After hitting ratings gold with “The Wiz Live!” last winter, NBC is back at it again with their next live musical.
Jennifer Hudson will headline “Hairspray Live!” this winter along with Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, who starred in the original Broadway show.
–‘The Wiz Live!’ equals ratings gold for NBC, smashes ‘Peter Pan’
The musical is set in Baltimore in the 1960s and chronicles one teenage girl’s efforts to desegregate TV dance phenomenon “The Corny Collins Show.”
Hudson will play R&B record producer and host Motormouth Maybelle, previously played in the 2007 film adaptation of “Hairspray” by Queen Latifah.
So excited to play Motormouth Mable in #HairsprayLive premiering Dec 7th on @NBC! #YouCantStopTheBeat
— Jennifer Hudson (@IAMJHUD) April 25, 2016
J. Hud is currently starring as Shug Avery in “The Color Purple” on Broadway, where she recently led a moving musical tribute to the late music legend Prince. Hudson previously won both an Oscar and Golden Globe in 2007 for her role as Effie White in “Dreamgirls.”
“Hairspray Live!” will also feature acclaimed theater director Kenny Leon, who also directed “The Wiz Live!”
–The Wiz Live! was a celebration of Black joy, humanity
The show is set to air Wednesday, December 7th, at 8pm from Los Angeles.
–Jennifer Hudson leads incredible ‘Purple Rain’ tribute to Prince on Broadway