Nikki Blonsky is a perfectly capable Tracy, if not quite as special as Marissa Jaret Winokur, and a starry supporting cast - Zac Efron, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Marsden - seems to be having a great time. The Ronettes never had it so good! - Marc Millerįilm Soundtrack, 2007 (New Line Records) (4 / 5) A reasonably faithful and exuberant film version of Hairspray was released in 2007, and this soundtrack album captures a lot of the fun. Salutes also to Lon Hoyt’s energetic musical direction and Harold Wheeler’s fab orchestrations. A bonus track allows us to hear a cut song, the giggly/grisly “Blood on the Pavement,” but it’s unnecessary we’ve long since been won over. Mary Bond Davis, Corey Reynolds, Linda Hart, Matthew Morrison, and Kerry Butler all help out loads in other roles.
As Edna Turnblad, Harvey Fierstein sings with verve he and the indispensable Dick Latessa as Edna’s husband, Wilbur, bring the house down in their “Timeless to Me” duet. From there, the album is pretty much a nonstop delight that employs every color of the era’s pop palette, from girl-group bubblegum (“Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now”) to gospel soulfulness (“I Know Where I’ve Been”). When Marissa Jaret Winokur kicks off with “Good Morning Baltimore,” sung to perfection, we’re all hers. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s score has a lot of heart, along with a sincere plea for tolerance, beneath all that jive.
HAIRSPRAY 2007 SOUNDTRACK MOVIE
Though based on John Waters’ 1988 movie of the same title, Hairspray plays more like a faux-naif Bye Bye Birdie, propelled by ’60s rock ‘n’ roll pastiche songs with just enough irony lurking at the edges. Original Broadway Cast, 2002 (Sony) (5 / 5) The CD itself is gussied up to look like a Phil Spector 45, and that’s typical of the attention to detail in this lively aural document of an irresistible musical comedy.