Hairspray (musical) 99% capacity; for 2007 it averaged 86%. A film version was released in July 2007. The film was directed and choreographed by Adam Shankman and starred John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Queen Latifah as Maybelle, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, James Marsden as Corny Collins, and Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad. Hugh Jackman and Joey McIntyre were both considered to play the role of Corny Collins, but lost to Jackman's "X-Men" co-star Marsden. NBC's "Hairspray Live!", directed by Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinski, aired in December 2016 to mostly positive reviews. Sources: PlaybillVault; Internet
Edna Wilma Simons performing a variety of light operas, musical comedies, and folklore. Later, Wilma started a solo career, starring in Wild West shows across the northwestern United States. After her first husband's death in 1937, Edna Wilma Simons became president and treasurer of the William A. Simons Amusement Co. At the time, the company included a chain of thirty one theaters across Montana, Idaho and Alaska. For the sum of $150,000, Edna Wilma Simons constructed a large theater in Wallace, Idaho that she dedicated to William A. Simons' memory. She persevered and thrived through the depression and war years, building a total