Thank you, Marc Shaiman

 "Hairspray" at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School on Saturday, March 19, was absolutely great. And to top it all off, Marc Shaiman, who co-wrote the lyrics and music and is a graduate of Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, was in the front row. He has a resume as tall as Abraham Lincoln, including working with Bette Middler, Billy Crystal, and on scores of movies. He is a winner of a Tony, a Grammy and an Emmy and has five nominations for Oscars. He is a huge success. He is super talented, and obviously so creative. Well at his alma mater on March 19, after the play was over on the last night  of its two-weekend run, he spoke to the full cast that was on stage after final bows, and was gracious and generous with his time with the actors. He explained that when he was in school, he played in the pit in that very same auditorium, and dreamed of getting into musical theatre. He thanked his teachers and mentors going back all the way to high school for encouraging him the way today's teachers and mentors obviously encouraged this energetic cast of Hairspray. He told them that it had been one of the finest performances of the play that he had seen performed, and he said he had seen it performed everywhere from Broadway to Hollywood. Thank you, Marc Shaiman, for writing such a great play. And thank you for being such a gentleman. You are a credit to your school and your community.

For Musings
Denis J. Kelly
March 26, 2011