Hairspray Composer Shaiman Adds Lift to Hollywood's "Down With Love," May 16 | Playbill

Related Articles
News Hairspray Composer Shaiman Adds Lift to Hollywood's "Down With Love," May 16 Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman provides "Moulin Rouge" star Ewan McGregor and "Chicago" star Renée Zellweger their score and a musical number in the film "Down With Love." The movie is set to hit theatres May 16.

"Composer Marc Shaiman's score also plays a key role in recreating the flavor of the era," says director Peyton Reed in the film's production notes. "The score takes the sound and feelings of the late-'50s and early-'60s and puts them in a blender, mixes them up and, when you hear the score, it feels like you're back in time."

Tony Award-nominated Shaiman heads back to the 1960s once again for the upcoming film as he did for the musical Hairspray. The film is set in New York City 1963 and plays on the '60s romantic comedy genre (like those starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day). References to popular shows of the time — such as Camelot, Oliver! and My Fair Lady — color the era.

The composer also penned — with Hairspray collaborator Scott Wittman — a new song performed over the credits. (Shaiman makes a quick cameo appearance at the piano as well.) Director Reed described the song as a "Sinatra-esque, jazzy number. 'Here's to Love' is a kind of mini-musical number like those seen on variety shows of the period."

David Hyde Pierce, Tony Randall, Sarah Paulson co-star in the new comedy which finds ladies' man journalist Catcher Block (McGregor) assuming another identity in the hopes to disprove feminist advice novelist Barbara Nowak (Zellweger) by making her fall in love with him.

For more information on "Down With Love," visit the official website at www.down-with-love.com.

 
RELATED:
Today’s Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!