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
An American in Paris (musical) An American in Paris (musical) An American in Paris is a musical play inspired by the 1951 Academy Award-winning film of the same name and adapted for the stage by Christopher Wheeldon. It opened at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in April 2015, following an engagement at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Incorporating songs from George and Ira Gershwin, the book is by Craig Lucas. The musical won several Tony Awards. The Broadway production closed in October 2016. A US national tour opened in the autumn of 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts, and a London West End production opened at