Hairspray Blog

Hairspray - Video One

Michael Ball to star in Hairspray

Michael Ball will star as ‘Edna Turnblad’, leading the cast of the smash hit multi-award winning musical “HAIRSPRAY”, which will open at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Tuesday 30 October, following previews from 11 October.

The show will introduce 22 year-old complete unknown Leanne Jones, making her first professional appearance, playing ‘Tracy Turnblad’. Michael Ball has had an award-winning career both in the West End and on Broadway. A best selling recording artist, he has starred in musicals on both sides of the Atlantic, including “The Phantom Of The Opera”, “Les Misérables”, “Aspects Of Love”, “Passion”, “The Woman In White” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. He has had several of his own television shows including his “Michael Ball Christmas Special” and “An Evening With Michael Ball”. His numerous solo albums have all been best-sellers.

Further casting will be announced shortly.

“HAIRSPRAY” has a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman. The musical is based on the New Line Cinema film, written and directed by John Waters. The musical will be directed by Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The scenic design is by David Rockwell, the costumes by William Ivey Long, the lighting by Kenneth Posner and the sound by Steve C. Kennedy. With orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and arrangements by Marc Shaiman, the musical direction is by Lon Hoyt.

The West End production of “HAIRSPRAY” will be staged by the entire original Broadway creative team. “HAIRSPRAY” opened at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York in August 2002 to rave reviews and public acclaim. “HAIRSPRAY” subsequently swept the board at the 2003 Tony Awards, winning 8 including ‘Best Musical’, the Drama Desk Awards, winning 10 including ‘Best Musical’, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards, winning 5 including ‘Best Broadway Musical’. “HAIRSPRAY” also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Musical’ and the Drama League Award for ‘Outstanding Musical Production’.  The show has also played two hugely successful US tours as well as seasons in Toronto and Las Vegas. 

A major motion picture version of the musical “HAIRSPRAY” will be released nationwide in the UK on 20 July. “HAIRSPRAY” will be produced in London by Stage Entertainment with Margo Lion, The Baruch/Viertel/ Routh /Frankel Group and New Line Cinema in association with others from the Broadway producing team.

Performances times at the Shaftesbury Theatre will be Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3.00pm.