music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Big, Blonde and Beautiful" is a blues song in the 2002 musical Hairspray. It is sung by "Motormouth" Maybelle.

"Big, Blonde and Beautiful"
Song
Published	2002
Composer(s)	Marc Shaiman
Lyricist(s)	Holly Jervis (also known as Holli D-Grey Jervais, Michelle Holli), Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Cover versions

The song is known for being covered by Holly Jervis, a 23-year-old holiday camp singer from the Isle of Wight on the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008.[1][2]

Production

In the 2007 movie, a reprise of the song was written, to be sung by Velma von Tussle as she tries to seduces Wilbur Turnblad, and Edna as she freshens up before meeting her husband Wilbur. In.com explains: "According to Film Journal International, the song "Big, Blonde and Beautiful (Reprise)" was added in as at the suggestion of Michelle Pfeiffer to replace a scripted scene, giving her the chance to sing."[3]

Synopsis

During a party at her record store, Maybelle sings about how being fuller figured, blonde and black isn't a bad thing - that she fully embraces those qualities and thinks she is beautiful, and encourages Tracy's timid, heavy-set mother, Edna, to have the same positive attitude towards her weight.

Critical reception

CONNcerts says the song "sums up the body-image element of the story".[4] Sydney Arts Guide said it was a showstopper.[5] Talkin' Broadway says "Motormouth Maybelle...waxes comic in a fantastic paean to people of size called "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful,"".[6]

References

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