Good morning, Baltimore: NBC’s Bob Greenblatt expects his next big December musical to be a live adaptation of “Hairspray.”
That said, the boss stressed that the deals are not yet closed, but he seemed pretty confident. Should this come to fruition, which feels likely solely based on Greenblatt’s apparent off-script oversharing, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will executive produce. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman wrote the music and lyrics.
The announcement was made Wednesday morning at NBC’s Television Critics Association press junket.
“Hairspray” takes place in 1960s Baltimore and follows dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad, who auditions for a spot on “The Corny Collins Show” — and wins. Turnblad becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion.
“The Wiz Live!” was a big hit for NBC in December 2015. A year earlier, “Peter Pan Live!” did fine but not excellent. In 2013, when this whole thing started, “The Sound of Music Live!” was a legitimate smashing success.
Other networks are now jumping on the bandwagon, most notably Fox, which is preparing to dip its toe in the water with “Grease: Live.”