Hairspray is an
American musical with music by
Marc Shaiman, lyrics by
Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988
John Waters film
Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown"
rhythm and blues. In 1962
Baltimore,
Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on
The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life
Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight, and meets a colorful array of characters. She then launches a campaign to integrate the show.
Hairspray is a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s.