Hairspray Live!

Now available from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the DVD of NBC's "Hairspray Live!".

In December of last year hair-hopping Broadway Musical fans fired up their TV as Corny Collins and the nicest kids in town experienced what can easily be called the best Broadway-to-TV adaptation of a musical since NBC started the recent trend with "Sound of Music." In 2002 Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's musical adaptation of gay icon John Waters' outrageous 80's comedy "Hairspray" hit the Broadway stage. Winning the Tony for "Best Musical," the show tells the story of segregation in 1960s Baltimore as overweight outcast Tracy Turnblad breaks boundaries getting on the teen pop/dance TV program.

The strongest "hold" "Hairspray Live!" has on this production is its cast and adaptation. Casting Directors Abbie Brady-Dalton, Mindy Rengrudkij, and Bernard Kelsey collaboratively hit 'spray' dirt as they bring TV and Broadway veterans to this production. like a good hair-do they texturize and highlight it beautifully. Maddie Baillo is wonderful as underdog Tracy Turnblad; Kristin Chenoweth triumphs playing Velma Von Tussle; and who can't get up and dance for the fact that NBC made the smartest move by putting Harvey Fierstein back in his signature role as Edna Turnblad? (Firestein won a Tony Award for the role in the original Broadway production, and also put his Tony Award winning writing talents to work by adapting the book of "Hairspray the Musical" into the teleplay for NBC.)

The list of additional TV and Stage veterans round out the stellar cast: Martin Short (Wilbur Turnblad), the hilarious Andrea Martin (Mrs. Pingleton), Derek Hough (Corny Collins), and Sean Hayes (Mr. Pinky). Newcomers Dove Cameron as Amber Von Tussle, and the dreamy Garrett Clayton as Link Larkin, strongly represent. My least faves are Rosie O'Donnell as the Gym Teacher; and, although they sang the best out of their music, just a bit "off-cast" are Ariana Grande as Penny Pingleton and Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle. (I'm still waiting for a Motormouth Maybelle that equals the great Ruth Brown from the original '88 Waters film. WHY did they not place "Color Purple/Dreamgirls" Jennifer Holliday in this role?)

Kudos to "Hairspray Live!" directors Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinski for 'joogeing' it right on TV blocking and execution for a live format. This Divine fan also LOVES that set designers and producers secretly paid homage to the original Waters creative empire, by sneaking in storefronts with the names "Waters Plumbing," "Divine Pet Food," and pink neon flamingos. Even the "Bum on the Barstool" looks eerily like Waters, who's known for making cameos appearances in his films. (Waters was in Los Angeles during the broadcast, but was reportedly so sick with kidney stones that he didn't even show up to his own Christmas party. One wonders if he was supposed to play the "bum" role?)

The DVD offers a genuine and honest representation of this production. Even though the DVD removes the original retro commercials (NBC had fun staying true to the original logos and branding of its sponsors for the show); my least favorite part of the original broadcast, the "social media and viewing party" interstitials hosted by Darren Criss are missing. It's a good thing. These interstitials interrupted the energy of the show and were distracting as well as annoying. The bad? - The DVD is missing any and all extras. There are none. NBC missed a wonderful opportunity to highlight some of the backstage fun that was worth seeing.

All in all, "Hairspray Live!" dutifully achieves what the 2007 film of the musical miserably failed to do - honor the Broadway show and John Waters' original 1988 film; With an "Edna" that lives up to the original performance by Divine, and while not casting off Fierstein and Rikki Lake as just "background actors." If you're hungry as Tracy Turnblad for an entertaining "dance in the streets" you'll want to experience this wonderful musical TV production.

A+
"Hairspray Live!" Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD - $14.96
https://www.uphe.com/tv/hairspray-live