Big Hair Meets Harry Potter

It's rare when a film boasts perfect casting. And it's rare when a film finds me smiling for it's entire running time, 117 minutes in Hairspray's case. What a delight!

From the first moment an adorable Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad begins her morning, you know you're going to love this movie. We soon learn that Tracy's biggest dream is to be a dancer on Baltimore's Corny Collins Show with her heartthrob, Link Larkin.

John Waters reprises his cameo appearance as the neighborhood "Flasher" during "Good Morning Baltimore." John Travolta approaching the role of Tracey's mother Edna as a shy overweight size 60--rather than camping it up as a drag queen--played great on screen. Another Travoltian touch, I love his work.

Thank goodness Michelle Pfeiffer is back. Pfeiffer really is not just another pretty face that the camera loves. She plays the essential villainess Velma Von Tussle as if the role was written for her.

Christoper Walken must have loved playing Wilbur Turnblad, when he and Edna sing "Your Timeless To Me," you see him sitting outside in the chair just cracking up as Travolta sings to him---it looked like a classic out-of-character moment.

Queen Latifah shows her stuff as Motormouth Maybelle, one of her best lines is "If we get any more white people in here, this place is gonna be a suburb."

Every cast member gets their moment or two in the lights. From Taylor Parks as Little Inez to Zac Efron as Link Larkin, to the terrific Elijah Kelley as Seaweed J. Stubbs.

Hairspray places 20th Century cultural and historical significance smack into the 21st. For that John Waters and Hairspray 2007's filmmakers should be proud. Check out the trailer below.

SideBar:

I saw Hairspray at the Vogue, a neighborhood single screen theatre on upper Sacramento Street in San Francisco. While waiting for the film to start, a middle-aged woman came in carrying her new Harry Potter and sat a few seats over from me. I commented on Harry Potter, she said "my husband's already ahead of me" and promptly opened the book to continue reading. Her husband came in a few minutes later with a large popcorn and his own copy of Harry Potter. He settled in and cracked open his book. On my 1 California bus ride home around 6 o'clock, a woman boarded carrying her copy of Harry Potter, found a seat, and without skipping a beat, turned once again to Harry.

Hairspray - Trailer

Live Earth Generates Global Citizen Energy

Talk about global citizen energy and culture change. Reportedly at one point during yesterday's Live Earth Day more than 10 million people were streaming the concert off MSN.com. Two billion people may have watched Live Earth across the globe.

While a staggering 21st Century way to increase awareness about our abilities to protect and give back to Mother Earth, Live Earth seems less about the global climate crisis and a whole lot more about honoring and restoring the natural order on many levels.

Don't get me wrong. Cultural, historical, industrial, political, and socioecomic choices and influences have guided us into a global inconvenient mess. We've helped destroy habitats and their inhabitants over land and resources for thousands of years.

But Live Earth sparked a more palatable convenient truth during the last 24 hours. The truth rests in the power of global citizen energy to give back, restore what we've taken, and in raising our voices to effect change.

"This could be good, Hey You!"

Independence Day . . . Born On 4th Of July

A few quotable quotes by notable Americans Born on July 4th:

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
--Nathaniel Hawthorne, Author

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not, unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
--Calvin Coolidge, 30th American President
“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”

“Kissing power is stronger than will power: Girls need to "prove their love" like a moose needs a hat rack."

“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

--Abigail Van Buren, AKA Dear Abby, American Advice Columnist

“One out of four people in this country is mentally unbalanced. Think of your three closest friends; if they seem OK, then you're the one.”

“You need that guy like a giraffe needs strep throat.”

"Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.”

“What the vast majority of American children needs is to stop being pampered, stop being indulged, stop being chauffeured, stop being catered to. In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”

“Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.”

“Asking a writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp post how it feels about dogs.”

--Ann Landers, American Advice Columnist

Beverly Sills America's First Lady of Opera

Beverly Sills lost her battle with lung cancer today, she died at home in New York City. If Ms. Sills had been eligible, HRH Elizabeth R would have no doubt invested her as another Dame Commander of the British Empire.

Instead of Dame, we know Beverly Sills as Bubbles, one of the most beloved opera singers of all time who reigned as America's first lady of opera.

I first heard Sills sing during a free Opera In The Park performance at Golden Gate Park in 1976-- a glorious way to spend Sunday afternoon in San Francisco. I was lucky enough to be in town on business and went with a friend who was living here. After the performance, my friend and I made our way over to Club Fugazi on Green Street. We stood in line for the local original hit musical phenomenon, Beach Blanket Babylon.

We were seated upfront near center stage. To our great delight, Beverly Sills and a small entourage came in and sat several tables behind us. The show was fabulous, creative, and just bowled us over in hysterics---an amazing ensemble cast which to this day has a few original members. The performance included a wonderful parody of an opera singer in honor of Beverly Sills. I remember turning around to see her loving it as much as we all were--a perfect day ended with a perfect night.

I will never forget this early trip to San Francisco before I moved here--it was my first introduction to Beverly Sills singing, listening to opera, and Beach Blanket Babylon.

In January 1977, I was visiting my parents at home in Florida. Beverly Sills served as National Mothers March Chairwoman for the March of Dimes and was in town with The Northeast Florida Chapter. I enjoyed the good fortune of attending a coffee in her honor at the Epping Forest estate. Ms. Sills had recently published her memoir, "Bubbles, A Self Portrait" and was signing advance copies of her book with sales proceeds going to the March of Dimes. Of course, I still have the first edition autographed copy of her self portrait. And it was the last time I saw Beverly Sills in person.

Final Performance, New York City 1980:

Color Photo Credit: Justin Lane, New York Times