Hairspray started life as John Waters movie, was adapted for a musical and a film based on the show, and has now become a simultaneous live and onscreen musical performance for NBC’s upcoming event, in the vein of the network’s version of The Wiz, Peter Pan, and Sound of Music.
The new adaptation stars Maddie Baillio, Harvey Fierstein, Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Martin Short, Derek Hough, Dove Cameron, Garrett Clayton, and Kristin Chenoweth. Perhaps this NBC Live event can avoid the widespread social media diss that their other programs were met with thanks to Hairspray’s camp/trash roots and can’t-go-wrong costumes from the ‘60s. No John Travolta in drag also helps.
Hairspray Live! debuts on December 7 on NBC.