Bainbridge Island product Dove Cameron has sung and danced her way onto NBC’s December live broadcast of the Tony Award-winning hit musical “Hairspray.”
Cameron, currently playing identical twin sisters on the
Disney Channel series “Liv and Maddie” (which
begins airing its fourth season this fall), has been tapped to star
as mean girl Amber Von Tussle.
Another Disney Channel alum, Garrett Clayton (the “Teen Beach Movie” franchise) was announced to play teen heartthrob Link Larkin. The casting of Cameron — who turned 20 in January — and Clayton is thought to be a move by NBC to attract a younger audience to the network’s ongoing series of small-screen live musical adaptations.
Previously, NBC announced that Harvey Fierstein will recreate his Tony Award-winning Broadway role as Edna Turnblad; Kristin Chenoweth is on board as Velma Von Tussle; Martin Short will play Wilbur Turnblad; pop star Ariana Grande is cast as Penny Pingleton; Derek Hough will be TV host Corny Collins; Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will play Motormouth Maybelle. Newcomer Maddie Baillio, a New York high school sophomore, won the role of Tracy Turnblad.
Chenoweth, one of the biggest stars in musical theater, was Cameron’s castmate in the 2015 Disney Channel movie “Descendants,” and voiced her support for Cameron to be cast in Disney’s upcoming big-screen version of “Wicked,” in the role of Glinda — which Chenoweth played on Broadway.
“Descendants 2” is set to air on Disney Channel in 2017. Cameron also has participated in other Disney Channel products, including a lead role in the film “Cloud 9.” Outside of the Disney Channel, she earned thumbs-up reviews for her part in the 2015 film “Barely Lethal.” She made her first marks on Hollywood in 2012 with guest spots on the TV series “Shameless” and “The Mentalist.”
“Hairspray Live” will air December 7 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
— MM