How did they make John Travolta big in Hairspray?

How did they make John Travolta big in Hairspray?

Film producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron spent 14 months talking Travolta into wearing a fat suit and dresses to sing and dance the role. Eventually they won him over with the challenge of getting in touch with his feminine self.

Is Grease a rock?

The music of Grease – Rock and Roll. The music is the characterizing feature of both the musical and the movie Grease. Most songs do not differ widely from typical musical songs, however, many of the songs used in Grease resemble original 50s Rock and Roll music or are even original songs taken from that time period.

Did Travolta wear a fat suit in Hairspray?

Travolta donned a 30-pound fat suit and five hours of makeup daily for the role. “Fortunately it was skin tight to my actual frame,” Travolta said. “Anytime I moved, it moved, and that was quintessential because if there had been any lag or you know, any other kind of thing happening that would be awful.”

Why did they choose John Travolta to play the mom in Hairspray?

In 2007, the Chicago Tribune reported that Meron said Travolta was cast as Edna in order to continue the tradition of the musical, which has continued years later in the NBC live version of the musical.

What is the message of Hairspray?

Set in racially-segregated 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray remains relevant to today’s audiences as it reflects many current events and issues in U.S. society and can be used to address a variety of themes, including, racism and bias of all kinds, body image, individuality and identity, student activism, community-police …

Do the actors sing in Hairspray?

While most film adaptations of musicals have the actors pre-record the songs and then lip sync when filming, it’s a whole different ball game with this kind of performance. While it is technically a filmed production, the idea behind it is that it is a “live” performance.

Why is Edna in Hairspray played by a man?

He won the Tony on Broadway, it’s great that he’s playing it. But the reason it’s always a man is because that’s a secret the audience has. The cast, Tracy Turnblad doesn’t think her mother is a man. It’s a secret the audience has.

Did John Travolta want Hairspray?

Producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan had previously hoped Travolta would accept the role of Billy Flynn in the Oscar winning “Chicago,” but he turned it down. The actor says he has regrets over not taking the part, but the producers successfully convinced him to sing and dance again as a fat woman from Baltimore.