
Last night, I was invited to attend
Hairspray on Broadway which currently features
Haylie Duff in the role of Amber Von Tussle. The role was played by
Vitamin C in the movie version and will be played by
Brittany Snow in the upcoming film version that is due for release next year.
Hairspray opened on Broadway on August 15, 2002 and quickly became an instant hit winning several Tony Awards and making a star out of
Marissa Jaret Winokour. Since then everyone from
Bruce Vilanch to
Diana DeGarmo have appeared in the show.
The story is based on the 1988 cult-classic by John Waters. It follows Baltimore teenager, Tracy Turnblad, as she dreams of becoming a featured dancer on the Corny Collins show. The trouble is, bitch is fat. Tracy quickly gets her dreams crushed by the show's leading star, Amber, and her crazed stage-mom, Velma. Tracy eventually gets on the show and becomes an instant star. She uses her fame to break down doors for the blacks in Baltimore.
Haylie Duff as the beautiful girl isn't very believable. Ho is just as ugly in person as she is in pictures. I really thought bitch could pull it off...being the bitchy brat...but unforunately she fails hard. She can't sing very well, she is probably the worst dancer I've ever seen on Broadway and she has zero presence. However, she's the sole reason why I loved the show. Why? Because I love putting a bitch down! She's like a goldfish in a sea of sharks. You can tell everybody else is working overtime to try and keep this girl from falling flat on her face. Even the mounds of polyester hair and loads of make-up don't change the fact that she's a dog.
If you're like me and get pleasure out of seeing others fail than this is for you. And if you're not like me and love to "feel good" and shit than this is for you. The music is catchy and the entire production is filled with energy. Don't expect the movie, because this is nothing like it.
In the end, it made a stone-cold bitch like me crack a smile. And how can you not love a show that has
Tevin Campbell?! I almost forgot about that ho!
Hairspray at the Neil Simon Theater currently stars Haylie Duff, Tevin Campbell, Darlene Love, Blake Hammond and Shannon Durig. Click here for tickets