Hairspray (musical) encourages individuality, acceptance and freedom. It is a musical that can be applied to any social context and time, as it highlights ongoing issues such as fat-shaming, racism and discrimination. It also explores femininity in terms of the female characters. Notably, Tracy’s mother, Edna Turnblad, is performed in drag during the shows. Allowing a drag role for Edna adds a queerness to the musical as it does not include any gay characters. Edna is considered to be the non-racialised other that is part of the story in Hairspray. The musical also challenges the societal norms of a female. The body
Michael Ball (singer) Michael Ball (singer) Michael Ashley Ball, OBE (born 27 June 1962) is an English actor, singer and broadcaster, who is known for his work in musical theatre. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius in the original London production of "Les Misérables", and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in "The Phantom of the Opera". In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles Chart with "Love Changes Everything", a song taken from the musical "Aspects of Love", where he played Alex. He played the role in London and on Broadway. In 1992, Ball