"Hairspray" will be NBC's next live musical
NBC has announced its fourth live musical, and this one is going to involve lots of pompadours and bouffants.
This year's musical will be "Hairspray," reports the Hollywood Reporter. "Hairspray" follows chubby teenager Tracy Turnblad in 1950s Baltimore who wins a spot as a dancer on "The Corny Collins Show" and brings racial integration to the dance show's set.
The announcement comes on the heels of the critically successful "Wiz Live!" which aired in December. The network's previous live musicals were "Peter Pan" with Allison Williams and "The Sound of Music" with Carrie Underwood.
NBC chief Bob Greenblatt said he would be open to having John Travolta, who played Tracy Turnblad's mother Edna in the 2007 version of "Hairspray," reprise his role in the TV version.
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced all three of NBC's last live musicals, have signed on again to executive produce "Hairspray," which will air in December 2016.
No word yet on who NBC is eyeing for the cast. December's "The Wiz Live!" changed course and veered away from casting a big-name lead; Dorothy was played by newcomer Shanice Williams, though the rest of the cast included stars like Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, Mary J. Blige, Uzo Aduba and Common.
Who would you like to see in "Hairspray"?