Early on a Monday morning in early June, 1962, Tracy Turnblad wakes up to face another day, full of hope and big dreams (Good Morning Baltimore). After school, Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton race home to watch "The Corny Collins Show," a local teenage music and dance show on TV (The Nicest Kids in Town). On the show, teen idol Link Larkin pledges his love to Amber Von Tussle by giving her his Council Member ring, and Corny Collins announces auditions for new Council Members. Seeing her chance at stardom, Tracy plans to cut school and audition for the show, but her mother Edna Turnblad does not approve. Elsewhere, Penny and Amber also argue with their mothers (Mama I'm a Big Girl Now).

Tracy goes to the audition, but is ridiculed by the girls on the show and sent away by Amber's mother and show producer, Velma Von Tussle. Sitting in detention, a frustrated Tracy learns some new dance moves from Seaweed J Stubbs, a black student whose mother is Motormouth Maybelle - the DJ who hosts the monthly Negro Day on "The Corny Collins Show." The next evening there is a school dance and there, Tracy is able to impress Corny with the new moves she picked up in detention, earning her a spot on "The Corny Collins Show." During her debut, Link Larkin sings a song just for Tracy (It Takes Two). Now a local star, Tracy gets an offer to be the spokes-girl for Mr. Pinky's The Hefty Hideaway, a clothing store, gets her mother out of the house for the first time in years as the duo heads to the store to update their wardrobes (Welcome to the Sixties).

At school, Tracy continues to be teased by Amber and becomes the target in a dodgeball game. After the game, Link, Penny, and Seaweed stay behind to help Tracy, and there Seaweed invites them to join him at his mother's record shop (Run and Tell That). The Von Tussles barge in and spoil the party with their bigotry, however, this gives Tracy the idea to integrate "The Corny Collins Show" by having Motormouth and her daughter, Little Inez, crash Mother/Daughter Day on the show. Fears of police and jail don't stop Tracy from moving forward with the plan.

Unfortunately, the plan for integration lands all of the mothers and daughters in jail (The Big Dollhouse). Everyone gets out, except Tracy who is denied bail (Baltimore - Reprise). Link comes to the rescue and professes his love for Tracy, while elsewhere Seaweed and Penny reveal their feelings for each other too (Without Love). The kids hatch a plan to get Tracy on the nationwide Miss Teenage Hairspray broadcast, and bring the news to Motormouth, who expresses that she will never stop fighting for equality (I Know Where I've Been).

Corny Collins begins his nationwide broadcast ((It's) Hairspray) and introduces Amber for her dance (Cooties). Just before Amber is crowned Miss Teenage Hairspray, Tracy and her friends storm in and take over the show (You Can't Stop the Beat - Part 1). Corny declares Tracy as the new Miss Teenage Hairspray 1962, and Tracy declares that "The Corny Collins Show" is officially integrated. Edna makes a grand entrance, and even the Von Tussles can't resist the celebration (You Can't Stop the Beat - Part 2).

GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE

THE NICEST KIDS IN TOWN

MAMA, I'M A BIG GIRL NOW

THE NICEST KIDS (REPRISE)

IT TAKES TWO

WELCOME TO THE SIXTIES

RUN AND TELL THAT

THE BIG DOLLHOUSE

BALTIMORE (REPRISE)

WITHOUT LOVE

I KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN

(IT'S) HAIRSPRAY

COOTIES

YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT (PART 1)

YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT (PART 2)

AMBER VONTUSSLE

A prom queen nightmare! She is definitely "The Corny Collins Show" favorite, but she is competitive and has a bad attitude.

Range: C4-E5

CORNY COLLINS

The host of "The Corny Collins Show," and a Baltimore celebrity. Foremost, Corny is a charmer.

Range: C3-G4

COUNCIL MEMBERS- BRAD, TAMMY, FENDER, SKETCH, SHELLEY, IQ, BRENDA AND LOU ANN

The famed teenage performers on "The Corney Collins Show."

EDNA TURNBLAD

Tracy's loving mother who doesn't spend much time outside the house. She works days and nights as a laundress in her home, and her lack of social interaction has made her a bundle of nerves.

Range: Bb3-Eb5

LINK LARKIN

Baltimore's biggest heartthrob, and Tracy's dream guy. Link is considered the best performer in town. Think of any teenage idol who is able to reduce girls to tears - there's your guy!

Range: G2-A4

LITTLE INEZ STUBBS

Seaweed's little sister and a great breakout role for a black actress.

Range: Bb3-E5

MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE

MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE is the face of the Civil Rights Movement and sings the beautiful anthem, "I Know Where I've Been."

Range: F3-F5

MR. PINKY

Owner of a ladies' clothing shop and is a salesperson inside and out - he is always the first to give a compliment.

Range: C3-C4

PENNY PINGLETON

Tracy's fun and sheltered sidekick. She is a young lady caught between her mother's very strict rules and her own wants and desires to be just another teenage girl.

Range: C4-E5

PRUDY PINGLETON

Penny's eccentric but loving mother, who wants the best for her daughter but is extreme in her means.

SEAWEED J. STUBBS

The object of Penny's affections, and together, they are determined to defy the segregation laws of the 1960s.

Range: Gb2-Bb3

THE DUNAMITES (JUDINE, KAMILAH & SHAYNA)

A dynamic musical trio, iconic of the Motown era and the 1960s. Think the Supremes.

Range: E4-A5

TRACY TURNBLAD

A young lady with big hair and an even bigger personality! She is the hero of our story and she is sweet but also strong in her convictions. She is bigger in size than the other girls, but she isn't shy about it - she can still dance with the best of them!

Range: G3-C#5

VELMA VON TUSSLE

A carbon copy of Amber - just twenty years older and meaner! She is most concerned with making sure her daughter wins Miss Teenage Baltimore.

Range: C4-E5

WILBUR TURNBLAD

Edna's loving husband and Tracy's supportive father who just wants the best for his girls.