Dove Cameron, Maddie Baillio & More Participate in Today's HAIRSPRAY LIVE! Press Call

Today, BWW participated in a special HAIRSPRAY LIVE! conference call featuring four of the "nicest kids in town," including Dove Cameron (Disney's "Descendants"), Garrett Clayton (Disney's "Teen Beach" Franchise), Ephraim Sykes (Hamilton on Broadway) and 20-year-old newcomer Maddie Baillio, who won the leading role of Tracy Turnblad at an open casting call with over 1,000 other women.

Speaking on the advice she has received from previous actresses who have portrayed the iconic role of Tracy Turnblad, Baillio shared, "About a week after [my casting] was announced, I was in New York, and Marissa Jaret Winokur reached out to me, and said that she was in New York, and invited me to come over so we could chat for a second, and that one second turned into four hours." She continued, "She gave me a lot of advice. One of the best pieces of advice she gave me is Harvey [Fierstein] is always right, always listen to Harvey. You won't want it to be that way, but it is that way."

She also had the opportunity to receive some wisdom from Ricki Lake, the original Tracy Turnblad. "I spoke with Ricki Lake, who was the original Tracy in the film, and she told me to just say yes to every opportunity," Baillio told BWW. "[They] gave me a lot of good advice, and they're going to make cameos in the show!"

Speaking on their audition process and how they found out they were cast in the NBC production, Baillio explained, "I was in New York for two years for college and I saw an open casting call that I saw an ad on Facebook that there was going to be a big open audition for Tracy for Hairspray Live. And this was one of my dream roles, so I really wanted to do it but I was also really, really nervous because it was my first professional audition. So it was my first audition outside of school.

And I decided at 3:00 am the morning of the audition to get up and get ready and go do it. And on the sheet - on the ad, it said that you should also prepare a short portion of Good Morning Baltimore, so I prepared my short portion on the subway ride to Telsey & Company, which is the casting agency where they were holding the audition in New York.

So I got there at 6:45 thinking that I was going to be one of the first girls in line because it started at 10:00, and I was 343 in line and there were over 1000 girls there by the end of the day. And I sang my short portion of Good Morning Baltimore and I thought I nailed it, and then they asked me to sing the end of the song, which I did not know so I made up a lot of the words. But they still asked me to do a callback a couple days later. And then four callbacks later, I got the part. So I am living my dream. I'm so thrilled and blessed to be a part of this amazing cast."

Garrett Clayton shared that he was in the mix for his role for two months. After a dance audition in which he face-timed with choreographer Jerry Mitchell, he was offered the role. He shares, "The night I found out I got it I was at A Chorus Line at the Hollywood Ball and I was just checking my phone on the way to the bathroom and my reps kept freaking out saying, "Call us" and Kiss Today Goodbye came on. So me, as like the big theater nerd that I am, had a little bit of an emotional moment because I was listening to Kiss Today Goodbye at A Chorus Line at the Hollywood Bowl when I got Link."

Ephraim Sykes said that his agent called him in early July about auditioning for the role of Seaweed but he was doing HAMILTON on Broadway at the time and didn't think he had a "chance in hell" to be cast, so he initially turned down the opportunity. However in early August, his agent called him again saying that the production team really wanted to see and hear him audition for the role, so he sent in a tape which was quickly shot by a group of friends. He explains, "Yes so my friend shot it for me. I went ahead and just like screamed it out one time. He was like, "All right man, I think that was it," one take and sent in my tape with that song and the audition - and the audition material and sides. And literally like a week later, the day that I stopped doing Hamilton, I found out that I got this part and I collapsed. So that's what happened."

Sykes later discussed how his experience in HAMILTON prepared him for the upcoming live broadcast. "I think the biggest thing that it's helped out our director at Hamilton, Tommy Kail, was really an - sort of an advocate for how to just really show up and do what you do." He continued, "He was like, "Every day we have this duty to prepare a meal, like almost like potluck or something that. And our job every day is to simply come in with the ingredients that we have and create it fresh every day for this audience. Anything that goes outside of the show, who's talking about it, who's seeing it, who's saying what in the media, like none of that matters. Let's just keep showing up and telling this story as best we can every day, look each other in the eye, be in the same room, be on the same stage at the same time with everybody, and that, you know, the rest of the stuff will take care of itself."

The young actors were also asked if they were still starstruck by the big-name talent that rounds out the cast of HAIRSPRAY LIVE. "I am still such a big fangirl of everyone," Baillio shared. "Garrett has to remind me everyday that these are just people. The first Broadway show I saw was Wicked. That was a big deal for me, and when I fell in love with musical theater. Kristin Chenoweth is playing my arch nemesis, so that's insane. Jennifer Hudson is singing to my face, and I'm getting really excited just thinking about it."

Admitted Ephraim, "I still am freaking out everyday. The first day I met Ariana Grande was in Capitol Records the first day. It still makes me quite nervous. They're such cool and down-to-earth people."

Gushed Cameron, "I had no idea what to expect from Jennifer or Ari. Both have turned out to be the most adorable, down-to-hang. They are like really good friends." She adds, "They're really like care-taking people. They don't walk around like world-famous vocal divas. It's been an education in all ways."

Each actor was asked how they were both similar and different from the characters they will portray on the broadcast. Baillio shared that she, like Tracy, is the ultimate optimist. However unlike Tracy, she allowed the bullying she received when she was younger to stop her from doing the things that she wanted to do. Tracy on the other hand, does not allow bullies to get in her way, and in the end, she gets the cute guy, gets to be on the Corny Collins Show and gets to change the world!

Dove joked that she is probably different from Amber in "practically every way." However she added that she does not believe in bad people, just people who have had bad things happen to them. She could relate to Amber in the sense that they are both products of their environments, although her personal upbringing was much healthier than that of Amber.

Sykes shared that like Seaweed, music is his first and true love and that dancing is truly therapeutic for him. He also said that like his character, he gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, commenting, "I don't care who you are or how you think." Unlike Seaweed however, he is not very outgoing or as much of an extrovert as his alter ego.

The actors also explained how they plan to make their characters different from past incarnations of them. Baillio says that she will not base her Tracy off of any previous portrayals of the character. Garrett shared that his Link may possibly be "more grounded and real due to everything that is currently going on in the country." Dove revealed that she will take a more comedic approach to her character.

NBC's HAIRSPRAY LIVE will air Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will originate from Los Angeles. The all-star cast includes Harvey Fierstein, Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth, Martin Short, Derek Hough, Dove Cameron, Garrett Clayton, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Ephraim Sykes, exciting newcomer Maddie Baillio and special guest stars Billy Eichner, Sean Hayes, Andrea Martin and Rosie O'Donnell.

Emmy award-winning live television director Alex Rudzinski ("Dancing with the Stars") will join Tony-winning director Kenny Leon ("The Wiz Live!"). Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago," "The Wiz Live!") serve as executive producers of "Hairspray Live!" Harvey Fierstein will also provide a new teleplay and Tony winner Jerry Mitchell ("Kinky Boots," "On Your Feet") will serve as choreographer for the live production with music and lyrics by Tony winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Smash," the upcoming feature "Mary Poppins Returns" and the Broadway-bound "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory").

In "Hairspray Live!," teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on "The Corny Collins Show," a local TV program. When against all odds Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight and meets a colorful array of characters, including the resident dreamboat, Link; the ambitious mean girl, Amber; an African-American boy she meets in detention, Seaweed; and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle, the owner of a local record store. Tracy's mother is the indomitable Edna, and she eventually encourages Tracy on her campaign to integrate the all-white "Corny Collins Show."

Ephraim Sykes plays Seaweed J. Stubbs in NBC's upcoming production of "Hairspray Live!," set for Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. Seaweed J. Stubbs is a hip and kind-hearted dancer who befriends Tracy Turnblad in detention and teaches her some new moves. He is also the son of Motormouth Maybelle (Jennifer Hudson) who falls in love with Tracy's best friend, Penny (Ariana Grande).

Sykes has been a member of the "Hamilton" company ever since the musical sensation, which recently won 11 Tony Awards, opened on Broadway in August 2015. Prior to his role in "Hamilton," Sykes appeared in four other Broadway musicals - "Motown the Musical," "Newsies," "Memphis" and "The Little Mermaid."

His television credits include "Vinyl," "Smash" and the Emmy Award-winning comedy "30 Rock," and he can be seen in the upcoming Woody Allen series "Crisis in Six Scenes" on Amazon.

Garrett Clayton will portray Link Larkin in NBC's upcoming holiday production of "Hairspray Live!," set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Clayton is best known for his leading role in the hit Disney Channel movies "Teen Beach Movie," and "Teen Beach Movie 2." Clayton starred as Tanner, the sun-bleached surf star of a classic teen beach movie "Wet Side Story," where two kids from the present find themselves mysteriously trapped. Up next he'll make a dramatic shift to take the lead role opposite James Franco and Christian Slater in "King Cobra," which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Following that he'll co-star in the thriller "Don't Hang Up."

An actor, singer and dancer, his television credits include a recurring role on the hit ABC Family series "The Fosters," and guest-star roles on series such as Lifetime's "The Client List," and Disney Channel's "Shake It Up" and "Jessie." Clayton also led a talented cast in the Lifetime TV movie "Holiday Spin," opposite Ralph Macchio. On the big screen, Clayton has been featured in the independent films "Love, Gloria" and "What's Wrong with Virginia."

Raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Clayton performed in regional theater productions of "High School Musical 2," "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," "Peter Pan" and "Beauty and the Beast." He has also appeared in numerous print ads and modeled for several companies, including Guess.

Dove Cameron will portray Amber Von Tussle in NBC's upcoming holiday production of "Hairspray Live!," set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Cameron currently stars on the Disney Channel series "Liz and Maddie" in which she plays 16-year-old identical twins Liv, a Hollywood starlet who has recently returned home to experience normal life in a small Wisconsin town, and Maddie, an outstanding student and basketball phenomenon who prefers high-tops over heels.

Last year, Cameron starred in the popular Disney Channel original movie "Descendants" as Mal, the daughter of Maleficent. The film is set in a present-day idyllic kingdom where the benevolent teenage son of King Beast and Queen Belle offers a chance at redemption for the troublemaking offspring of Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Jafar.

Cameron has signed on to appear in the sequel, which will begin production this summer. She was also seen in R.L. Stine's "Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls" and the feature film "Barely Lethal," opposite Hailee Steinfeld, Jessica Alba, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Cameron is also a talented singer and contributed to the "Shake It Up" album, Disney Channel's "Holidays Unwrapped" album and performed with Kristin Chenoweth at Disney Concert Hall. In 2015, she and Ryan McCartan partnered up and formed The Girl and the Dreamcatcher, combining their singing and songwriting talents. The duo have released three singles and are working on their EP "Negatives," which is set to be released this summer.

Cameron's additional film and television credits include Disney's animated series "Descendants: Wicked World," where she lends her voice to the character Mal, as well as Disney's "Austin & Ally," the Disney Channel original movie "Cloud 9," Showtime's "Shameless," CBS' "The Mentalist," and ABC's "Malibu Country."

Born and raised in Seattle, Cameron began acting in community theater at 8 years old and moved to Los Angeles at 14 to pursue acting and sing professionally. She sang the lead in Burbank High School's national championship show choir.

Maddie Baillio will star as Tracy Turnblad in NBC's upcoming holiday musical "Hairspray Live!" Baillio, an accomplished singer and dancer from League City, Texas, with no professional theater experience, won the role of Tracy Turnblad at an enormous open casting call attended by nearly 1,000 hopefuls.

A sophomore at Marymount Manhattan College, she recently starred as Dracula in "Dracula, the Musical" and Winnifred in "Once Upon a Mattress." Baillio was named 2014 Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador and in 2015 performed with Michael Feinstein to capacity audiences at venues such as the KENNEDY Center, the Grand 1894 Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Birdland Jazz Club.

Photos by: Trae Patton/NBC

Follow Caryn Robbins at @CarynRobbins