"Hairspray" Gels

So Rox went to Hairspray in LA on Thursday night and the theater was packed which is a great sign of word-of-mouth on the latest movie musical. Now, let me tell you that I did not love it as much as Dreamgirls from a performance standpoint but overall it's an incredibly well-done adaptaption of the musical which was based on the original John Water's movie starring Rikki Lake and the drag queen Devine. The music and the story line are the real stars here, darlings. With a kitsch that tops all kitschiness and a real story about discrimination and passion this is a movie the entire family can love -- and Rox was surprised that the audience wasn't only homos!! Straight people actually were there -- even straight men who I noticed couldn't help but tap their toes throughout the movie. Now, if you don't absolutely love Michele Pfeiffer's peformance as the evil and completely racist villain in this then you must turn in your copies of Grease 2 and Witches of Eastwick ASAP. She was fabulous -- and looks amazing without having to start looking like the inflated-lipped Meg Ryan. Other standouts were Christopher Walken as the chubby-dancer Tracy's dad. I've never really liked the freaky actor but he's so charming it's disarming. Now, let's talk about John Travolta as the plus-plus-sized mother. I couldn't help but thinking that his take on the role was somewhere between Tootsie and Blair's cousin Jerry on Facts of Life. It was like a train wreck ... really hard to take your eyes off of him even though it was so uncomfortable. Now, it seemed to Rox that Travolta was trying not to appear too comfortable in the drag role (I mean, with all of those gay 'rumors' and all). However, he did a fine job and you end of cheering for him although the love song between him and Christopher Walken was like watching Jodi Foster kiss Mel Gibson: it just seemed, well, unnatural. Anywho, Nikki Blonsky who is the star of the show is so adorable and talented that you also cheer her on from the beginning -- sidenote, Rox met the actress at the MTV Movie Awards and she could not be any cuter or sweeter, lovers! Let's hope there are other roles for her big talent out there. Zac Efron is very cute but it was James Marsden (of X-Men fame) who surprised the Roxster. I've always thought he was the hottest unsexy actor out there but he was so dirty in his role (in a good way) as the seemingly shallow Corny Collins. Queen Latifah is, of course, fantastic and never disappoints. Blonsky told me that she and The Queen really bonded on the set and remain in touch which is fun to hear. The costumes and choreography are pure 60s fun, of course, and thankfully the editor didn't make the same mistake that Moulin Rouge did with too many quick edits that you can't watch the musical numbers as overall production numbers. With other musicals being turned in to movies (Meryl Streep in "Mama Mia" for instance), Rox is thrilled that the movie musical is back and actually selling some tickets. TTGP gives Hairspray 4-cans out of a six-pack of diet pop. And if you miss Allison Janey's scene-stealing "cameos" as the uptight, bible-thumping mom to Amanda Bynes' "Penny" then I'll take your copy of Steel Magnolias as well. I am such a tease...