Todays Filming

At 9:22 PM on Friday, September 01, 2006


An eyewitness account of the today's 'Hairspray' shoot from BroadwayWorld:


I did my walkby of the location on Spadina from both sides today. The location was amazing. As you walk north up Spadina from College, the street bends sharply to the west just past The Salvation Army shelter (where the drunk on his barroom stool and the flasher are both represented in numbers on the front step, how ironic) and suddenly, you are right in the middle of the shoot. Dozens of fantastic period cars (Tbirds, Ramblers, Dodge stationwagons and yellow school buses from the period are waiting for their que. They have the cars idling all up the street.


The schoolyard is filled with the nicest kids in town, all very short and perfectly dressed in 60's outfits with huge hairstyles (not as big as the stage version but Miss America big hair anyway. )

They were doing a great dance number to playback. Then later moving in giant arc lamps on self-propelled cranes. This was no simple feat as the neighbourhood is festooned with overhead electrical wiring and tree branches.

Further up Spadina, perhaps two blocks, a yellow sign pointed ot the holding area for "Hairspray backgrounders" and was filled with extras waiting to be bussed down to the set.

Later on, I passed the location on the backside. They were racing to finish for the day as RAIN is coming in tomorrow and Sunday. This must be really putting a crimp in the plans as I suppose the idea was to film over the holiday weekend before the place returns to what it really is - a grades 1-6 public school.

I also saw what I assumed was the unit photographer walking toward the set. I assume he's approved as nobody challenged him.

Overall, looks like a good start for the second-or-third day of filming.

Thank you so much for the scoop!

What we wouldn't give for that unit photographers dailies, eh?


It is unsure whether the cast was performing to "Good Morning Baltimore," but if this scene is a continutation from the past few days of filming, then yes it is a portion of 'GMB.'

Love,
Hairhopper

Hairspray Movie Musical