The Directors Chair: Adam Shankman's Hairspray Diary #5

By: Jul. 14, 2007
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BroadwayWorld.com has an exclusive look into the making of the movie musical HAIRSPRAY with this special Director's Diary written by Adam Shankman. Check back daily for new entries!


MY DREAM TEAM

So I've assembled a team of champions!  My two best friends are with me.  Anne "Mama" Fletcher, who has worked side by side with me since 1990, when we danced together on the Oscars for choreographer, Paula Abdul!  She was my lead dancer when I started choreographing, she then became my assistant, and when I started directing, I handed off my choreography career to her.  I then forced her to take another step, and direct and choreograph STEP UP, which Jen and I produced.  She rose to the occasion and it was a huge success.  When I see dance, I see it on her and she said she would stall her directing career because she refused to see me go through this without her.  I'm having her direct second unit, since a dancer's eye will be needed here.   

Next up, Garrett Grant.   My Executive Producer, Line Producer, UPM and all around partner in crime.  Initially the studio refused to hire him for reasons unknown. But after I pleaded my case, needing someone there by my side everyday that knew me and could manage all of the actors and crew, they relented.  Phew!

Next:  the rest of my choreography team:  Joey Pizzi, who assisted on CHICAGO and DREAMGIRLS.  Jamal Sims, who helped on STEP UP as well as choreographing a bazillion things including Usher's videos and tours, and finally, Zach Woodlee, whose dance career contained one of Madonna's tours, and helped us on STUCK ON YOU and STEP UP.  It was a choreography power team.  I knew once we started that we would basically become a rehearsal factory.

I needed to assign each character and group a separate person, since we would all be rehearsing at the same time in different rooms, with me running between all of them. It's going to be like the MGM Freed Unit, all the way! 

I started day one with "Nicest Kids". I'm not sure why, but it was the first real dance number, so I guess that explains it.  I had it done in pretty much, half a day.  What's up with that?  Stored up steps I guess…

More tomorrow with Entry #6...

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