The result: Hairspray Live! vividly brings Broadway into millions of living rooms, brimming with talent.

Directors Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinski shared the duties of leading the production with the original Broadway choreographer, Jerry Mitchell, working his magic with the musical numbers. It was inevitable that Hollywood reclaimed the show (in 2007) and I was thrilled when it was announced that producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan had selected Hairspray for the live television spectacular treatment.

I was even more bowled over by the stage musical adaptation in 2002, with a catchy score by Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Thomas Meehan and Mark O’Donnell – all Tony winners for their work. I remember when the original John Waters film Hairspray came out in the 1980s – his most mainstream film to date.

Newcomer Maddie Baillio took the starring role of Tracy Turnblad, the plus-sized gal with plus-sized dreams of dancing on Baltimore’s (fictional) “Corny Collins Show” in the early 1960s. The other cast members were a veritable who’s who of Broadway, film, and pop-star talent: Ariana Grande, Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, Derek Hough, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, and Garrett Clayton. Following the stage version more closely than the 2007 film adaptation, Hairspray Live! features original star Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad, reprising his Tony Award-winning role. Hairspray Live! originally aired on NBC in 2016 and, in my opinion, is one of the best productions since the recent trend of translating stage musicals into television spectaculars began. “Hairspray Live! vividly brings Broadway into millions of living rooms, brimming with talent.” The show is the award-winning television adaptation of Hairspray streaming this weekend courtesy of The Shows Must Go On. Hey, there quarantined Baltimore! The nicest kids in town are back and they are bringing their uplifting show to the world for 48 hours starting today. The finale of ‘Hairspray Live!’ playing on YouTube on The Shows Must Go On.

Hairspray live online for free