Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues. In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is 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. She then launches a campaign to integrate the show. Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s.
The musical's original Broadway production opened on August 15, 2002 and won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations. It ran for over 2,500 performances and closed on January 4, 2009. Hairspray has also had national tours, a London 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 Oliver Awards, winning for Best New Musical and in three other categories.
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 Balll played Edna, with Mel Smith as Wilbur Turnblad, newcomer 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 director Jack O'Biren and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, reunited for the London production. The show garnered a record-setting eleven Oliver Award nominations and won for Best New Musical, as well as acting awards for Best Actress and Actor in a musical (Jones and Ball). The production closed on March 28, 2010 after a run of nearly two-and-a-half years and over 1,000 performances.
Original West-End Cast
Tracy Turnblad –
Leanne Jones
Edna Turnblad –
Michael Ball
Amber Von Tussle –
Rachael Wooding
Velma Von Tussle –
Tracie Bennett
Penny Pingleton –
Elinor Collett
Link Larkin –
Ben James-Ellis
Motormouth Maybelle –
Johnnie Flori
Seaweed J. Stubbs –
Adrian Hansel
Wilbur Turnblad –
Mel Smith
Corny Collins –
Paul Manuel
Little Inez –
Natalie Best
Female Authority Figure – Wendy Somerville
Male Authority Figure –
Dermot Canavan
Last Accessed - 30/09/2012
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