Hairspray Live Sets Air Date; Original Broadway Creative Team Members Sign On

NBC has announced the air date for its 2016 live musical broadcast of Hairspray. The live musical will hit the airwaves on Wednesday, December 7, according to Variety.

Many members of the original Broadway production's creative team have signed on.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced the 2007 movie-musical version of Hairspray, will produce the live television edition. The Wiz Live director Kenny Leon will take the helm for Hairspray. Jerry Mitchell will repeat his duties from the Broadway mounting as choreographer. Harvey Fierstein, who played Edna in the stage show, will adapt the script. Original Hairspray composer-lyricists Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are also on the team for the live work.

Hairspray features a Tony-winning score by Shaiman and Wittman and a Tony-winning book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Based on the film by John Waters, it tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, an overweight Baltimore teen with dreams of landing a spot on a TV dance show and bringing racial integration with her.

The Tony-winning Best Musical premiered on Broadway in 2002 at the Neil Simon Theatre, where it starred Harvey Fierstein, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and Dick Latessa. The trio received Tony Awards for their performances. The film version starred John Travolta and Nikki Blonsky.

Casting for Hairspray Live will be announced at a later date.