Welcome to the '60s, NBC.
NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt confirmed today at the Television Critics Association that the network's next live musical will be Hairspray, a Broadway smash based on John Waters' 1988 film. It will be executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who have handled all of NBC's recent live musicals, including last month's highly successful The Wiz Live.
[seealso slug="the-wiz-review"]
Zadan and Meron also executive-produced the 2007 movie musical remake of Hairspray, which starred John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron and newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad. However, Greenblatt told reporters that they're aiming to do something new.
"I don't think we're going to replicate the movie," he says. "We want to do a new version."
Though he is "dream casting," cast members have not yet been announced. However, he would be open to bringing back Travolta.
"Sure, we'd take John Travolta," Greenblatt says. "He did it. I don't think it's a possibility, but we'd be thrilled."
Hairspray is the story of Turnblad, a high schooler seeking fame on a TV dance show while also fighting segregation in 1962 Baltimore. The "big diverse element" was one of the things that appealed to NBC, Greenblatt confirms.
"I think that's one of the reasons we wanted to do it," he says.