The rousing finale to the smash musical "Hairspray," with the original Broadway cast, headed by Tony winners Harvey Fierstein and Marrisa Jaret Winokur. I've edited out the dialogue scene that comes between the number's two parts.
Omg I love how Laura Bell Bundy is also watching this vid during quarantine. Thank gawd for bootlegs! Otherwise I’d never get to see this legendary cast/show!
Her voice is AMAZING- I have a painting by her I bought after meeting her at the Broadway flea market a couple years ago and it's one of my favorite things I own
You Can't Stop the Beat is perhaps one of the most exciting finales I have seen on a stage! The NBC version earlier this month was the best Hairspray ever. RIP Dick Latessa and does anyone notice Harvey's finale costume looks a bit like the costume for the NBC version?
RockyHorror Gleek Makes perfect sense to me. Although I do like Harvey's pink finale costume he wore for the Grammy Awards in 2003 when he presented Comedy Album to Robin Williams (RIP), The Tony Awards the final performances of Hairspray on Broadway and the Hollywood Bowl production. I do like the costumes in the NBCV version. However, I was hoping they would bring in William Ivey Long to recreate the original costumes we see here.
Poppy 123 you can't compare the two though.....Hairspray LIVE was based off the 2002 Broadway musical and not the 2007 movie... they weren't trying to be like the movie since its not part of the play......
I originally disliked Harvey Fierstein's performance as Edna, it felt to much like "oh i'm on stage i gotta act for people" rather than him actually acting, but then I realized. This isn't him trying to act, this is him acting as Edna trying to act. It sounds stupid but it's just layered acting which is great and something that not even John Travolta did or probably even thought of.
Love Harvey he always entertains, whether he makes you laugh or cry. A truly great artist whether acting, writing or directing- Thanks for the Wonderful Memories!!!!
Oh my gosh, I never noticed that Tracey, when Maybelle throws off the trousers, looks in amazement at her dress and then shrugs and continues dancing!!
i saw this many times, but got lottery tickets (front row) the night before it closed. The original cast, at this song, they tried to get me to come on stage, since I knew the dance. But due to a knee injury (tumor in my knee removed) I wasn't able to jump on stage and join in. Did get most of the cast to sign my Playbill, and Marissa Jaret Winoker signed my ticket. Was amazing... its funny, every time I saw a broadway musical, i had issues with my phone so never got pictures with anyone... at least i got there signatures tho!On a side note this seems like its broken up a bit, it should be straight through Tracy, Penny/Seaweed, Edna, MotorMouth Maybelle, Amber 🕸
Oh my gosh. I remember that. I was in front row orchestra aisle seat on middle section left. Harvey was right there! I don’t think I breathed all night he was so fantastic. How a non-Singer can upstage the cast in a musical is beyond me, but he did! So much energy and such a great show!
I remember my first trip to NY, it was the same year the movie came out. My mom got us tickets to see the broadway version as a belated birthday gift. The night before the show, the original movie was on TV. The day after I saw it in cinema. That was the best year of my life.
Christopher Graham that is how it is. It is only highered in the NBC Live performance, but I green, it feels like it has more momentum when it is highered.
The original production of Hairspray opened at the Neil Simon Theatre and ran there for over 6 years. This performance was a couple weeks before opening, but still at the Neil Simon. Thing about Broadway stages is that they all vary. There are some very large stages and some small ones as well. Really depends on the needs of the show.
The movie originally went in completely the opposite direction. It had Velma getting arrested, and the cop singing, "I can't" referring to arresting Velma, and then everyone else singing the "Yes, you can!" It was such a smart idea to remove that. The Broadway version works so well!
I always remember when Harvey came to edge of the stage and affirmed the love and worth of all people at the end of this number. Those were the times when the then-current administration wanted to define marriage and clothe statues! Harvey was right: "You can't stop the beat!".. and they didn't. Love from Baltimore!
Brooke Katz It was a Wonderful World of Disney movie based on the Broadway musical of the same name which is a retelling of Hans Christian Andreson's fairy tale classic Princess and the Pea.
Had the privilege of seeing the final dress of this show at the Neil Simon. It had played out of town in Seattle, I believe. This was before the internet chats decided if a show was good before critics did. NONE of us were prepared. One of the few times I saw a show expecting nothing going in but several hours later was ecstatic and I knew that it was going to be a huge hit.
I wish there was a hairspray with Harvey cast as Edna again and it was put on Netflix or Disney cause this definitely seems like a Disney movie. Because I would love to just re-watch this over and over again.
OMG!!! WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you SOOOO much for posting!! Do you have any more footage? I thought I had every Live Capture of the show- but I guess I don't!
When I need a lift of optimism and I want to DANCE - this is the best song ever for it. OK, here's my recommendation - ditch the Star Spangled Banner and make this the national anthem, and then live it like we mean it!
