Ariana Grande is thrilled about her latest casting news. The 23-year-old singer has snagged a role in Hairspray Live, which is set to air on NBC December 7. And it's an important one, at that. Grande will be playing Penny Pingleton, best friend to protagonist Tracy Turnblad.
In a series of tweets, Grande proved she's as excited as we are about the news. "I AM NOWWW A CHECKERBOARD CHICK," she exclaimed. The singer wrote that she was a big fan of the Broadway musical, which later became a movie with Amanda Bynes as Penny. Grande also tipped her hat to Kerry Butler, who played Penny in the original Broadway production.
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I AM NOWWW A CHECKERBOARD CHICK #HairsprayLive #Penny
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) July 7, 2016
Penny has been a dream role since Hairspray opened on Broadway. At 9, I was (and still am) in LOVE w @KerryButlerNyc. hope to make u proud ?
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) July 7, 2016
anyway... I’m so honored and beyond excited to be a part of this dream cast...... I will for sure pass out at the table read. #HairsprayLive
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) July 7, 2016
So far, the star-studded cast also includes Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, and Jennifer Hudson.