It's all a blur to me too- I can't remember much about the show either- I know I was pissed at Natasha Yvette Williams for basically completely copying Kecia Lewis Evans's I Know Where I've Been (Pittsburgh CLO) instead of making it her own or singing it her own way. it came off poorly because of it.
How would someone like Natasha Yvette Williams have any idea what another actress in a regional production in a completely different city did with the song?
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
What I mean is that Kecia added a lot of different riffs to the song and Natasha copied them almost exactly. Since the CLO production was before the Paper Mill Production, I think you can say who copied who.
"How would someone like Natasha Yvette Williams have any idea what another actress in a regional production in a completely different city did with the song?" - Something I was wondering myself- but that's what happened. I am wondering if someone directing her had her do the same riffs or something. I have recording of both their versions that the style is very much the same. I have listened to them many times since I saw the show and it always made me wonder why their riffs were the same- Kecia was the first I had heard do them (and I have seen basically every professional regional production of Hairspray- it's my obsession.) LOL.
"Since the CLO production was before the Paper Mill Production, I think you can say who copied who. "
No you can't. Because before that CLO production there were other CLO productions, bus and trucks, regionals, National Tours, etc.. all who share or have descendants of stage managers, conductors, assistant stage managers, dance captains ensemble who are now in leads that come from other productions and so on..... It is a miss mash when these shows are at these points and especially with CLO shows.. they usually try to reproduce or stick with the elements of the original. .