https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ7K0sbmIKk
For decades, show business experts have noticed that it is rather difficult to stop the beat. In fact, there are some seasoned observers that claim you simply cannot stop the beat. That’s our roundabout way of pointing out that NBC’s Hairspray Live! is on the horizon and that’s something worth getting into a cheery froth over.
As Entertainment Weekly notes, the 30-second first look at the Peacock Network’s latest musical is set to debut during the Olympics tonight, but it’s on YouTube now so we can be all greedy and look at it immediately. (Namely at the top of this post, if you’re in line for a gander.) The straightforward spot features the cast dolled up in their character-specific 1962 Baltimore regalia. Oddly enough, Martin Short looks a little less comfortable than you might imagine in his Wilbur Turnblad get-up.
Jennifer Hudson, Harvey Fierstein, and Ariana Grande all get some on-camera shine, as does newcomer and 2016 edition of Hairspray hero Tracy Turnblad Maddie Baillio. We’d say not too much is given away in the NBC ad, but considering that this is a TV musical based on a Broadway musical (that launched a motion picture musical) based on the 1988 John Waters original film, there hasn’t exactly been much to spoil in the past few decades. The Wiz Live! set a pretty high standard, so there’s a healthy dollop of pressure on Hairspray Live! to get in the same ballpark. Of course, doing better than Peter Pan Live! ranks as the minimum requirement.
Hairspray Live! won’t hit TV until December 7, so it’s best to have this little nibble for now.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
