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he new Broadway season started with a bang in the dog days of summer with the opening of a sure-fire hit, "Hairspray." Set in Baltimore in 1962, the show is a clever re-imagining of John Waters' 1988 camp film about self-esteem and integration that starred Ricki Lake and Devine. The show is a multi-cultural dream, with great sets, songs and a cast that can do no wrong. This is Broadway's hottest ticket of the year, so check it out.
There are several shows on the Great White Way that sing praises to that little uptown neighborhood, Harlem. George C. Wolfe created a gem in "Harlem Song," playing at the legendary Apollo Theater through the end of the year and is the best of multimedia infotainment.
"Langston Hughes Li'l Ham" is a little musical that is hardworking and is expertly played by an ensemble cast that definitely has talent. The story is set in the 1930s and , with its gansters and numbers runners, is reminiscent of shows like "Guys and Guys." See it before it's gone at the end of the year.
"Take Me Out" was an Off Broadway hit this year and the buzz about homosexuality in the realm of baseball, steamy nude locker room scenes and the handsome bi-racial lead David Sunjata (right) didn't hurt. The great reviews and sold out performances made the show an easy transformation to Broadway this coming February. This play is ripe with tension, emotion and drama, a sure Tony Award contender for Best Play.
And Russell Simmons scores a huge success in his first Broadway show, "Def Poetry Jam," which critics and audiences alike love and is being hailed as the "A Chorus Line" and "Rent" for the new millennium. Standouts in the show include the very frank and in-your-face Lesbian performance artist Stacey Ann Chin.
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