Pssst... you can almost smell the hairspray at this movie premiere.

Making its debut yesterday evening at VivoCity GV, Hairspray the movie will open island-wide at cinemas tomorrow.

Of course, with its most obvious title, the good people of Matrix were the movie's hair partners, and the theme - big hair.

There was a corner where salon chairs sat, and where guests were bade to stay awhile to have their hair done - 60's style.

Oh yes, the hairdressers were hard at work, but so were the hairsprays, as those aerosol cans made their characteristic hisses all throughout the reception.

A bevy of celebrities were seen at yesterday's do too, with Matrix ambassadors Belinda Lee and Pan Lingling showing up to support the hairstyling brand.

Artistes Dawn Yeo, Dick Lee and Andrea D'Cruz also lent their star dust to the premiere with Dawn being sporting enough to take a place on the hairdresser's chair, which made her look like an Asian version of one of those dancing "Council Kids" in the movie.

And finally, we make it to the movie - the highlight of the night.

Non-stop from the get-go, the 2007 version of the 1988 Broadway musical did not disappoint with its upbeat energy and what seemed like a continuous chorus of song and dance.

John Travolta in drag did not turn out campy, as he delivered a convincing portrait of a shy housewife dealing with insecurities about her size, while newcomer Nikki Blonsky was spectacular as Tracy Turnblad, the big-sized high-school girl who has a big dream of being a dancer on her favourite TV show.

And in the process, Tracy finds in herself the courage to face up to potentially divisive issues such as racial integration in a time when there was a white - and black - America.