Hairspray: Musical Analysis

In the musical production Hairspray, there were various differences in acting styles, technical elements, and demands of the actor in comparison to plays in general. With Hairspray being a movie that I had watched on Netflix, it was obviously not live and this also contributes to the differences of going to an actual live production in a theater. These differences help us distinguish between the realities of the products of a musical and the products of a play. Hairspray’s acting styles were much different than one that you would see on stage at your local play. The musical setting puts much more facials into it and liveliness to contribute to keeping their audiences attention throughout the three to four minute songs. This is important to …show more content…
Technical elements including costumes, props, lighting, and make-up are over enhanced in musicals compared to theater plays. In a musical like Hairspray, the make-up and hair are done big, the costumes are shiny and colorful, and the lighting is bright to add to the 1960’s image the musical is going for. These are valuable assets to bring characters alive in musicals and sometimes even plays. However, in most plays, there is more focus on the story itself rather than an entertainment perspective provided from the technical elements. We focus on more of delivering the message or story to the audience rather than how the message be showcased in order to allow the audience to continually feel captivated as seen in the musical Hairspray. Demands of actors in Hairspray would be completely contrasting than someone who were performing in just a regular play. Demands of an actor in a musical would include the ability to sing, dance, provide huge facial expressions, and much more. Not only must one in a musical have all the abilities an actor in a play would need, but they need much more abilities in order to fulfill the part of a musical. It is important to be aware of the variations of actor abilities before auditioning for a musical or a play in order to give the best performance for that particular part …show more content…
On a film, there is constant redo of scenes if a mistake is made in order to better the film. However, there is a lot more improvisation skill needed by actors in theater to take on the role of being in a live performance. There is no stopping if a mistake is made and that is why the saying, “The show must go on!” fits the theater so well. I am constantly impressed with theater because of the improvisation used and most the time there is no telling that the actors are even doing it. On the other hand, I do prefer to watch a film of a musical more because I constantly know what I will receive every time and the characters become more familiar as I watch the musical each time. I think musicals on film offer more perfection and I think it is nice to just sit and watch people give their best even if they may have redone that scene multiple