Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Hairspray Live!" takes place in 1962 Baltimore. Plump 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."
Shoshana is touring Europe with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox and we had the pleasure to sit down and speak with her about her career, Wicked, Hairspray, YouTube, upcoming concerts and much more! Check it only on BroadwayWorld.com!
NBC will have an open casting call for the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in the upcoming holiday special HAIRSPRAY LIVE!. The network has also set an air date for the live broadcast of Wednesday, Dec. 7th!
BWW has just learned that Emmy and Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin, the creator and mastermind behind the beloved NBC drama “The West Wing,” is returning to the network with a live presentation of A FEW GOOD MEN, set to air in early 2017.
If you've ever wanted to strut you stuff on the Corny Collins Show, today is your lucky day! NBC and Telsey + Company just announced that there will be an open call to cast HAIRSPRAY LIVE!'s young leading lady. Check out the details below!
Gloria Estefan has sold over 100 million records and sold out stadiums around the world, they're about to sell some more. BroadwayWorld has just confirmed that the cast on ON YOUR FEET! will record a live album today. There's no word yet on when the album will be available, but check back here at BroadwayWorld for updates!
In a new interview with Adweek, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt shares his thoughts on the live programming presented thus far on the network, as well as plans to present HAIRSPRAY as the next live musical.
NBC just announced an all-star team of Broadway's finest creatives -- featuring familiar faces Kenny Leon, Jerry Mitchell and Harvey Fierstein -- for its upcoming production of HAIRSPRAY LIVE, the network's latest stage musical following the phenomenal success of THE WIZ LIVE. The telecast will air Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The cast for HAIRSPRAY LIVE will be announced at a later date, but based on this news, BWW can't wait to see what NBC has in store!
Friday's opening night audience enjoyed the Playhouse Merced production of 'Hairspray' - perhaps a little too much. The promise of community favorite Jim Kocher in drag and of soulful tunes to show off fantastic vocal talents were more than enough to match the audience energy with that of the cast. And the ensemble did prove itself with consistent, strong harmonies in an exciting and colorful show.
THE WIZ LIVE producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron chatted with BroadwayWorld about the production's recent success at the NAACP Image Awards and more. Check out the full interview here!
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL's Ashley Tisdale revealed she would consider starring in NBC's recently announced next live musical production, HAIRSPRAY.
John Travolta, who took on the iconic role of Danny Zuko in the 1978 big screen adaptation of GREASE, turned down an opportunity to participate in FOX's upcoming live broadcast of GREASE LIVE.
Social Media has been abuzz with casting ideas once Harirspray Live was announced.
HAIRSPRAY has been chosen as NBC's next live musical following the success of last month's THE WIZ LIVE!.
NBC's broadcasts of THE SOUND OF MUSIC (2013), PETER PAN (2014), and THE WIZ (2015) showed us that everyone and their GBF has a strong opinion about every aspect of these broadcasts. In light of this heated debate, we decided to get everyone's opinions out there by asking the BroadwayWorld readers to share which shows they think should be broadcast live next.
NBC's musical television production of The Wiz Live! stars world-class performers and recording artists including Queen Latifah (Chicago), Mary J. Blige (Empire), Ne-Yo (Red Tails), and David Alan Grier (In Living Color). Staying true to the groundbreaking Broadway show that put a vivid urban spin on the land of Oz, this fresh new trip down the yellow brick road also stars Common (Being Charlie), Elijah Kelley (Hairspray), Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Amber Riley (Glee), Stephanie Mills (The Love Boat), and newcomer Shanice Williams as Dorothy. Also included on the DVD will be the NBC special, The Making of The Wiz Live, featuring the behind-the-scenes story of producing this live television event!
Revived again, the touring favourite Hairspray is again packing out theatres across the country. This new production delivers some impressive performances and a fun evening, if not quite living up to dancing in the aisles quality of the West End original.
From a near-perfect live Wall of Sound to Motormouth Maybelle ringing in the rafters, this is a production of HAIRSPRAY that goes beyond the basics into some real moments of surprise
Among this year's cast is Alexa PenaVega (formally Alexa Vega), who made her Broadway debut in 2007 when she played Penny Pingleton in the Tony Award winning musical HAIRSPRAY
Possum Point Players present the tuneful and family-friendly musical, "Hairspray" Oct. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. The winner of eight TONY awards, including Best Musical, the light-hearted show also teaches a sweet lesson of tolerance. Possum Hall is located at 441 Old Laurel Rd. Georgetown. Tickets are $23, adults and $22 for students and seniors; they may be purchased at www.possumpointplayers.org or at the ticketline, 856-4560.
BroadwayWorld has just learned that Ne-Yo and Common have joined the cast, of NBC's highly-anticipated THE WIZ LIVE!. Ne-Yo will take on the role of the Tin Man, while Common portrays the gatekeeper of Oz, a non-sining role
Bravo to Chance Theater for taking on this mainstream hit and making it actually feel like a fresh, awesome little indie. Now playing through August 9, the latest offering from Orange County's bold, award-winning regional theater company is their own 'intimate' theater re-staging of HAIRSPRAY, the 2002 hit Tony Award-winning musical comedy. The results? Quite simply a more compact production that is an absolutely undeniable, all-around rousing winner. Under the direction of Kari Hayter, the celebratory production's immersive, semi-theater-in-the-round minimalist approach actually thrusts the show's outstanding music and comedy out front, wonderfully blanketing the audience in the show's pro-integration, pro-acceptance storyline about a rotund young lady with big hair and big dreams who sets off to change the world.
HAIRSPRAY composer Marc Shaiman used Facebook to 'unfriend' actress and longtime friend Fortier following her recent disapproval on social media of a marriage between two mutual male friends.
The Muny presents Hairspray, winner of the 2003 Tony Award for Best Musical, featuring music by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman with a book by Mark O'Donnell & Thomas Meehan. The Muny's production of Hairspray is directed and choreographed by Dan Knechtges and music directed by Charlie Alterman.
The audiences at Miller Outdoor Theatre got a big, fat welcome back to the early 1960s, where tall hair and bright, jarring outfits were all the rage, thanks to TUTS' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre's fun and boisterous production of HAIRSPRAY.
With a pastiche score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman and witty book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan HAIRSPRAY is a faithful musical version of John Waters' 1988 film of the same name. The story follows larger-than-life Tracy Turnblad as she tries to secure a coveted spot on the famous Corny Collins Show -- no easy task thanks to the show's producer, Velma Von Tussle and her daughter, Amber. Backed by her doting father Wilbur, plus-sized and hesitant mother Edna, and sheltered best friend Penny, Tracy won't let anything stop her as she sets out to change Baltimore, and the world, for good. The stage was full of wonderful performers, so much so that it was difficult to choose whom to watch.
Tim Realbuto's 'Live In Living Color', a benefit concert honoring Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, which was cancelled last Tuesday due to an electrical issue at the venue has been rescheduled for Monday, June 15th at 9:30 PM.
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