Hairspray

Hairspray

Hairspray - The Musical

Audiences arriving at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End can go back in time to 1960s America with the epic theatrical production that captures everyone’s hearts. Based on the classic 1988 movie by John Waters, it was first seen on the stage on Broadway in 2002 before spawning the West End production in 2007. In the preceding years the story was also seen on the silver screen a second time, this time as a musical adaptation starring John Travolta and Zac Efron. It cements the story as a timeless classic – one that generations of people will be able to enjoy way into the future.

The story is called “Hairspray”, the tale of following your dreams in 1960s Baltimore – a setting of political upheaval and social conflict. It has been written for the stage by Scott Wittman and Mark Shaiman, features a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan and music from Mark Shaiman.

The story focuses on the exploits of Tracy Turnblad, a dreaming teenager with high hopes and big ambitions. Her passion is for dance and music, hoping to one day win the crown of Miss Teenage Hairspray, meaning she practices hard every night with her friend Penny, making sure she is up to date on the latest dance moves. Along the way she interacts with her father Wilbur Turnblad and her mother Edna Turnblad.

But her obsession doesn’t end there; every night she also tunes in to her favourite TV programme “The Corny Collins Show”, which features an array of dancers and big stars. Tracy’s dreams of singing and dancing could soon be realised with the drop out of one of the show’s dancers, with the production team announcing auditions for the replacement soon. Tracy will stop at nothing to win the coveted spot, so she tries out and wins over the judges with her amazing talent.

But her skills do not impress everyone and she soon comes head to head with the show’s prima donna Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma, eclipsing the star and leading to a bitter rivalry that causes great trouble for Tracy. Therefore, it will be a struggle for her to fully realise her dream after all, which not only includes integrating the show in the best way, but also winning the affections of the dishy Link Larkin.

It is a story about following dreams to the full and working hard for them. It features songs such as “Good Morning Baltimore”, “I Can Hear The Bells”, “It Takes Two”, “Run and Tell That!”, “Big, Blonde and Beautiful”, “The Big Dollhouse”, “(You’re) Timeless To Me”, “Without Love”, “(It’s) Hairspray” and “You Can’t Stop The Beat”.

During its tenure in the West End, which began in 2007, “Hairspray” has been honoured with a prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical and a Critics’ Circle Award. It has also attracted some big name stars for its roles, including Michael Ball, Nigel Planer and Mel Smith. It means that it is a show that no-one should miss and one that will leave a smile on everyone’s face when they finally leave the Shaftesbury Theatre.

“Hairspray – The Musical” continues at the Shaftesbury Theatre where it continues to take bookings until late 2010.