This set model was designed by David Rockwell for the original Broadway production of Hairspray at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York (2002-2009), as well as at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 2007 – 2010, and subsequent tours. Scale 1:24.

Adapted from the 1988 film by John Walters, Hairspray was fundamental in popularising the genre of 'screen to stage' musical theatre. Set in 1962, the musical follows Tracy Turnblad, a teenager living in Baltimore, Maryland, who dreams of appearing on a local television dance programme The Corny Collins Show. The musical is widely celebrated for its inclusive characters and casting, starring working class, body positive Tracy and a narrative that addresses sizeism and racial inequality. The production also continues the tradition of Tracy’s mother Edna being played cross-dressed, first established in the 1988 film by drag queen Divine. The show won eight Tony Awards (2003) and four Olivier Awards (2008).

This set model depicts the stage of the Corny Collins Show, during the 'Miss Teenage Hairspray' competition in Act II.

David Rockwell is an award-winning set designer and Founder/Director of the interdisciplinary architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, established in 1984. Rockwell’s Broadway debut was in 2000, when he designed the first New York revival of The Rocky Horror Show in 25 years. To date, he has designed over 60 plays and musicals for Broadway, the West End and international tours. In 2016, he won the Tony Award for Best Set Design for She Loves Me on Broadway.