Film & TV NewsHairspray Live!, Starring Harvey Fierstein, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, More, Streaming May 29The Shows Must Go On! continues with the 2016 NBC presentation of the Tony-winning musical.
By
Playbill Staff
May 27, 2020
The YouTube channelThe Shows Must Go On!, which has aired several free, full-length recordings of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals and tributes, continues with the 2016 NBC broadcast of Hairspray Live!. The television adaptation starred newcomer Maddie Baillio as Tracy Turnblad with Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad, the role for which he won a Tony Award in the original Broadway production.
Hairspray Live! streams in the video above or on YouTube May 29 beginning at 2 PM ET, with the video available for 48 hours. To flip through our online Playbill program—including full song and cast lists, production photos, and more—click here. This special program was created using PLAYBILLder, the online build-your-own Playbill program platform.
Joining Baillio and Fierstein in the cast were Dove Cameron as Amber Von Tussle, Emmy and Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth as Velma Von Tussle, Garrett Clayton as Link Larkin, Ariana Grande as Penny Pingleton, Derek Hough as Corny Collins, Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle, Shahadi Wright Joseph as Little Inez, Emmy and Tony winner Martin Short as Wilbur Turnblad, and Tony nominee Ephraim Sykes as Seaweed Stubbs.
The special also featured appearances by Billy Eichner, Sean Hayes, Andrea Martin, and Rosie O’Donnell. Marissa Jaret Winokur, who originated the role of Hairspray’s Tracy Turnblad on Broadway and won a Tony Award for her performance, and Ricki Lake, who first brought that character to life in the 1988 John Waters film, make cameo appearances. The Dynamites are played by Kamilah Marshall, Judine Somerville, and Shayna Steele, who originated the roles in the Broadway production.
Fierstein wrote the teleplay for the new adaptation, with original and new music and lyrics by Tony-winning composer-lyricist team Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The production was directed by Kenny Leon and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, with live television direction by Alex Rudzinski, music direction by Lon Hoyt, music production by Scott Riesett, scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Mary Vogt, lighting design by Allen Branton, and sound design by Tom Davis. The telecast was produced by NBC Entertainment, Robert Gleenblatt, and Neil Meron and Craig Zadan.
The Shows Must Go On!has previously aired Love Never Dies, The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Cats, as well as NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! (though the stream was not available in the U.S.). Proceeds go to The Actors Fund, Acting for Others, Broadway Cares, Actors Benevolent Fund, and more.
