HAIRSPRAY Creator Mark O'Donnell Passes Away at 58

According to the Associated Press, HAIRSPRAY creator Mark O'Donnell passed away today in his Upper West Side home. He was 58 years old.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, O'Donnell received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College in 1976. He was a member of the Harvard Lampoon, where he held the position of Ibis. He was the writer and librettist for three Hasty Pudding musicals for the Hasty Pudding Theatricals group.

O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan shared the 2003 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical for their work on Hairspray, and they wrote the 2007 film adaptation. The pair also worked on another John Waters musical adaptation, Cry-Baby, for which they received a 2008 Tony nomination.

O’Donnell’s novels include Getting Over Homer and Let Nothing You Dismay. Along with Bill Irwin, he wrote Scapin, a 1997 play adapted from the original by Molière.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.