Hairspray: The School Musical
Encyclopedia
Hairspray: The School Musical is a 2008 reality TV series, broadcast on Sky1 in the UK, charting the development of a comprehensive school
's production of the Broadway and West End
musical Hairspray
.
, narrated by Rich Rust and features vocal coach Zoë Tyler
and choreographer Stacey Haynes as mentors to the students of Kingsmead School, a comprehensive secondary school with specialist performing and visual arts status in Enfield
, North London. It follows the production from auditions to its first performance, held at London's Lyric Theatre
on 31 August 2008. There was also a behind the scenes section of the programme, posted online, hosted by Ben James-Ellis
, the West End's Link Larkin. Two members of the Broadway production team - Benjamin Endsley Klein (directing) and Danny Austin (choreography) - serve as consultants to the school production.
, Lucy Mangan said that although she was not expecting the programme to provide "an enjoyable hour's entertainment", "the unforced charm and ebullience of very northest London's juvenile population quickly swept the viewer up" and that she would be watching "another gloriously uplifting hour next week". Theatre columnist Mark Shenton, having seen the finished production, suggested that although the series shows "inevitably a heightened version of the experience of putting on a show [...] it will surely encourage [the young actors] to do so again". He also noted that the West End production of Hairspray "is sure to be the first winner, as audiences follow the TV experience by seeing it live for themselves".
The first episode attracted almost 500,000 viewers, leading Richard Woolfe
, the controller of Sky1, to suggest that the series could continue with other productions: "I have a sneaking suspicion we will be coming back for a bit more. Whatever the viewing figures ... we have changed lives."
The next Series appeared one year later called "Grease: the School Musical
" and was broadcast between 31 August and October on Sky 1.
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
's production of the Broadway and West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
musical Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
.
Format
The series is presented by musical theatre actor Denise van OutenDenise van Outen
Denise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
, narrated by Rich Rust and features vocal coach Zoë Tyler
Zoe Tyler
Zoë Tyler, is an English voice coach, cruise ship singer, performer and reality television show judge. She is also a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.-Early career:...
and choreographer Stacey Haynes as mentors to the students of Kingsmead School, a comprehensive secondary school with specialist performing and visual arts status in Enfield
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
, North London. It follows the production from auditions to its first performance, held at London's Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre (London)
The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit, Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open...
on 31 August 2008. There was also a behind the scenes section of the programme, posted online, hosted by Ben James-Ellis
Ben James-Ellis
Benjamin James Ellis is an English stage actor who starred in the role of Link Larkin in the West End production of the musical Hairspray from its opening in October 2007 until July 2009...
, the West End's Link Larkin. Two members of the Broadway production team - Benjamin Endsley Klein (directing) and Danny Austin (choreography) - serve as consultants to the school production.
Reception
In The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Lucy Mangan said that although she was not expecting the programme to provide "an enjoyable hour's entertainment", "the unforced charm and ebullience of very northest London's juvenile population quickly swept the viewer up" and that she would be watching "another gloriously uplifting hour next week". Theatre columnist Mark Shenton, having seen the finished production, suggested that although the series shows "inevitably a heightened version of the experience of putting on a show [...] it will surely encourage [the young actors] to do so again". He also noted that the West End production of Hairspray "is sure to be the first winner, as audiences follow the TV experience by seeing it live for themselves".
The first episode attracted almost 500,000 viewers, leading Richard Woolfe
Richard Woolfe
Richard Woolfe is a senior British broadcast figure. Woolfe is currently Creative Director of Prime Focus Productions, the UK arm of Prime Focus Group, a role recently created for him to help spearhead the post-production house's push into TV production, with a focus on high-end drama and...
, the controller of Sky1, to suggest that the series could continue with other productions: "I have a sneaking suspicion we will be coming back for a bit more. Whatever the viewing figures ... we have changed lives."
The next Series appeared one year later called "Grease: the School Musical
Grease: the School Musical
Grease: the School Musical is a reality TV programme that appeared on TV at the end of August 2009 following on from the popular Hairspray: The School Musical. It was the result of a competition that started in 2008. The 1,000 schools were whittled down to 10 schools, then at this point filming...
" and was broadcast between 31 August and October on Sky 1.
External links
- Official site at Sky.com
- Hairspray the Musical - West End production
- Kingsmead School