Appropriately subtitled "Broadway's big, fat, musical comedy hit," Hairspray is an in-your-face, quirky musical about loving yourself and getting along. Featuring a Tony Award-winning book and score along with some of the grooviest choreography around, this show is a sure-fire hit. Get your Hairspray tickets today and join in on the fun!
Hairspray is the uproarious, energetic musical comedy that stole audiences' hearts and won a whopping 8 2003 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. The original production, having played over 2,500 performances from 2003 to 2009, spawned a 2007 West End mounting as well as several tours and other foreign productions, and has recently caught fire as a top choice for regional theatres as well.
Based on the cult classic 1988 John Waters film starring Ricki Lake, this show features impressive and elaborate choreography, flashy costumes (and hairstyles, of course), and a 60s-inspired pop score. Fans recognize such memorable songs as "Good Morning, Baltimore," "Welcome to the 60s," "Without Love," and "You Can't Stop the Beat." The lead roles of Tracy (created on Broadway by Marisa Jaret Winokur) and Edna Turnblad (created on Broadway by Harvey Fierstein) have become two of the most recognizable in Broadway history, and the show, which extols the virtues of being yourself and accepting others, is sure to be an enduring entry in the musical theatre canon for decades to come. Check out the Hairspray schedule and get your tickets today to see this catchy and inspiring musical!
Plot Synopsis:
As plus-sized teenager Tracy Turnblad begins another day in her beloved Baltimore, she muses about her desire to be a famous dancer, and that day after school, she and her best friend, Penny Pingleton, watch the local teenage dance program, "The Corny Collins Show." When it is announced that there will be auditions for a place on the show, Edna, Tracy's timid and overweight mother, refuses to let her go, afraid that she will be made fun of because of her weight. Penny and Amber (the gorgeous, blonde, lead dancer on the show) have similar struggles with their overbearing mothers. After receiving support from her father, Wilbur, Tracy goes to the audition and meets heartthrob Link Larkin, who she immediately falls in love with. But her dreams are dashed when Velma Von Tussle, Amber's mother and the snobby and racist producer of the show, kicks Tracy out of the audition along with a black girl, Little Inez.
Back at school, Tracy meets black dancer Seaweed J. Stubbs, who brings her and Penny (with whom he is enchanted) to his family's record shop. There, they meet his mother, Motormouth Maybelle, the shop's owner and the host of The Corny Collins Show's Negro Day. Once Tracy learns some new moves from Seaweed and shows them off to Corny Collins at a school dance, she is enlisted for the show, much to the chagrin of Velma. Tracy becomes an overnight sensation, landing a plus-sized clothing spokesperson deal for her and her mother. With her newfound fame, Tracy has her sights set on integrating The Corny Collins Show, but her radical ideas and hasty tactics land her and her friends in jail. Can this sweet, young girl with the flashiest moves and the kind heart win over the public? Get your Hairspray tickets today to find out!
Run Time:
2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
Advisory:
Appropriate for ages 8 and up
Awards:
2003 Tony Awards: 13 nominations, 8 wins
2003 Drama Desk Awards: 14 nominations, 9 wins
2007 Olivier Awards: 11 nominations, 4 wins
Creative Team:
Composer
Marc Shaiman
Lyrics
Scott Wittman, Marc Shaiman
Book
Mark O'Donnell, Thomas Meehan
Based on the film by
John Waters
Hairspray News:
April 25, 2010
The U.S. Tour of Hairspray played its final performance.
January 4, 2009
Hairspray played its last performance on Broadway.
