The Nicest Kids In Town (from Hairspray): 2-Part Choral Octavo

Alan Billingsley's arrangement captures the infectious joy of this number without demanding four-part harmony, making it immediately accessible to middle school choirs while retaining genuine musicality. The 2-part voicing opens this modern musical theater standard to ensembles that might not yet have the resources for a full SATB setting, yet the arrangement never sacrifices the song's character or its celebratory swagger.

Bright, energetic, and unapologetically fun. The song radiates the giddy optimism of teenagers claiming their space, with melodic hooks that stick immediately and a rhythmic vitality that makes standing still nearly impossible.

Middle and high school choirs ready for contemporary musical theater repertoire. Ensembles with 2-part vocal resources will find this both confidence-building and genuinely rewarding to perform.

• Let the rhythm section drive the groove; lock the piano part with steady eighth notes in the accompaniment rather than playing through it passively.
• Shape the two parts independently even as they harmonize. Each line needs forward momentum and clarity of phrasing to avoid sounding like a single thick chord.
• Emphasize the text's conversational quality. These kids are literally introducing themselves; treat the melody like spoken language set to music rather than a formal vocal line.

Program this as an opener or a second-set showstopper to energize your audience immediately. It works particularly well alongside other contemporary musical theater selections or as a palate cleanser between heavier classical or choral works.

• Stylistic interpretation of contemporary musical theater idiom
• Rhythmic precision in syncopated passages and syncopation
• Independent part singing with clear diction in 2-part texture
• Connecting text clarity to melodic phrasing in popular music styles