Twenty years after starting a six-year, Tony Award-winning Broadway run, the original Hairspray the Musical has finally come to Australia. An adaptation of John Waters’ (non-musical) 1988 film, it was the basis for the 2007 movie and a 2010 Australian theatrical production, so some may think they’ve seen it all before. This Hairspray is not to be missed, however. Loaded with fun, early-1960s inspired music and dance moves, big hairdos and even bigger feelgood energy, it’s one of the best shows of the year.

Brianna Bishop, Rob Mills, Carmel Rodrigues and cast, Hairspray the Musical, 2022. Photo © Jeff Busby

The book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan sees teenager Tracy Turnblad living an ordinary life in Baltimore, 1962. Her mum, Edna, is a big woman whose youthful ambitions have gone nowhere, while dad Wilbur owns a joke shop. Tracy dreams of being on the Corny Collins Show, a popular TV program on which nice white kids dance and sing – except once a month when it’s ‘negro day’. Despite bigoted producer Velma Von Tussle’s opposition, plus-sized Tracy joins the show through luck, force of will and the...