“I've always loved Penny's part because she gets to be fun and goofy,” DeGarmo told Broadway.com. “She has a real journey—she gets to blossom into a beautiful rosebud. The teen idol is also a fan of the show's Tony-winning score: “Every time I hear it I want to tap my feet and boogie around!”

DeGarmo, the young runner-up on American Idol two seasons ago, is best known for her rendition of “Don't Cry Out Loud.” After her run in the series ended, she embarked on a tour with the other American Idol finalists. She has also been concentrating on her recording career—RCA Records released her first solo CD, Blue Skies, in December 2004.

Under the guidance of her mother, DeGarmo started pursuing an entertainment career at a very young age. As a child, she performed one summer at Music Mansion in the Dollywood Amusement Park in Tennessee. She was then invited back to perform in the park's 1997 Christmas show. She also opened at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards in 1997. A year later, she performed with Mike Snider and Steve Wariner on The Nashville Network's Christmas special. She has opened for The Baja Men, Pam Tillis, Diamond Rio, Trace Adkins, Tracy Byrd, Billy Dean, Toby Keith, Ty Herndon, Delbert McClinton, Dolly Parton and the Opry singers. Her musical theater credits include mountings of Annie, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and West Side Story, which she headlined this past summer at the American Musical Theatre of San Jose. She will also play the title role in the national tour of the Broadway musical Brooklyn, which is to begin in June and co-stars Melba Moore.

DeGarmo replaces current cast member Tracey Miller in the role of Penny. Hairspray will continue to star John Pinette, Shannon Durig, Stephen DeRosa, Andrew Rannells, Tevin Campbell, Becky Gulsvig, Darlene Love and Leah Hocking.