Two feet from Baltimore

Watched another adaptation: Hairspray, which just opened in London a couple of months back. Queued for half an hour for days seats. I got the extreme right seat on the front row, with minimal legroom. (My knees touched the pit.) If I leaned a bit forward, I could see the band. No complaints, though our row had to do something slightly embarrassing towards the end of the show, which made the full house at the Shaftesbury Theatre see us on our feet. (Other than the standing ovation.)

Newcomer Leanne Jones (Tracy) did better than I expected. She is adorable. Also making his professional debut is Ben James-Ellis (Link), who looked better than I expected (I'd fancy him if he didn't have Elvis hair). Two feet away from him when he's downstage left, on spot 14, I was tempted to stand up and reach for his sneakers. Michael Ball was a terrific scene stealer. He suits Edna well and was totally in character. Mel Smith (Wilbur) couldn't help laughing in the Turnblads duet (and his fly was open that night). Elinor Collett (Penny) reminded me of Kelly Reilly. A strong ensemble, especially the black women. The American accents came out well, but James-Ellis said some of his lines way too fast.

There's also something about this show that causes ice cream to sell well. Hmm.

I suppose if you've seen the film (I haven't), it's unfair to expect just as much from the live version. This goes for just about everything that's made the transition. Better to see the show first than the movie. If you don't think you'll get to see it, the show's blog has videos.