QUEEN LATIFAH: HAIRSPRAY IS ABOUT CHANGE

The former Vogue cover model is still sexy at 60, and about to star in the upcoming season of Nip/Tuck.

Chicago star Queen Latifah makes her sophomore debut in the movie musical genre playing Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. It’s the 1950s and integration is still a thing of the past especially on the Corny Collins show, a dance forum for mainly white teenagers.

Latifah says Maybelle starts a more colorful movement on the show.

“She has her own show once a month called Negro Day where she gets all the kids to get on the show, plays the latest records, shows all the latest dances. She’s sort of a pioneer for her time and I figure she’s always kind of been that way. She’s somebody who’s always been gifted in music in some sort of way and had a gift of gab and know how to get connected and be at the right place at the right time.”

Latifah says Hairspray can also bring about a message of change through music.

“It’s just the energy of change and how change can happen and it will only happen if you push it along. It’s not gonna happen by just sitting around talking about it. You got to be about it. You got to do something. And music is the best. It’s all about the music.”

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman contribute new songs to the existing Tony Award winning score featuring Latifah belting out Big, Blonde and Beautiful and I Know Where I’ve Been.