A Hairspray Revival May Be Broadway-Bound

Are the nicest kids in town coming back to Broadway? In a recent interview with Broadway.com, director Jack O'Brien teased a revival of Hairspray, the musical comedy that won eight Tony Awards in 2003, including one for O'Brien's direction. "We’re trying to bring it back to Broadway next year," he said. "The country needs it. I saw the non-Equity version several months ago in Connecticut, and the audience went bananas."

Based on John Waters' 1988 film of the same name, Hairspray follows teenage Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore who dreams of dancing on The Corny Collins Show. After learning of the show's segregation policy, she, along with her pals, devise a plan to integrate the program. The musical highlights themes of equality, representation and diversity—topics at the front of today's political consciousness. 

"Hairspray is a sweetly subversive musical; it doesn’t preach," said O'Brien. "It’s adorable and funny, but it’s the kind of show that, when you’re having your coffee the next morning, you realize had more beneath the surface than just the glitz of a Broadway musical. People love it because they don’t feel talked down to."

Hairspray features a Tony-winning score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a Tony-winning book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Shaiman and Wittman also have their stage adaptation of the NBC series Smash slated for Broadway in spring 2025, so their work could possibly be filling multiple stages next season. 

The original Broadway production of Hairspray starred Marissa Jaret Winokur (Tony Award) as Tracy Turnblad, Harvey Fierstein (Tony Award) as Edna Turnblad, Kerry Butler as Penny Pingleton, Corey Reynolds as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Laura Bell Bundy as Amber von Tussle, Matthew Morrison as Link Larkin, Dick Latessa (Tony Award) as Wilbur Turnblad, Linda Hart as Velma Von Tussle, Mary Bond Davis as Motormouth Maybelle and Clarke Thorell as Corny Collins. Current Tony nominee Shoshana Bean was also in the original ensemble, understudying the role of Tracy. The production ran at the Neil Simon Theatre from July 2002 to January 2009. 

In 2007, the musical was turned into a feature film, starring Nikki Blonsky (Tracy), Zac Efron (Link), John Travolta (Edna), Amanda Bynes (Penny), Queen Latifah (Motormouth Maybelle), Brittany Snow (Amber), Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma), James Marsden (Corny Collins), Elijah Kelley (Seaweed) and Christopher Walken (Wilbur). In 2016, NBC produced a live telecast of the show, featuring Fierstein in his original Broadway role as Edna. 

Hairspray is currently on a non-Equity North American tour.