Top Ten Things I Learned from Hairspray:The Musical

I finally caught up with the new musical version of Hairspray last night,and what a great time I had! The music was so good that I couldn't resist some toe tapping and a few sways to the groovy vibes humming off the screen. By the end,I was practically on my feet,ready to shimmy and shake with the best of them.

Normally,the whole Broadway-ization of popular movies from screen to stage and back again turns me off but after watching this new take on the John Waters cult classic(and enjoying Legally Blonde on MTV as a truly guilty pleasure),I may have to rethink my whole position here.



The most pleasant surprise was how good John Travolta was;maybe he should play women more often! Following in Divine's footsteps is no easy thing to do but Travolta was able to make the role his own. Nikki Blonsky was a dazzling Tracey Turnblad who deserves to make a strong career as Ricki Lake after this part(hopefully without having to go down the talk show host route).

Despite the reworking of the original plot and the elimination of some secondary characters from the Waters version,the theme of promoting social change and learning to accept who you are despite the opinions of others held strong. My only regret is that many of the wonderful songs in Hairspray don't qualify as Oscar nominees for Best Original Song.

So,here are a few of the dance steps that Hairspray can teach us all:



10) Dancing in detention makes getting in trouble at school so worth it!




9)If a man is more interested in selling dribble glasses than drooling over a bony blonde,clearly he's sincere about his heart only beating for a size sixty.

8) While waiting to hear from your loved one on the run,sharing the worry with her parents and having some pork is the best way to do it.

7)Being the daughter of Miss Baltimore Crabs is no easy burden,especially when she's your stage manager to boot:





6) Entering new places and meeting different people can be less unnerving when there's good food and good dancing involved.

5)If they won't let you dance together,you can always march.

4) Being big,blonde and beautiful is an empowering option for all kinds of women:




3) It helps to have a good attitude when you first get up,to start your day off just right:





2) Keep your principles as strong as the hold your favorite brand of hairspray has on your head!

1) You can't stop the beat!!: