Hairspray: The Roots [Hardcover]

Mark O'Donnell (Author), Thomas Meehan (Author), Marc Shaiman (Author), Scott Wittman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2003

In Hairspray, it's 1962--the fifties are out and change is in the air. Baltimore's Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion: to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, The Corny Collins Show, and overnight is transformed from an awkward overweight outsider into an irrespressible teen celebrity. But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program's reigning blond princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her 'do? Only in Hairspray!

Based on John Waters's 1988 film, the musical comedy Hairspray opened on Broadway in August 2002 to rave reviews. Hairspray: The Roots includes the libretto of the show--along with hilarious anecdotes from the authors, to say nothing of dance step diagrams and full-color bouffant wigs to copy and cut out--along with all the creative energy, brilliant color, and full-out emotion that have made the musical "a great big, gorgeous hit . . . [that] is a triumph on all levels" (Clive Barnes, The New York Post).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Irresistible . . . If life were everything it should be, it would be more like Hairspray . . . [It] succeeds in recreating the pleasures of the old-fashioned musical comedy without seeming old-fashioned." --Ben Brantley, The New York Times

"Exhilaratingly funny and warmhearted . . . [Hairspray] triumphantly combines so many forms of theatre--drag revue, rock musical, R. & B. concert, social-protest play, tenderloin burlesque--that its conventional ideas soar above cliché, elevated by stunning professionalism and by gusts of love." --David Denby, The New Yorker

"A big, beautiful bouffant of a musical . . . Hairspray has big bones but a small, sweet soul."
--Marc Peyser, Newsweek

"What's most refreshing about this show is its old-fashioned heart . . . A simple, solid core of warmth and goodwill gives Hairspray staying power." --Elysa Gardner, USA Today

The lavishly illustrated book of the "big, beautiful bouffant of a musical that is on its way to becoming one of Broadway's all-time hits"--Marc Peyser, Newsweek

About the Author

Mark O'Donnell is the author of several plays and novels. Thomas Meehan won his second Tony for corwriting The Producers. Marc Shaiman has been nominated for five Academy Awards for his film scores. Scott Wittman has collaborated with many major artists in concert and on Broadway.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1st edition (April 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571211437
• ISBN-13: 978-0571211432
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #807,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent yet imperfect companion to the hit Broadway show., April 16, 2003

By 

Matthew Murray (New York City, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hairspray: The Roots (Hardcover)

If you're a fan of the Broadway musical Hairspray, then you need this book. It's really that simple. In addition to a detailed history of the show, tons of photos, insider information, detailed analyses of previous versions of the script and the script that was eventually used, and even more information in general than you could possibly digest in one (or even two) readings, it's full of exactly the same kind of wacky, irreverant style and humor that's found in the show and that's helped to make it such a big success on Broadway. Hairspray: The Roots is hip, hilarious, colorful, and, in its own way, very musical.

Only one thing prevents the book from being the perfect example of its kind and earning a five star rating: it does not preserve the entire complete libretto of the show, choosing instead to eliminate the dialogue in places and replace it with scene descriptions. While this is unthinkable and incomprehensible given the sheer amount of information that was included and the great care that has been put into every other element of it, in the end, this particular frustration remains minor. If you can live with that, you'll find no other flaw in this remarkable, must-own volume.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost as much fun as the show!, April 23, 2003

By 

Brad Fitzgerald (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hairspray: The Roots (Hardcover)

I have loved this show since I first listenend to the recording, and after seeing the show I think I may be obsessed with it. The show is completely fun and entertaining and this book does a good job at capturing the spirit and energy of the show. I particularly like all the full color photos and candids of the cast offstage as well as the "diary" entries from Marisa Jaret Winokur (Tracy) and Harvey Firestein (Edna). This book is worth it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING Book for all Die-Hard Hairspray fans!, January 18, 2007

By 

Jonathan Strickland "jackshc111" (Mobile, Alabama United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hairspray: The Roots (Hardcover)

I was intorduced to this musical in the Fall of 2006, well after the hoop-la surrounding the original cast. I bought this book and was very happy with the care and detail that went into its production. WHile it focuses on the original cast, any true fan of this show will be amazingly happy to see behind-the-scenes of the show, hear thoughts from the creators and original stars and see pictures, pictures, and more pictures of the Nicest Kids in Town and those close to them!