American musical
Hairspray is an American musical with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on John Waters's 1988 film of the same name. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the production follows teenage Tracy Turnblad's dream to dance on "The Corny Collins Show", a local TV dance program based on the real-life "Buddy Deane Show". When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight, leading to social change as Tracy campaigns for the show's integration.
The musical opened in Seattle in 2002 and moved to Broadway later that year. In 2003, "Hairspray" won eight Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical, out of 13 nominations. It ran for 2,642 performances, and closed on January 4, 2009. "Hairspray" has also had national tours, a West End production, and numerous foreign productions and was adapted as a 2007 musical film. The London production was nominated for a record-setting eleven Laurence Olivier Awards, winning four, including Best New Musical.
Background.
According to interviews included as an extra feature on the 2007 film's DVD release, theater producer Margo Lion first conceived of "Hairspray" as a stage musical in 1998 after seeing the original film on television. "I was home looking at a lot of movies, and one of those movies was "Hairspray"." She contacted John Waters, who gave her his blessing, then acquired the rights from New Line Cinema. Lion contacted Marc Shaiman, who expressed interest in the project only if his partner, Scott Wittman, could participate, and Lion agreed. The two enlisted the help of actress and singer Annie Golden to produce a demo recording containing three songs, one of which, "Good Morning Baltimore", became the show's opening number. Based on their initial work, Lion was confident that she had hired the right team.
Lion contacted Rob Marshall about directing the musical. At the time he was involved in negotiations to direct the screen adaptation of "Chicago", but he agreed to become involved in the early development stages of "Hairspray" with the stipulation he would drop out if assigned the film. Marshall remembered Marissa Jaret Winokur from her brief appearance in the film "American Beauty" and arranged a meeting with Shaiman and Wittman. The two immediately felt she was right to play Tracy Turnblad but hesitated to commit without seeing any other auditions. They hired Winokur to work with them on the project with the understanding she might be replaced later. A year later, Winokur was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Certain she would lose the role if the creative team learned about her condition, she underwent a hysterectomy, telling only her immediate family. The treatment and surgery succeeded, and Winokur returned to the project. Meanwhile, Marshall began work on "Chicago", and Lion hired Jack O'Brien and Jerry Mitchell to direct and to choreograph, respectively. Winokur was one of the first to audition for the role of Tracy and spent two years preparing with voice and dance lessons. Divine portrayed Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad, in the original film, and Shaiman liked the idea of maintaining the tradition of casting a man as Edna. Harvey Fierstein auditioned for the role with a "half-hour vocal audition". He thought they were "pacifying" him, but was told, "They don't want anyone but you".
According to Shaiman, one song, "I Know Where I've Been", became controversial during the genesis of the score:
This was ... inspired by a scene late in the [1988] movie that takes place on the black side of town. It never dawned on us that a torrent of protest would follow us from almost everyone involved with the show. "It's too sad. ... It's too preachy. ... It doesn't belong. ... Tracy should sing the eleven o'clock number." We simply didn't want our show to be yet another showbiz version of a civil rights story where the black characters are just background. And what could be more Tracy Turnblad-like than to give the "eleven o'clock number" to the black family at the heart of the struggle? Luckily ... the audiences embraced this moment, which enriches the happy ending to follow, and it is our proudest achievement of the entire experience of writing "Hairspray".
Productions.
Original Broadway production.
After a successful tryout at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, "Hairspray" opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre on August 15, 2002. Jack O'Brien directed the production, which Jerry Mitchell choreographed, with set design by David Rockwell, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Steve C. Kennedy, and the show's many distinctive wigs by Paul Huntley. The performances were conducted by Lon Hoyt, with approximately 15 musicians. The original Broadway cast included Marissa Jaret Winokur and Harvey Fierstein as Tracy and Edna, respectively, Matthew Morrison as Link, Laura Bell Bundy as Amber, Kerry Butler as Penny, Linda Hart as Velma, Mary Bond Davis as Motormouth Maybelle, Corey Reynolds as Seaweed, Jackie Hoffman as Matron, Dick Latessa as Wilbur, and Clarke Thorell as Corny Collins. Kamilah Marshall, Shayna Steele, and Judine Richard played the Dynamites.
"Hairspray" received Tony Award nominations in 13 categories, winning eight, including for best musical, book, score and direction. Winokur, Fierstein and Latessa received awards for their performances. The production ran for more than six years, closing on January 4, 2009, after 2,642 performances. Thorell returned to the cast for the final ten months. Fierstein and Winokur returned to the cast for the final performances.
Original London production.
The West End production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on October 11, 2007, for previews before its official opening on October 30. Michael Ball played Edna, with Mel Smith as Wilbur Turnblad, Leanne Jones as Tracy, Tracie Bennett as Velma, Paul Manuel as Corny Collins, Rachael Wooding as Amber, Elinor Collett as Penny, and Ben James-Ellis as Link. The original creative team of the Broadway production, with the director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, reunited for the London production. The show garnered a record-setting 11 Olivier Award nominations and won Best New Musical, as well as Best Actress and Actor in a musical (Jones and Ball). The production closed on March 28, 2010, after nearly two and a half years and over 1,000 performances.
2021 London revival.
The production was due to return to the West End at the London Coliseum for a limited 18-week season from 23 April to 29 August 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused all public theatres to close indefinitely in mid-March. The production was initially delayed to 1 September to 8 November, and then delayed again to 21 June to 29 September 2021.
Michael Ball reprised his Olivier Award-winning role as Edna, reuniting him with director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Full casting includes Lizzie Bea as Tracy, Marisha Wallace as Motormouth Maybelle, Les Dennis as Wilbur Turnblad, Rita Simons as Velma Von Tussle, Jonny Amies as Link Larkin, and Mari McGinlay as Penny Pingleton. Paul Merton was originally set to make his West End debut as Wilbur but after several delays he was unable to join the company and was replaced by Dennis.
2010 Australian production.
An Australian production of "Hairspray" opened in Melbourne at the Princess Theatre on October 2, 2010, to critical acclaim. It was directed by David Atkins and choreographed by "So You Think You Can Dance Australia" judge Jason Coleman. The show moved to Sydney on June 23, 2011. The cast included Jaz Flowers as Tracy, Trevor Ashley as Edna, Jack Chambers as Link, and Tevin Campbell reprising his role from the Broadway production as Seaweed. Atkins redesigned the production using new technology. The set used enormous LED screens that moved around the stage in various combinations as the characters interacted with animated landscapes generated across the screens. The musical opened at Sydney's Lyric Theatre at The Star Casino on 11 June 2011 and closed on 25 September 2011, two weeks earlier than anticipated.
2022 Australian Broadway revival.
A revival of the original Broadway production opened at Melbourne's Regent Theatre in August 2022, 20 years after the original production opened on Broadway. The original direction and choreography (by Jack O'Brien and Jerry Mitchell, respectively), was recreated by director Matt Lenz and choreographer Dominic Shaw. The cast included Carmel Rodrigues as Tracy, Shane Jacobson as Edna, Rhonda Burchmore as Velma, Todd McKenney as Wilbur, Rob Mills as Corny Collins, and Asabi Goodman as Motormouth Maybelle. The production moved on to Adelaide's Festival Centre in December 2022 where the role of Corny Collins was taken over by Irish born Australian, Bobby Fox. The Adelaide production closed on 29 January 2023. The production then continued to Sydney's Lyric Theatre where it opened on 9 February 2024 and closed on 2 April 2024.
Tours.
The first U.S. national tour started in September 2003 in Baltimore and ended in June 2006. It starred Carly Jibson as Tracy, Bruce Vilanch as Edna, Terron Brooks as Seaweed, Sandra DeNise as Penny, Susan Cella as Velma, and Ramona Cole (soon replaced by Charlotte Crossley) as Motormouth Maybelle. When the tour came to Los Angeles, Winokur reprised her role as Tracy, together with the original Broadway Link, Matthew Morrison. The same creative team of O'Brien and Mitchell was at the helm. Lon Hoyt served as music supervisor. Jim Vukovich served as music director for the entire 33 months on the road.
In July 2006, a non-Equity U.S. and Asian tour opened in Atlantic City's Harrah's Casino. The shorter "casino version" was used for a six-week run, but when the tour moved on, it continued with the full version minus the character of Lorraine. The production starred Brooklynn Pulver as Tracy, Jerry O'Boyle as Edna, Dan Ferretti as Wilbur, Constantine Rousouli as Link, Christian Dante White as Seaweed, Alyssa Malgeri as Penny, Jarret Mallon as Corny, Happy McPartlin as Velma, Pearl Thomas as Amber, and Yvette Clark as Motormouth Maybelle. The tour played sit-down engagements in Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. It gave its final performance on April 25, 2010, at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, California.
After the West End production closed, "Hairspray" began touring the UK and Ireland, starting at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on April 7, 2010, following previews from March 30. The tour starred Michael Ball as Edna, alternating with Michael Starke and Brian Conley; Les Dennis, Nigel Planer and Micky Dolenz alternating as Wilbur, and Laurie Scarth as Tracy.
"Hairspray" toured the UK and Ireland in 2013. The show opened on February 13 in The Lowry Theatre in Manchester with Mark Benton as Edna, Lucy Benjamin as Velma, Sandra Marvin as Motormouth Maybelle, Marcus Collins as Seaweed, and Freya Sutton as Tracy. MM Musicals presented the show at FairfieldHalls, Croydon, in the Ashcroft Theatre, from 19 to 22 November 2014, with Corin Miller as Tracy, Andy Lingfield as Edna, and Natalie Cave as Penny.
Mark Goucher produced a "Hairspray" tour in the UK from September 2015, starting at the Curve, Leicester. The production returned at the end of summer 2017 to once again tour the UK, starring Norman Pace as Wilbur, Brenda Edwards as Motormouth, Layton Williams, and Rebecca Mendoza as Tracy. The Curve production and subsequent tours were directed by Paul Kerryson with choreography by Drew McOnie.
The production toured the UK and Ireland again in 2021 directed by Paul Kerryson and starring Brenda Edwards as Motormouth Maybelle and Norman Pace as Wilbur. It opened in Plymouth on 24 June 2021 before touring around the UK into 2022.
Other productions.
A Las Vegas production ran at the Luxor Hotel in 2006 starring Katrina Rose Dideriksen as Tracy, Austin Miller as Link, and Fierstein and Latessa reprising their roles as Edna and Wilbur. This 90-minute version was played in one act. Cut songs included "The Big Dollhouse", "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs", "Velma's Revenge", "Good Morning Baltimore (Reprise)", and "Cooties".
Royal Caribbean International presented the show on their first Oasis Class ship MS "Oasis of the Seas", which made its maiden voyage in December 2009. The show was performed in the ship's 1350 seat Opal Theater three times on each seven-night cruise but was later replaced by "Cats".
In 2018 the MS "Symphony of the Seas" made its maiden voyage, and due to multiple requests, "Hairspray" was added as a show. It is still being performed in one act, restoring "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs" but like