Hairspray Blog

Hairspray blog – Week 3

Well aren’t we moving fast? Can hardly believe we are well into our third week, it’s all moving too briskly if you ask me! So what can you expect from a Hairspray rehearsal room in its third week?? Well, to start with a cast of 40, an American production team and Michael Ball in high heels! (Not something you see every day!) But one thing you can expect is a finished first half, that’s right week 3 and the first half is complete! Now when I say complete I don’t mean polished and ready for the stage, but a rough shell is amazingly ready! This is great because it means we are able to get it onto it’s feet and link the scenes, songs and dances together.

I just need to take a moment to worship the legends that are Danny Austin and Benjamin Klein. Danny is our assistant choreographer and Benjamin is our assistant director. They really have got a job on teaching the whole show to us, but they’re so patient and fun to work with. It’s great working with people so passionate about what they do, it really rubs off on the cast. Every single bit has to be perfect, and if it’s not, you better believe we’re stopping, going back a page and doing the whole thing again! Thanks guys!

I really do hope you are all as excited about seeing the show as we are putting it on stage. I know it’s nowhere near ready but we’re all dying to put this in front of an audience and get their reaction. I may sound a little bit biased when I say this but I know this is going to take the west end by storm, so you better all be hanging on tight because the tidal wave that is Hairspray is getting ever closer to hitting the Shaftsbury stage!!!

Harispray blog – week 2

            

Week two in the world of the sixties!! And has anything slowed down or got easier? Has it hell. The first half is coming together very nicely. We’ve done most of the dance routines now so it’s just a case of tightening them all up. (Or just getting the steps right in my case... only joking!) But this musical is not just all singing all dancing... oh no, there’s a few scenes in there as well, which means pulling the American accent out of the bag of tricks.

I know it’s still only week 2, but i have to mention the bond in the group, we’re all getting on so well. It’s a great atmosphere in rehearsals which really helps when it comes down to getting busy with the show... Oh and it’s pretty good for the social life as well!

I really can’t stress enough how amazing it feels to be a part of this brilliant show. I feel so lucky to be doing it. I still kind of fell like it’s a dream, everything has moved so fast, but every day when I walk into rehearsals and see the cast and the set, it makes it all feel real for me.

Hairspray Video blog Five

Join Michael Ball and the cast of Hairspray in their 2nd week of rehearsals.

Hairspray Video blog Four

WEEK ONE.

Exclusive footage from the 1st week of rehearsals.

Hairspray blog – Week 1

Ben (who will be playing the part of LINK LARKIN), originates from Scarborough in North Yorkshire.  In 2005 he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts in London.

In 2007 he successfully auditioned for the BBC TV show Any Dream Will Do – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for the new ‘Joseph’ where he reached the semi finals.

This is his diary ......

Three words best describe the first week of Hairspray... Oh My God. No one ever told me it was going to be this tough!!! I’ve never sweat so much in my whole life - I think i’ve lost three stone already.

On the first day I walked into a room filled with people I’ve never seen before in my life, and as if by magic a familiar face appeared from the crowd - Michael Ball!  (You have to understand how amazing this was for a small town country boy, bumping into one of his all time idols!  I couldn’t believe what I was doing....

Jerry Mitchel (the choreographer) and Jack O’Brien (the director) are two of the most amazing, funny and inspiring people i’ve ever met in my life. Jack is a great person, i’ve never seen a director work the way he does. He comes into a room and the whole company are all ears, the respect he has within a week of rehearsals says it all for me. And Jerry... god where do I start? What a guy! He's so full of energy all the time. He’s the kind of guy who has two hours sleep on a night and can’t wait to get up in the morning. He has such tremendous passion for what he does. With Jack and Jerry pushing us we are getting so much done in a day. Obviously they have the Broadway show of Hairspray up and running so they know exactly what they want and what works. The support and enthusiasm is fantastic!

Within the first week the whole company has bonded as a team. The atmosphere in rehearsals is great, no friction, no bitching just hard (fun) work! I go to bed on a night and can’t wait to get up on a morning, and I lets just say I am not a morning person! It’s going to be such a great show, everyone is so talented and fully committed to what they are doing. I’m very honoured to be a part of such a great show, and I know you will all love it.

Hairspray Video blog 3

Michael Ball talks about his part in the London production of Hairspray.

Hairspray - Video Two

Leanne Jones's first blog.

Mel Smith to play Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray this October

Comedian, actor, writer, producer and director, Mel Smith first shot to fame in Not the Nine O’Clock News, but is probably best known for his comedy sketch series with Griff Rhys Jones - Alas Smith and Jones (1984-8) Smith and Jones in Small Doses (1989) Smith and Jones (1989 -98) and The Smith and Jones Sketch Book (2006 - with whom he also formed the highly successful production company Talkback in 1981.

As a Director his work includes 'The Tall Guy', 'Bean - The Ultimate Disaster Movie' , 'High Heels & Low Lifes' and the green bowls comedy 'Blackball'.

His many acting credits include 'Muck and Brass' (ITV 1982), 'Sir Toby Belch in 'Twelfth Night' (1996) and playing Winston Churchill in 'Allegiance' (2005), and he is also the voice of Father Christmas in Raymond Brigg’s classic animated tale of the same name . In 1987 he had a number 5 hit in the UK singles chart with Kim Wilde, in aid of Comic Relief.

Hairspray - Video One

Michael Ball to star in Hairspray

Michael Ball will star as ‘Edna Turnblad’, leading the cast of the smash hit multi-award winning musical “HAIRSPRAY”, which will open at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Tuesday 30 October, following previews from 11 October.

The show will introduce 22 year-old complete unknown Leanne Jones, making her first professional appearance, playing ‘Tracy Turnblad’. Michael Ball has had an award-winning career both in the West End and on Broadway. A best selling recording artist, he has starred in musicals on both sides of the Atlantic, including “The Phantom Of The Opera”, “Les Misérables”, “Aspects Of Love”, “Passion”, “The Woman In White” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. He has had several of his own television shows including his “Michael Ball Christmas Special” and “An Evening With Michael Ball”. His numerous solo albums have all been best-sellers.

Further casting will be announced shortly.

“HAIRSPRAY” has a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The musical is based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters. The musical will be directed by Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The scenic design is by David Rockwell, the costumes by William Ivey Long, the lighting by Kenneth Posner and the sound by Steve C. Kennedy. With orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and arrangements by Marc Shaiman, the musical direction is by Lon Hoyt.

The West End production of “HAIRSPRAY” will be staged by the entire original Broadway creative team. “HAIRSPRAY” opened at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York in August 2002 to rave reviews and public acclaim. “HAIRSPRAY” subsequently swept the board at the 2003 Tony Awards, winning 8 including ‘Best Musical’, the Drama Desk Awards, winning 10 including ‘Best Musical’, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, winning 5 including ‘Best Broadway Musical’. “HAIRSPRAY” also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Musical’ and the Drama League Award for ‘Outstanding Musical Production’.  The show has also played two hugely successful US tours as well as seasons in Toronto and Las Vegas. 

A major motion picture version of the musical “HAIRSPRAY” will be released nationwide in the UK on 20 July. “HAIRSPRAY” will be produced in London by Stage Entertainment with Margo Lion, The Baruch/Viertel/ Routh /Frankel Group and New Line Cinema in association with others from the Broadway producing team.

Performances times at the Shaftesbury Theatre will be Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3.00pm.