▁success ▁upon ▁its ▁initial ▁the atr ical ▁release , ▁ear ning ▁a ▁mod est ▁gross ▁of ▁$ 8 ▁million . ▁However , ▁it ▁managed ▁to ▁attract ▁a ▁larger ▁audience ▁on ▁home ▁video ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁cult ▁film . ▁The ▁film ▁received ▁critical ▁acc laim ▁and ▁ranks ▁# 4 4 4 ▁on ▁Empire ▁magazine ' s ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 ▁greatest ▁mov ies ▁of ▁all ▁time . ▁It ▁is ▁Div ine ' s ▁final ▁film ▁released ▁during ▁his ▁lifetime , ▁as ▁he ▁died ▁three ▁weeks ▁after ▁its ▁release . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁adapted ▁into ▁a ▁Broadway ▁musical ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name , ▁which ▁won ▁eight ▁Tony ▁Awards , ▁including ▁Best ▁Musical ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁A ▁second ▁film ▁version ▁of ▁H air sp ray , ▁an ▁adaptation ▁of ▁the ▁stage ▁musical , ▁was ▁also ▁released ▁by ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁Pictures ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁which ▁included ▁many ▁changes ▁of ▁script ed ▁items ▁from ▁the ▁original . ▁ ▁Plot ▁In ▁Baltimore , ▁Maryland ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁T racy ▁Turn bl ad ▁and ▁her ▁best ▁friend , ▁Pen ny ▁P ing leton , ▁aud ition ▁for ▁The ▁Corn y ▁Collins ▁Show , ▁a ▁popular ▁Baltimore ▁te en age ▁dance ▁show ▁( based ▁on ▁the ▁real - life ▁Bud dy ▁De ane ▁Show ). ▁Pen ny ▁is ▁nerv ous