Hairspray

Hairspray opens at Short North Stage in the Garden Theater on Thursday, November 19, and runs through December 27, 2026. It's the Tony Award-winning musical based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and a book by Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell. The production is directed and choreographed by Dionysia Williams Velazco.

Set in 1962 Baltimore, the story follows Tracy Turnblad, a plus-size teen who becomes a star on the Corny Collins Show and fights to bring representation and integration to the city's airwaves. It draws on the real-life Buddy Dean Show, a beloved but segregated teenage dance program in 1960s Baltimore that ended amid tensions around integration. The songs you'll recognize include "Good Morning Baltimore," "Run and Tell That!," "Without Love," and "You Can't Stop the Beat!"

Short North Stage describes the production as a celebration of spirit, resistance, body positivity, allyship, and joy. It's rated PG and runs 2 hours and 30 minutes. For those who need it, there are accessible performances: Audio Description on Saturday, December 19, and ASL Interpretation on Sunday, December 13, both at 2:00 PM.

If you're planning to go, the Garden Theater is at 1187 North High Street in Columbus, and the show runs from November 19 through December 27.