Though Divine was known for being a drag queen, he identified as a gay male. Waters would cast Ricki Lake in more of his films. Divine first worked with Waters in 1974 and starred in many of Water's movies. The original film cast included Ricki Lake as Tracy Turnblad and Waters' good friend Divine as Edna Turnblad. Based on the 1988 film Hairspray by John Waters, the movie became a cult classic, like many of Waters' pictures. Hairspray Live's! plot delivers a timeless message that will resonate with audiences for years to come. Hairspray Live! features an all-star cast that includes Tony, Grammy, and Oscar winners and renowned Broadway veterans.

At a time when musical, theater and arts programs are being cut from public schools nationwide, live theater shows like Hairspray Live! are not only in high demand but are needed. The result has been that each NBC live special has been met with critical acclaim.

NBC continues to cast people from varying theater, musical, and television backgrounds. As the events feature famous actors, actresses, and singers they are drawing audiences who otherwise might remain in the dark regarding the arts, the shows are a great introduction to theater.Ĭarrie Underwood, Stephen Moyer, Christopher Walken, Allison Williams, Common, Amber Riley, Shanice Williams, and Uzo Aduba are just some of the names that have been featured in NBC live shows. NBC live productions have become a great introduction to theater and the arts for those who have never attended a live show. There are many people who will never see a Broadway production in person or have never seen their community's musical theater productions. It's unknown how long NBC will continue with the live musical events, but many hope they will make this a long-standing tradition. The network announced earlier this year that Jennifer Lopez will star in the live production of Bye Bye Birdie Live! coming in December 2017. NBC's new live musical tradition has become a huge hit.

Hairspray live online