Last night was the Baltimore premiere of Hairspray. Though the film’s biggest stars didn’t bother to show up for the premiere in the city where the film is set, the fans came out to catch a glimpse of the movie’s next generation of superstars. The young crowd cheered for the Zac Efron of High School Musical fame and Amanda Bynes, never missing the film’s more established stars like John Travolta and Queen Latifah. The crowd was also enamored with its favorite son, the genius offbeat creator of Hairspray, John Waters.
The premiere was held at the famed Charles Theater (across the street from one of John Water’s favorite hang outs Club Charles) followed by the after paty at The Tremont Grand. The Baltimore Sun has posted pictures from the red carpet here. Getty Images has also posted pics from the after party on their site.
We were in Baltimore recently and checked out both of the premiere venues as well as some of John Water’s favorite haunts. First, we visited the 1000 block of W 36th St in the Hampden section of Baltimore, often called simply “The Avenue”. This is the neighborhood where much of the original Hairspray was filmed. A must see is Atomic Books at 1100 W. 36th St. They feature hard to find titles as well as an array of comic books. John Waters has his fan mail forwarded to the store and we were even able to score a signed copy of his book, Crackpot! The avenue is lined with quirky shops that sell antiques, gifts, cards, and keepsakes including anything and everything pink flamingos. After shopping, you have to check out Cafe Hon. The now famous diner is another favorite haunt of the director.
As we mentioned John Waters is sometimes seen at the funky Club Charles (1724 N. Charles St) but this is not the only place you may see him on N. Charles St. C. Grimaldis Gallery located at 523 N. Charles St is also cherished by Waters. He has even sold some of his own art in the gallery. These are not the only locations where you may have a John Waters sighting, since he is a Baltimore native, he is often seen all around town, so keep your eyes peeled the next time you are there!
Baltimore is an eclectic and energetic city that is worth a look. Stay tuned because tomorrow we will be having more ideas for an on location vacation in Baltimore.
