Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and other 'Hairspray Live!' cast members talk musical's political importance
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA -- President Elect Donald Trump can't stop the beat.
That's the political and timely message that the cast behind NBC's Hairspray Live! wants viewers to takeaway when they tune in on Dec. 7 to the live TV musical.
The uplifting musical comedy, which follows plus-size dreamer Tracy Turnblad (played by newcomer Maddie Baillio) and delves into the issues of racial segregation in Baltimore in the 1960s.
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While America has come a long way since the tumultuous decade, the NBC telecast airs just over a month after the nation elected a reality TV personality/ businessman who has insulted almost every minority group in the U.S.
"I think the timing is right to be able to deliver a message like this," Jennifer Hudson, who plays Motormouth Maybelle, said in an interview on the Universal set of the musical. "You don’t have to go back into the '60s era to find out what that was like, now you just have to turn on the news."
"I think the timing is right to be able to deliver a message like this"
Though there have been many iterations of the musical -- including the original John Waters 1988 movie, the Broadway show and the 2007 film -- the cast and crew behind the live NBC live show feel the storyline is even more relevant in 2016.
The musical is executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who have handled all of NBC's recent live musicals, including The Wiz Live. Zadan and Meron were also behind the 2007 movie musical remake.
The duo emphasized the production will be different from other iterations before it because of the nature of the show itself: It's a hybrid production, the best of a movie, a live show and television. And the fact that the message is more timely than ever doesn't hurt.
"Doing the show right now, every day on the set, it doesn't feel like a period piece, it feels like it's dealing with issues that we are dealing with in America right now," Zadan told reporters. "And that makes it more poignant and more emotional in every conceivable way. And we're all filled with this incredible feeling of, boy, do we need it now."
Kenny Leon, who directed The Wiz Live, is also leading the Hairspray broadcast.
"It's actually a blessing to be in the throngs of this after [the election]," Leon told reporters at the musical's press junket. "And it's emphasized the role of artists in our world. And so, it gave me an opportunity to talk to the company about the importance of what we do. This is a fun, feel‑good musical about inclusion; all of us in our country ...it's probably going to be the most rewarding artistically, politically, socially, culturally. "
The live show mostly stays true to the Broadway musical, although the team behind the scenes have a few changes in store.
Notably, Hudson and Ariana Grande, who plays Penny, will end the show with the song "Come So Far" from the 2007 film.
Grande, who is a self-proclaimed Broadway nerd, approached NBC about being cast in the show. She said the relevance of the musical's message is not lost on her.
"It’s crazy the show takes place in the '60s and here we are today talking about the same shit," Grande said in an interview. "It’s not that different ... there’s a lot of awareness now, a lot of people’s eyes are open, there’s a lot of hope. The younger generation is looking good, but at the same time we’re still protesting."
Ephraim Sykes, a Hamilton alum who plays Seaweed, said he couldn't "think of a better story to tell" given the political backdrop of 2016.
"I’ve always known [Hairspray] of course speaks to the race issue," he said in an interview. "But it speaks to more than that, it speaks to true individually. And through that individuality, and celebrating your uniqueness, you can love and understand somebody else ...you realize you are the same in that you are different."
Harvey Fierstein, who reprises his Broadway role as Edna Turnblad and wrote the teleplay, said his biggest hope is that the musical reminds viewers of one thing.
"We are all in this together."
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Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
