| Watch This: 'Hairspray'
115 minutes. Rated PG. Anyone who still doubts -- after "Chicago" and "Dreamgirls" -- that the musical is back as a movie genre probably has not seen last summer's "Hairspray," the film version of the 2002 Broadway hit that was, in turn, based on John Waters' 1988 movie comedy. Unlike those two landmark musicals, this one -- now out on DVD -- is broad and funny, its sensibility is very campy and it's out to be loved by everyone. In short, it's not the kind of material that's likely to stack up its predecessors' pile of Oscar nominations. Also like those films, its visuals eschew the split-second editing, irregular camera angles and pointless razzle-dazzle of MTV to embrace the more classic look of the Golden Age of the Hollywood musical. Stylistically, it's very old-fashioned.
Broadway ticket availability
Keith Anderson will play Doc to S. Epatha Merkerson's Lola in the Manhattan Theatre club revival of William Inge's "Come Back, Little Sheba," opening Jan. 24 at the Biltmore Theatre. In "Sheba," Lola, a blowzy, lonely Midwest housewife, is trapped in an unhappy marriage to Doc, a recovering alcoholic teetering on a relapse. When a pretty young woman, played by Zoe Kazan, rents a room in their home, the relationship between wife and husband is dramatically affected. Also in the cast are Lyle Kanouse, Brian J. Smith, Brenda Wehle and Matthew J. Williamson. Merkerson is best known for her many seasons on TV's "Law & Order." Anderson, an ensemble member of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, has appeared on Broadway in the 1989 revival of "Orphesus Descending," the 1999 revival of "Death of a Salesman" and the musical "Brooklyn." For tickets to "Come Back, Little Sheba," call Telecharge, 212-239-6200, or go online at http://www.telecharge.com.
Disney favorite stops at Kelsey
"Disney's Beauty and the Beast," yet another stage musical based on an already popular movie, garnered several Tony Award nominations in 1994, but lost out across the board to the more sophisticated Stephen Sondheim drama "Passion." Yet all across America, tours of the Broadway production were eagerly attended, and community theaters hankered for the day when they could stage the extravagant fairy tale. Now, Playful Theatre Productions brings the fractured fairy tale to the Kelsey Theater stage with a vibrant cast that keeps the nearly three-hour show consistently exciting. With a book by Linda Woolverton, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman ("The Little Mermaid" and "Little Shop of Horrors" team) plus Andrew Lloyd Webber's former partner, Tim Rice, "Beauty and the Beast" offers something for everyone.
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