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"Hairspray" Shakes Up New York

The cast and crew of the new musical comedy film "Hairspray" danced their way across the U. S., continuing the party that started last week in Los Angeles with an even-more glittery premiere held at New York's legendary Ziegfeld Theatre, and a huge after party at Roseland. Not only was the whole cast back out in force, from Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Brittany Snow, and newcomer Nikki Blonsky to cross-dressing star John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston, who stole the red-carpet show in a teal blue David Meister cocktail dress that wowed the assembled crowd.

Fans of the John Waters' movie-turned-Broadway-show-turned-movie-yet-again included Katie Holmes, Paula Abdul, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli, Nathan Lane, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara – pretty much anyone who is anyone and in New York at the moment turned up. Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna were on hand, too, along with Ralph Macchio, Alexa Vega, Edie Falco, Kathryn Erbe, Lance Bass, and Clive Davis.

So why does "Hairspray" keep coming back (the new film arrives in theaters on July 20), and drawing so many admirers in every incarnation? If you ask Queen Latifah, it's all about the clothes and hair, circa 1964.

"I had so much fun with the hair, makeup, and wardrobe," she said at an earlier press day for the film. "There are some really cool designs and they really make it work. And plus, now I know I could be blond if I want to be!"

But Michelle Pfeiffer disagrees, despite how wonderful she looks in the film.

"Honestly, that era is not my favorite era for women. I do think that the clothes are beautiful but I think when I look at women from that era, all I can think of is how uncomfortable they look," Pfeiffer explained. "It's just like everything is so fitted and so pressed and the makeup is so heavy and the hair is so sprayed. And it's like the clip-on earrings, the shoes, it all just looks like it hurts. And it did [in the movie]! Your feet were killing you, your ears were on fire!"

Even funnier, as young star Elijah Kelley, who stars opposite Amanda Bynes in the interracial romance that is a key part of the "Hairspray" tale, tells it, his hair got the weirdest treatment of anyone in the cast.

"It was my real hair," he laughed. "It was done with finger waves, they put all kinds of chemicals in it, and catsup and mustard and papaya juice, and some cement!"

Seems like that falls directly into the category of "do not try this at home"; but don't be surprised if the rest of the retro "Hairspray" style starts turning up off-screen as fans embrace this latest incarnation of the much-loved musical.

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