MMC’s Maddie Baillio ’18 lands starring role in NBC’s Hairspray Live!

The Marymount Manhattan College community has cheered on Maddie for her starring roles in Theatre Arts productions of Once Upon a Mattress and Frank Wildhorn’s Dracula, but now she’s dancing her way onto the big (small) screen for NBC’s Hairspray Live! The production will air live on NBC on December 7.

This rising junior at MMC was selected through an open casting call, beating out hopefuls at every round elimination, ultimately being chosen to don the big hair and 60’s fashion of Tracy Turnblad.

IN THE NEWS

Playbill: What College Has Turned Out Stars of Hairspray Live!The Book of Mormon, Shuffle Along and More? 

PlaybillNewcomer Maddie Baillio beat 1,000 competitors in an open call audition.

BroadwayWorld: Meet Maddie! Watch HAIRSPRAY LIVE!’s Tracy Turnblad in Action!

TheaterManiaHairspray Live! Discovers Its Tracy Turnblad at an Open Call

TODAYCheck out this video of Maddie finding out she got the role.

E! NewsMaddie Baillio Is Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s Hairspray Live

International Business TimesWho Is Maddie Baillio? ‘Hairspray Live!’ Casts Newcomer As Tracy Turnblad

Maddie Baillio has performed at the President's Medal Dinner 2015 and our recent Scholarship Gala 2016 as well as our Annual Donor Dinner at the Lotos Club. Maddie Baillio has performed at the President's Medal Dinner 2015 and our recent Scholarship Gala 2016 as well as our Annual Donor Dinner at the Lotos Club.Maddie’s on-screen mom will be played by original Broadway cast member and Tony-winner Harvey Fierstein. The cast will also include Jennifer Hudson, Martin Short and “Dancing With the Stars” dancer Derek Hough. More photos of the cast here.

Previously, Maddie was chosen as Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador and performed with Michael Feinstein at Feinstein’s/54 Below. She has studied voice with Tim Howard and been coached by William Foster McDaniel. She has studied performance with Patricia Simon and Vivian Reed. 

Hairspray is a 2002 musical by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, adapted from the 1988 Jon Waters movie of the same name. Tracy, a big dreamer in 1960s Baltimore, auditions for the Corny Collins Show (a la American Bandstand) and begins a crusade to integrate the show.

Published: June 07, 2016