Plot Synopsis

Based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, HAIRSPARY LIVE! takes place in 1962 Baltimore. Plump 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, and she eventually encourages Tracy on her campaign to integrate the all-white "Corny Collins Show." HAIRSPRAY LIVE! will premiere Wednesday, December 7, 2016 from 8-11pm ET (live)/PT (tape) on NBC, immediately following a half-hour special, "Countdown to HAIRSPRAY LIVE!, on participating NBC stations, as hosts Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes take viewers on a guided tour of everything involved in putting together the production. From the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, Chenoweth and Hayes give audiences one-of-a-kind backstage access to the fun and fast-paced world. Beginning with the first open casting call to the final rehearsal, the special explores what it takes to create a live television musical event. Plus, viewers experience never-before-seen access to HAIRSPRAY LIVE! -- from set and costume design, to choreography and rehearsals with the cast, as well as a final look at the last-minute preparations before the 8pm ET live broadcast.