A new North American tour of the hit musical Hairspray will launch in Baltimore, where the 2003 Tony winner is set, November 10–15.
The original creative team, led by director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, will reunite to bring Hairspray to more than 60 cities during its first touring season. Casting will be announced at a later date.
Hairspray, which is based on the John Waters film, premiered at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater in June 2002, subsequently opening at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre in July. The show became the longest-running musical to play the Neil Simon, ending its run January 4, 2009.
The musical, which features a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan and an original score by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, is the story of 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960’s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show.
Hairspray won 2003 Tony Awards for Best Score (Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman), Best Book (Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell), Best Actress in a Musical (Marissa Jaret Winokur), Best Actor (Harvey Fierstein), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Dick Latessa), Best Costume Design (William Ivey Long), Best Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical.
A screen adaptation of the musical premiered in 2007. A live TV broadcast aired on NBC in 2016, featuring original star Fierstein. The upcoming tour will incorporate “Ladies Choice” from the movie musical. The tour is produced by NETworks Presentations.
Meanwhile, a West End revival is set to open at the London Coliseum April 23, with O'Brien and Mitchell at the helm once more. The cast includes Michael Ball, reprising his Olivier-winning performance as Edna.
READ: Paul Merton Joins West End Hairspray; Full Cast Set
The Broadway cast of Hairspray
