Hairspray Lyrics – All Songs from the Musical

A musical, based on good, but a little forgotten film, was first decided to try out in the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, & only then, after a successful run, premiere was opened on Broadway on a stage of Neil Simon Theatre. This took place on August 2002. The show was successful & collected full halls. A well-done choreography & nicely chosen music did not create the impression that the story is separate from background. In addition, an entire show of wigs was arranged by Paul Huntley, recreating hairstyles of women of that time. Over costumes, they tried not worse, that’s why it turned to create the appearance of the last century so realistic, like an exact hit in the 60s of the twentieth century from just one step into a concert hall. Staging of musical was more than six years, which is excitingly long term. Closing occurred on January 2009. During this time, the actors in exhibition had 2642 spectacles. At the West End of London, the opening of the musical took place in October 2007. The scene of Shaftesbury Theatre on October was used as a preview stage, & already in the same month, the official premiere took place. It acted for more than 1,000 performances before March 2010, when it was closed. Musical managed to visit Melbourne, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Toronto, Johannesburg (South Africa), Manila (Philippines), Rio de Janeiro & in many other cities, which added greatly to its fiery popularity. Also, the play has become a popular choice for many school & community-based adaptations. The histrionics won 8 of the 12 Tonies, including ones for best musical, choreography & music, as well as took 9 wins out of 13 nominations on Drama Desk Award. In 2008 in London, it was also a nominee for Laurence Olivier, winning 4 out of 11 positions.

Article Type: Synopsis.

Creative Team and Score.

The musical’s score is by Marc Shaiman. The lyrics come from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The book is by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan.

Iconic Musical Numbers.

• "Good Morning Baltimore" opens the show joyfully.
• "I Know Where I’ve Been" delivers emotional depth.
• "You Can’t Stop the Beat" closes with exuberant energy.

Film Adaptation Impact.

A 2007 film adaptation starred Nikki Blonsky and John Travolta. The film grossed over $200 million globally. It earned three Academy Award nominations.

Licensing and Educational Popularity.

Music Theatre International issues licenses worldwide annually. Over 25,000 school productions have been staged so far. It ranks among the top five high school musicals.

Awards and Recordings.

The original Broadway cast album won a Grammy Award. It has sold over four million copies worldwide. Marc Shaiman received Tony nominations for Best Score.

Anniversary Celebrations and Revivals.

The 20th Broadway anniversary was marked in August 2022. A limited reunion concert happened at Neil Simon Theatre. West End revival workshops began in early 2024.

Questions and Answers.

Who composed the score for this musical?

The score was composed by Marc Shaiman.

Which song closes the musical?

"You Can’t Stop the Beat" closes with high energy.

How many Broadway performances did it achieve?

It ran for 2642 Broadway performances from 2002 to 2009.

What award did the cast album win?

The original cast album won a Grammy Award.

Is this musical popular in schools?

Yes, over 25,000 school and community productions exist.