Tonight when America tunes in to watch Hairspray Live! they will have the rare opportunity to see Broadway performances immortalized on screen. 14 years after the musical opened on Broadway, Harvey Fierstein recreates his Tony-winning Edna Turnblad and Kamilah Martin, Shayna Steele, and Judine Somerville are back in all their glory as the big-voiced trio, The Dynamites.
BroadwayBox recruited Judine’s help to give us a sneak peek at her fabulous Mary E. Vogt costumes. So scroll on and welcome to the "6", to the "0" to the apostrophe "s"!
“Good Morning Baltimore”
The opening number in Hairspray, “Good Morning Baltimore”, captures the feeling of a community coming to life and its people getting ready for another day. A routine, yes, but the familiarity of the routine is what makes for such a joyous opening. I join the parade of Baltimore inhabitants as they begin their day— off to work, off to school… the simple floral mini I wear in this number, captures the sign of the times. The ‘60s gave us not only great music, but a wonderful sense of style, floral prints and beautiful coiffure.
“You Can’t Stop the Beat”
The ‘60s also gave us some amazing girl groups. As a member of The Dynamites, My cast mates and I envelop the look and feel of those early ‘60s groups like the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes and a host of others who served as the inspiration for the creation of The Dynamites. What was reminiscent of these early groups was the fact that they were well choreographed, well groomed, beautifully dressed in matching ensembles, and in pitch perfect harmony.
There was something special about seeing groups on stage, who looked like they belonged together. They were in perfect sync in every way. The floral number worn by The Dynamites for their “You Can’t Stop the Beat” television appearance perfectly reflects the R&B, Motown feel of those ‘60s days.
“Welcome to the ‘60s”
Being a part of this beloved musical and having a chance to introduce it to a whole new generation is amazingly thrilling, as is the idea of doing this live on television for potentially millions of people not just here in the U.S., but for audiences from around the world. In the true spirit of the holidays, Hairspray is a feel good experience, and the red sequined dress worn by the group for the “Welcome to the ‘60s” number really does inspire the season.
Tune in to NBC tonight at 8 PM to see Judine Somerville & co in 'Hairspray Live!'
