Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters movie Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues. The musical won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations and has played for over 3,200 performances on Broadway. It has also enjoyed U.S. national tours and numerous foreign productions and was adapted for a 2007 musical film.
In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. She then launches a campaign to racially integrate the show. Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960's.
