Illustration: Howard Cruse
In 1988, John Waters shocked us with a non-gross-out movie called “Hairspray,” and Ricki Lake charmed us as Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with a big heart who wanted to be on a TV show and fight segregation in 1962 Baltimore. We didn’t suspect it would become a hit Broadway musical in 2002, and neither did Waters. In New York last year, it earned a whopping eight Tony Awards. “Hairspray” opens at the Colonial Theatre tonight for a four-week run with Bruce Vilanch in the Harvey Fierstein role as Tracy’s mum, hausfrau Edna. Carly Jibson is Tracy. Starts at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to $97.
Boston.com
