Eay! Oh! Scott finds the rehashed new film realization of John Water’s “Hairspray,” which exists only as a mere thread of an idea now. It’s life course has run similar to that of “Cabaret,” which began long ago as a series of short stories by Christopher Isherwood, then begat the play “I Am A Camera,” which begat the film “I Am A Camera,” which begat the musical “Cabaret,” which begat the film of the musical, “Cabaret.”
All that said, A. O. Scott is convinced the “Hairspray” movie is a rousing burst of authentic joy and optimism.
I think, though, he could have been harder on the producers’ choice to cast Edna with John Travolta, who isn’t actually a drag queen, although his is a drag, and he’s certainly queeny. It’s a very different thing to watch a real drag queen versus watching a male actor play a female character.
There is something so infinitely taboo about drag (think Headwig) and than simple cross-dressing (think the rough and tumble sailors from South Pacific who don coconut bras and grass skirts in a one musical number).
Oh, how mainstreaminess blurs all that is real…
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[...] Tops Chuck, Larry The New York Observer reports that at least in New York City, Hairspray played top to Chuck and Larry’s bottom at the box [...]