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Hairspray Live! coming to SBS

Next live TV musical stars Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Rosie O’Donnell, Kristin Chenoweth, Martin Short, Sean Hayes & Harvey Fierstein.

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SBS has secured the Australian rights for the next Live US musical, Hairspray, starring Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Rosie O’Donnell, Kristin Chenoweth, Martin Short, Sean Hayes and Harvey Fierstein.

Set to screen Live on NBC on December 7, it will air on SBS at 7:30pm Saturday December 10th.

Hairspray Live! is the latest in a run of Live-to-Air musicals restaged for Television which have included The Sound of Music, The Wiz, Peter Pan and Grease. A new version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show was also filmed for FOX.

The highly anticipated stage-to-TV-screen musical is originally based on John Waters’ 1988 cult romantic comedy, and has transformed over the years into a critically acclaimed Broadway musical and hit remake of the movie in 2007.

Filmed on a brand new sound stage in Los Angeles, and in front of a live studio audience, the musical will feature the beloved songs and characters from the original film, in addition to showcasing the talents of a star-studded cast which includes Jennifer Hudson (as Motormouth Maybelle), Ariana Grande (as Penny Pingleton), Kristin Chenoweth (as Velma Von Tussle), Martin Short (as Wilbur Turnblad), Derek Hough (as Corny Collins), Rosie O’Donnell (as the Health Ed teacher), Sean Hayes (as Mr. Pinky), Andrea Martin (as Prudy Pingleton) and Harvey Fierstein (as Edna Turnblad).

Hairspray Live! will also feature some fantastic up-and-comers like Garrett Clayton (as Link Larkin), Dove Cameron (as Amber Von Tussle), Ephraim Sykes (as Seaweed J. Stubbs) and introducing Maddie Baillio as Tracy Turnblad – a Texas native with no professional theatre experience who won the role at an open casting call…beating out around 1,000 other hopefuls.

Hairspray Live! tells the story of Baltimore teenager, Tracy Turnblad (Maddie Baillio) and her ambition to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV program. When against all odds Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight and meets a diverse bunch of characters, including the resident dreamboat, Link Larkin (Garrett Clayton); the ambitious mean girl, Amber Von Tussle (Dove Cameron); an African-American boy she meets in detention, Seaweed (Ephraim Sykes); and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle (Jennifer Hudson), the owner of a local record store. Tracy’s mother is the indomitable Edna Turnblad (Harvey Fierstein), who eventually encourages Tracy on her campaign to integrate the all-white Corny Collins Show. The musical tackles very real subject matters in society – highlighting issues like racism, racial segregation, civil rights, diversity and inclusion.

Multi-award winning Craig Zadan and Neil Meron serve as executive producers of Hairspray Live! Live television director, Alex Rudzinski, will join Tony Award®-winning director Kenny Leon (The Wiz Live!) for Hairspray Live! Harvey Fierstein will provide a new teleplay and Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, On Your Feet) will serve as choreographer for the live production with music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Smash and Broadway’s upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

Hairspray Live! will air on Saturday, 10 December at 7.30pm on SBS

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