“Hairspray Live!” doesn’t debut until this December, but the first footage is already here.
“Hairspray Live!” features newcomer Maddie Baillio in the star-making role of Tracy Turnblad, plus a star-studded cast including Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth, Martin Short, Derek Hough, Dove Cameron, Garrett Clayton, Sean Hayes, Andrea Martin and Rosie O’Donnell. “Hairspray” vet Harvey Fierstein will star as Edna Turnblad, the role that won him a Tony in the stage production.
“Hairspray” follows NBC’s past live musicals “The Sounds of Music,” “Peter Pan” and most recently, “The Wiz.”
The live TV musical has become the hot trend of the moment with other broadcasts following suit. Fox jived into the genre with “Grease,” which was a critical and consumer hit. Fox is also prepping for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” this fall, though it won’t be live. ABC is also gearing up for a non-live television music of “Dirty Dancing.”
“Hairspray Live” airs Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
