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Top 5 Most Dazzling Backdrops from Hairspray

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Prepare to witness the magic from the 60s!

Tracy is a teenage girl living in Baltimore in the 1960s. She and her best friend Penny are huge fans of The Corny Collins Show, where young people like themselves dance on broadcasted television. The station manager, Velma von Tussle, makes sure her daughter Amber and her boyfriend Link Larkin are featured frequently, among many other white dancers. Amber also ensures that the only day African-American dancers and performers are given the spotlight on the show is during their monthly “Negro Day”, usually hosted by the talented DJ Maybelle Stubbs.

Hairspray Backdrops

One day, after one of the dancers takes a leave, an open call is announced on television and Tracy becomes excited with the idea of participating in the show. She skips class and auditions, however, Amber dismisses her for being overweight and because she supports integration. At school, she is also punished for skipping class. During detention, she meets the kids that will be performing at “Negro Day”, and befriends Maybelle’s son Seaweed, who teaches her a few dance moves. On a later showcase, Tracy’s dance moves receive attention from Corny Collins, who invites her to join the cast of his show.

Tracy quickly garners the love from the audience, angering Amber and Velma. Tracy falls in love with LInk, who also grows fond of her. With her rising popularity, Tracy is enlisted to become the Hefty Hideaway spokegirl, a clothing shop for oversized women. She also introduces her best friend Penny to Seaweed, and the two begin dating.

Seaweed and his younger sister, Little Inez, invite Penny, Tracy, and Link to a party at his mother’s store. When Amber finds out, she calls Edna, and enraged she goes after her daughter. When she arrives, Maybelle convinces her to embrace herself. In the meantime, Velma cancels “Negro Day” and even attempts to seduce Edna’s husband to sabotage Tracy.

When Maybelle and the dancers find out “Negro Day” has been canceled, they start a march as per Tracy’s suggestions, but it bears no good results, with some of the crew members engaging in a brawl and having to be bailed out later. 

As the “Miss Hairspray Teenage” pageant approaches, Link comes clean about his feelings for Tracy, and joins Penny, Seaweed, Edna, and her husband as they try to figure out a way to infiltrate Tracy into the beauty pageant. 

Despite Velma’s best efforts, Tracy makes it to the pageant. Link pulls Tracy for a dance, and later on, Little Inez, who is crowned as “Miss Hairspray Teenage”. Edna also manages to broadcast Velma while she admits she tried to fix the competition in favor of her daughter, which leads to her dismissal. Tracy, Link, and their friends celebrate their victory, with the former two sharing a kiss.

Baltimore

Bring the Maryland glamour with the Stylized Baltimore Street backdrop, which features a colorful interpretation of a bustling street, and depicts several homes in a row, trees, and a skyline in the background.

Use this backdrop to showcase Tracy’s vibrant life in her hometown.

The Corny Collins Show

Immerse your audience with the Corny Collins Show backdrop. It depicts the iconic scenery of The Corny Collin’s Show, home to “The Nicest Kids in Town.” 

Corny Collins Show backdrop ES8190 fullsize 1 scaled

On the other hand, the Retro backdrop features cyan, pink, blue, black, and violet geometric shapes rendered in a classic 60s-style pattern.

Retro backdrop S3659 fullsize scaled

It’s time to take your audience back to the 60s and use these rentable backdrops to bring life to your performance.

Colorful Prison

The Colorful Prison backdrop features the interior of a prison with two rows of jail cells with walls that are brightly colored with spotlights. Each row of jail cells is on a different floor, separated by a narrow, metal catwalk. In each prison cell, there are metal prison bars and concrete pillars.

Colorful Prison

Use this backdrop, available for rent, to depict the moments the Negro Day kids get imprisoned for rioting against the cancellation of their segment.

The TV Station

Create the perfect stage with the News Station Montage and bring your production to the next level. It features an interior shot of a “Your World News” news station with television cameras, a news desk, a world map, a sports center, and a weather forecast under bright studio lights.

News Station Montage backdrop ES7443 1

This rentable backdrop is perfect to showcase the behind-the-scenes of The Corny Collins Show.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are themes of Hairspray depicted in the backdrops?

Hairspray’s messages revolve around inclusivity, self-acceptance, and integration. These are reflected in the backdrops through the vibrant colors and shapes used across every design.

What are the backdrops for Hairspray?

The backdrops from Hairspray should generally include Baltimore streets, where the story takes place; the charming Corny Collins Show curtain, to set up the stage for the show; and the TV station, where iconic moments of the story occur.

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