or


[04/25/16 - 10:01 AM]
Jennifer Hudson and Harvey Fierstein Can't Stop the Beat in NBC's Production of "Hairspray Live!"
Also joining the creative team will be acclaimed television director Alex Rudzinski.

[via press release from NBC]

JENNIFER HUDSON AND HARVEY FIERSTEIN CAN'T STOP THE BEAT IN NBC'S PRODUCTION OF "HAIRSPRAY LIVE!"

Multi Award-Winning Talent Join the Cast of the High-Energy Tony-Winning Musical Comedy to Air Wednesday, Dec. 7

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - April 25, 2016 - Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG and Grammy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson and multiple Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein will headline the cast of NBC's "Hairspray Live!," the network's next live Broadway musical holiday event following the phenomenal success of "The Wiz Live!"

Also joining the creative team will be acclaimed television director Alex Rudzinski, who received extraordinary reviews for his television direction of "Grease Live!" Rudzinski was also the TV director for "Dancing With the Stars" from 2005-14.

"We are beyond thrilled with this incredibly talented duo of stars for 'Hairspray Live!,'" said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. "Harvey Fierstein created the role of Edna Turnblad on Broadway in an indelible Tony-winning performance that demanded to be memorialized on film, and we're happy he wanted to step into her shoes one last, unforgettable time. We're also so grateful that the incomparable Jennifer Hudson will play Motormouth Maybelle and we know her rendition of 'I Know Where I've Been' will literally stop the show."

Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Hairspray Live!" takes place in 1962 Baltimore. Teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on "The Corny Collins Show," a local TV program. When, against all odds, Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight and meets a colorful array of characters, including the resident dreamboat, Link; the ambitious mean girl, Amber; an African-American boy she meets in detention, Seaweed; and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle, the owner of a local record store. Tracy's mother is the indomitable Edna Turnblad, and she eventually encourages Tracy on her campaign to integrate the all-white "Corny Collins Show."

Harvey Fierstein, who is also writing the teleplay, will play Edna Turnblad, a role he created and won a Tony Award for in the stage version of "Hairspray." The quintessential Edna, Fierstein portrayed the character for the show's first two years of its seven-year run at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway.

As an actor, he is a member of an elite group who have won Tonys as Best Actor in a Musical ("Hairspray") and Best Actor in a Play (for his own "Torch Song Trilogy"). As a writer, Fierstein won Tonys for "La Cage Aux Folles" and "Torch Song Trilogy," and received three more Tony nominations for writing "Kinky Boots," "Newsies" and "Casa Valentina." His adaptation of "Funny Girl" is currently running, along with "Kinky Boots," in London.

Hudson, who will play Motormouth Maybelle, is currently completing a triumphant run in the acclaimed revival of "The Color Purple" - performing the role of Shug Avery in her Broadway debut. She won an Oscar and Golden Globe in 2007 for her iconic performance as Effie White in the hit film "Dreamgirls." Her sensational rendition of the song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was greeted with instant acclaim by film critics and moviegoers alike and made Hudson the person to beat as best supporting actress for the Academy Awards.

Hudson's incredible vocal talents were first recognized with her appearance on the third season of "American Idol" in 2004, where she impressed both the show's judges and a national TV audience. Soon after, she released her first album, "Jennifer Hudson," which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Chart and sold more than 500,000 copies in the U.S. through the first six weeks. The album was nominated for four Grammys and won for best R&B album.

Hudson continued on the bigscreen following "Dreamgirls" and has since co-starred in such films as "Sex and the City," "The Secret Life of Bees" and Spike Lee's latest film, "Chi-Raq." Her TV credits include NBC's "Smash," Fox's "Empire" and HBO's newest telepic, "Confirmation."

"Hairspray Live!" reunites Hudson with executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who worked with her previously on NBC's "Smash" and the 85th and 87th Oscar telecasts, which they also produced.

Television director Alex Rudzinski will join stage director Kenny Leon ("The Wiz Live!"). Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (the upcoming "A Few Good Men Live!") serve as executive producers of "Hairspray Live!" Harvey Fierstein will provide a new teleplay and Jerry Mitchell ("Kinky Boots," "On Your Feet") will serve as choreographer for the live production with music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Smash" and Broadway's upcoming "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory").

"Hairspray Live!" will air Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will originate from Los Angeles.

"Hairspray Live!" is produced by Universal Television.





  [april 2016]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· HAIRSPRAY LIVE! (NBC)





[11/04/24 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Zombieverse 2: New Blood" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The groundbreaking K-zombie series returns bolder than ever, with enhanced zombies, new members and wilder quests full of non-stop thrills and laughter.

[11/04/24 - 02:01 PM]
"Outer Banks" Renewed for Fifth and Final Season Following Fan Celebrations at Poguelandia and Multi-Country Pogue Tour
The news comes two days after the second Poguelandia: An Outer Banks Experience, held November 2 at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.

[11/04/24 - 01:31 PM]
Acorn TV's Hit Detective Crime Drama "Dalgliesh" Returns with All-New Episodes Monday, December 2
Season 3 is made up of three distinct mysteries, each two episodes long.

[11/04/24 - 12:01 PM]
NBC Unveils Lineup of New and Returning Beloved Holiday Programming
New programming for 2024 includes "Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular" and "A Motown Christmas," hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey.

[11/04/24 - 11:01 AM]
The Final Bell: Production Begins for the Third and Final Season of "Heartbreak High"
In Season 3, it's time for Hartley High's graduating class to say 'goodbye' to school, and 'hello' to adulthood!

[11/04/24 - 11:01 AM]
NBC's "The Voice" Taps Music Icon Sting and Multi-Hyphenate Jennifer Hudson as Season 26 Mega Mentors
Hudson joins Michael Bublé and Reba McEntire while Sting joins coaches Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani to mentor the remaining artists as each team prepares for the Knockouts, beginning Monday, November 11.

[11/04/24 - 10:31 AM]
Aussie Luke Hemsworth Joins the Cast of Prime Video's Global Hit Series "Deadloch" Season Two
Hemsworth will join lead cast members Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama and Alicia Gardiner.

[11/04/24 - 08:32 AM]
Netflix Announces Release of the Documentary "Avicii - I'm Tim" and Avicii's Last Show from Ibiza's Ushuaia
The documentary "Avicii - I'm Tim" and "Avicii - My Last Show" will launch globally on Netflix on December 31.

[11/04/24 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson" - Narrator Announcement, Sneak Peek & Key Art Debut
Ice T will narrate the three-part follow-doc leading up to the Netflix and MVP's heavyweight boxing mega-event.

[11/04/24 - 08:02 AM]
"La Liberacion" Will Premiere Exclusively on Prime Video on January 17
The unique series created and directed by noted filmmaker Alejandra Márquez Abella premieres January 17 on Prime Video.

[11/04/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey" - Official Trailer - Netflix
On December 26, 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up the morning after a loving family Christmas to discover their youngest child, six-year-old JonBenét, was missing, a chilling ransom note left downstairs.

[11/04/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland" - Official Trailer - Hulu
St Nick (voiced by Gerard Butler) receives a delayed letter on Christmas Eve from the Princess of Hearts.

[11/03/24 - 07:30 PM]
Video: AMC Networks Releases a First Look at Season Three of "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon"
Starring Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride as the beloved characters "Daryl Dixon" and "Carol Peletier," the new season is set to premiere in 2025 on AMC and AMC+.

[11/02/24 - 06:12 PM]
Video: "Outer Banks" Season 4 - Part 2 Official Trailer - Netflix
Buried secrets surface as the Pogues race to find a legendary artifact - with a dangerous gang of rival treasure hunters hot on their trail.

[11/01/24 - 03:15 PM]
ABC News Studios Announces "Price of Fame: The Liam Payne Story - A Special Edition of 20/20," Airing Nov. 3 at 10 P.M. EST on ABC
The one-hour special explores Liam Payne's meteoric rise to celebrity as a member of boy band One Direction and his personal journey, including his struggles with mental health and the pressures of stardom, as well as his efforts to reinvent himself as a solo artist.