How well do you know Hairspray? Test your knowledge of this beloved musical, which brings the energetic beats of 1960s rhythm and blues to the Broadway stage. First debuting in 2002, Hairspray took home eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and has continued to captivate audiences through various international revivals. From the iconic character of Edna Turnblad to memorable musical numbers like "I Know Where I've Been," discover more interesting trivia about this hit show.
Adaptations
- A film adaptation of 'Hairspray' was released in July 2007, starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Queen Latifah among others.
International Productions
- Naomi Watanabe was cast again as Tracy in another Japanese production of 'Hairspray', scheduled for Tokyo and Osaka in 2022.
- Face Production's staging of 'Hairspray' at the Hong Kong Cultural Center was awarded Best Musical, Best Actress, and Best Set Design at the HK Heckler Awards.
- Hairspray has been translated into multiple languages including German, Finnish, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, French, and Hebrew for international productions.
- Leanne Jones, originally from the West End production, reprised her role as Tracy in the Dubai production of 'Hairspray' in July 2010.
- The London production of Hairspray set a record with 11 Laurence Olivier Award nominations and won four, including Best New Musical.
- The Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland staged the first production of 'Hairspray' in German.
- Maite Kelly, formerly of The Kelly Family, played Tracy in the Cologne production of 'Hairspray' alongside Jana Stelley as Penny.
- The first German production of 'Hairspray' opened in Cologne on December 6, 2009, with Uwe Ochsenknecht and comedian Tetje Mierendorf alternating in the role of Edna.
- The musical opened at Sydney's Lyric Theatre at The Star Casino on 11 June 2011 and closed on 25 September 2011, closing two weeks earlier than planned.
- A revival of the original Broadway production opened at Melbourne's Regent Theatre in August 2022, 20 years after the original Broadway debut.
- In the 2022 Australian revival, the original direction and choreography were recreated by director Matt Lenz and choreographer Dominic Shaw.
- The first international production of Hairspray opened in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre in April 2004, running for 245 performances.
Musical Composition
- Hairspray is a musical adaptation of John Waters's 1988 film and features 1960s-style dance music and 'downtown' rhythm and blues.
- Hairspray originally had a song called 'Blood on the Pavement', an infomercial about road safety, which was included after early versions of the show in Seattle but did not make the final Broadway cut.
- In Hairspray, a song titled 'The Mother-Daughter Cha-Cha-Cha' was cut from the final show and merged into the scenes involving the protest rally and Mother-Daughter Day.
- Hairspray's musical number 'I Know Where I've Been' was inspired by a scene from the original 1988 film that focuses on racial struggles.
- Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman were the creative minds behind the music and lyrics, while Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan crafted the book.
Notable Tours
- The 2006 non-Equity U.S. and Asian tour featured a 'casino version' of the musical at Atlantic City's Harrah's Casino, which was shorter than the full version.
- Hairspray commenced UK and Ireland tours multiple times, with performances starting as early as 2010 in Wales and continuing with various tours up to 2021.
- Royal Caribbean International featured Hairspray on their cruise ships, including performances on MS Oasis of the Seas starting in 2009 and later on MS Symphony of the Seas in 2018.
- Sky 1's 'Hairspray: The School Musical' in 2008 chronicled a North London school's journey from auditions to performance, with input from Broadway and West End professionals.
- The first U.S. national tour of the musical started in September 2003 in Baltimore and concluded in June 2006.
Production Facts
- NBC's live production of 'Hairspray', broadcast in December 2016, featured a star-studded cast including Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, and Kristin Chenoweth.
- During the Seattle tryout of Hairspray, several songs were replaced or removed completely, including a closing number performed by Tracy called 'It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Lady Sings', which made it onto the Special Edition of the 2007 film's soundtrack.
- Hairspray opened on Broadway with a $12 million advance and recouped its entire $10.5 million investment by May 2003, just nine months after its opening.
- Hugh Jackman and Joey McIntyre were considered for the role of Corny Collins in the 2007 film version of 'Hairspray'.
- The Hollywood Bowl hosted a production of Hairspray in August 2011, featuring original Broadway cast members and was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.
- The Las Vegas production of Hairspray in 2006 at the Luxor Hotel featured a 90-minute version played in one act.
- During the closing performances of the Broadway run, original stars Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur returned to their roles.
- The original Broadway production closed on January 4, 2009, after 2,642 performances.
- Harvey Fierstein's portrayal of Edna Turnblad required an extensive 'half-hour vocal audition.'
- The character of Edna Turnblad has traditionally been played by a man, both in the film and the stage musical.
- Hairspray won eight Tony Awards in 2003, including Best Musical, out of 13 nominations.
- The musical debuted in Seattle in 2002 before transitioning to Broadway later that year.
