Hairspray Live | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Meet Dove Cameron, who stars as Amber Von Tussle in tonight’s live special, Hairspray Live!

The 20-year-old actress rose to fame on Disney Channel’s hit series Liv and Maddie as well as their hugely popular film Descendants.

Dove was in talks to play Amber in Hairspray Live! for several months but almost didn’t get the role because of a scheduling conflict while filming Descendants 2.

Thankfully, the producers were able to make it work and Dove got the part!

We gathered some major facts you should know about the starlet as you watch her own the stage in the full production!

Hairspray Live! airs TONIGHT, Wednesday, December 7 @ 8PM ET/PT on NBC.

Click through our slideshow to learn more about Dove Cameron…

Let us introduce you to Hairspray Live! star Garrett Clayton with these fun facts!

The 25-year-old actor stars in the coveted role of Link Larkin, following in the footsteps of Zac Efron from the 2007 film version.

Garrett is no stranger to theater. He’s been acting in plays since high school and starred in the hit Disney Channel Original Movie, Teen Beach Movie.

Hairspray Live! airs TONIGHT, Wednesday, December 7 @ 8PM ET/PT on NBC.

Click through the slideshow to meet Garrett Clayton…

Now that Hairspray Live! is just hours away, fans may be wondering what happened to the cast of the 2007 film!

We caught up with Nikki Blonsky – who starred as Tracy Turnblad alongside Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, John Travolta and more – to get her reaction to the new NBC version, and to see what she’s up to now!

“I’m thrilled that NBC has decided to put out a powerful musical with such a positive message for the country to see at such a pivotal point in our country’s history,” Nikki told JustJared.com. “I hope it can be used not only as entertainment but as an educational piece for our youth. I know when I did the 2007 film version of Hairspray it was needed and changed a lot of lives worldwide…hopefully this version that airs today can do the same nationwide. I will cherish the relationships I made in 2007 on the film version, my cast is family to me and always will be. We truly are film family for life.”

Hairspray Live! airs TONIGHT, Wednesday, December 7 @ 8PM ET/PT on NBC.

In case you missed it, other former Tracy’s Ricki Lake and Marissa Jaret Winokur are both excited to make cameos in Hairspray Live!.

Click inside to find out what Nikki Blonsky is up to now…More Here! »

Get to know Ephraim Sykes, the talented actor who plays Seaweed J. Stubbs in Hairspray Live!.

The 31-year-old performer is well-known in the theater community.

In fact, he was part of the original ensemble cast for the record-breaking hit musical Hamilton!

Ephraim recently opened up about how being in Hamilton changed his life.

Hairspray Live! airs TONIGHT, Wednesday, December 7 @ 8PM ET/PT on NBC.

Click through the slideshow to meet Ephraim Sykes…

Meet Maddie Baillio – the young woman playing Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray Live!

Hairspray Live! has been in the works for months, and Maddie auditioned all the way back in April for the live musical.

Maddie hails from League City, Texas, and auditioned at a large open call for the iconic role.

Click through the slideshow to meet Maddie Baillio…

It’s a scary time in America. But the cast of Hairspray Live! is hoping to change that – or at least distract people with a few hours of uplifting television.

“When we all got these roles, none of us were thinking of it in this exact light. And in light of recent events, I think it’s definitely taken on a more emotional important sort of heightened place in our hearts,” Dove Cameron told Just Jared. “We are artists but we’re humans and we are also aware of what is going on. It’s palpable. The energy that is in the air, no matter where you go these days is very palpable. So this means something entirely different than when we started.”

Ariana Grande said the timing of Hairspray Live! coming out with what is going on in America is cosmic. “I think it was meant to be. I think the universe had a plan and was like, ‘OK we need to show these people something uplifting but also that will make you get the point – get the point across but also make you have a good time,” Ariana said.

Click inside to see what the rest of the cast said…More Here! »

NBC might have recast the principals in Hairspray for their upcoming live rendition but that doesn’t mean that the former Tracy Turnblad’s don’t want a piece of the action. It was recently announced that Ricki Lake and Marissa Jaret Winokur will make an appearance in the upcoming show. But what will their parts be?

During the recent press junket, the executives wouldn’t tell us much. “They will have cameos. The rest is a surprise,” producer Neil Meron said.

“Marissa and I obviously have been very close for 16 years and she just kept saying to me, ‘I really want to do something,’” Harvey Fierstein said. “I’ve been saying to Neil and Craig, ‘Let’s use Ricki and Marissa‘ and then they said ‘Okay, what should they do?’ I gave them three choices but I said I think this is the right one and that’s the one that we chose,” he revealed.

While they were mum on the details of which numbers Ricki and Marissa would partake in, the creative team behind the show did tell us that the women are extremely excited to be on board. “Well, there’s a People Magazine spread that came out today with Maddie, Marissa and Ricki all sitting under hair dryers or something,” Harvey added. “So I think they’re really happy. I mean Marissa writes to me daily saying, ‘Can I come to the set today?’ so I’m like “Go away! Go away!” he jokes. “It’s going to be so fun having them here.”

Hairspray Live! airs on Wednesday, December 7 at 8PM ET/PT on NBC. Be sure to watch!

If you missed it, check out the Hairspray Live! album stream and download as well.

�” Reporting by Nicole Pajer