounded interesting enough that we decided to give it a go.
After watching the film, I was glad I didn’t pay to watch it on the stage or in the cinema. It’s not terrible, in fact it was pretty enjoyable to watch. But it was one of those musicals that is just… pleasant. Nice. There wasn’t any character or song that was seared in my memory, and I didn’t find that any of the major themes were dealt with in a compelling manner (and racism is certainly a weighty theme).
It was… forgettable.
Despite that, many of the melodies were very catchy and make for a fun listen (though I wasn’t impressed at all by the lyrics… a far cry from a Sondheim or ALW musical).
And while I’m not enamoured with the film as a whole, some of those songs have just caught me (and Zibin) in their melody! So here are some highlights for you to sample. :)
[audio:http://animann.negimaki.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/01-good-morning-baltimore.mp3%5D
Good Morning Baltimore
[audio:http://animann.negimaki.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/05-i-can-hear-the-bells.mp3%5D
I Can Hear the Bells [a song for anyone infatuated!]
[audio:http://animann.negimaki.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/12-youre-timeless-to-me.mp3%5D
(You’re) Timeless To Me
[audio:http://animann.negimaki.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/13-i-know-where-ive-been.mp3%5D
I Know Where I’ve Been
[audio:http://animann.negimaki.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/14-without-love.mp3%5D
Without Love
[audio:http://animann.negimaki.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/15-its-hairspray.mp3%5D
(It’s) Hairspray [corny but so catchy! That’s James Marsden (Cyclops) singing btw!]
[audio:http://animann.negimaki.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/16-you-cant-stop-the-beat.mp3%5D
You Can’t Stop the Beat
Journey of the Heart 