Hairspray is a balls to the wall musical. It’s not a performance after performance show like Dreamgirls. It doesn’t take itself too serious, even though it sometimes deals with some serious issues of racism/segragation. Usually I’m against remakes, but this is a perfect example of how to do it right. Adam Shankman has created a very different version of this movie. It’s more colorful, more fun, more accessible, more cinematic, better choreographed, and more star studded than John Water’s original. It’s not the same movie, nor does it want to be.
I must admit, I hadn’t watched the John Waters classic until earlier this Summer. I was lucky enough to catch [...]

On Monday June 25th I had the chance to sit down with Hairspray director / choreogrpher / executive producer Adam Shankman and star / newcomer Nikki Blonsky, who plays Tracy Turnblad in the film. Nikki is a 17 year old from Long Island who won a nationwide search to win the coveted role of Tracy.
Our roundtable interview was the last one on their San Francisco press day, but Adam was as energetic as ever. I’m still amazed at how self deprecating Adam is about his previous movies/jobs (Pacifier, Cheaper by the Dozen…etc). Listen to the interview using the player below, or check out the chapter points after the jump.

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to a very special presentation of Adam Shankman’s Hairspray at Dolby Laboratories. I must admit, I’m not a fan of musicals, or at least I haven’t been in the past. Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge! was my first positive experience in the genre. And Dreamgirls became one of my favorite films of last year (although not in my top 10). I’m very critical of the genre, and I sometimes wonder it’s value in contemporary times. That said, New Line has definitely created something magical with the New Hairspray. Read on.
The screening room in the Dolby Labs is a wooden modernized art deco [...]