PENSACOLA, Ala. — It’s time to let your hair down and dance the night away. “Hairspray,” Broadway’s musical comedy phenomenon that inspired a major motion picture is coming to Pensacola for one performance only. This fantastically fun musical, winner of eight 2003 Tony Awards including Best Musical, is currently enjoying its fifth year on Broadway.

The 2007 West End production of “Hairspray” was nominated for a record-breaking 11 Olivier Awards and nabbed four, including the top category Best New Musical, and also won Best New Musical in all of Britain’s other top awards programs, including the Evening Standard, Critic’s Circle and Whatsonstage Awards.

And now, the people of the Gulf Coast will be swept away to 1960s Baltimore in this international smash-hit musical, piled bouffant-high with laughter and romance — and enough tuneful songs to fill a nonstop platter party.

“Hairspray” will be performed at the Saenger Theatre on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, starting at $42, are on sale at the Saenger Theatre box office, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by calling (850) 595-3880.

Everyone is raving about this delightful musical, including the critics.

“A great big fat gorgeous hit,” claims Clive Barnes of the New York Post. “A must-see for every teenage dreamer who believes anything is possible,” say Georgina Brown of London’s The Mail on Sunday. “So many numbers bring down the house, it’s a wonder the theater is still standing,” says Jeremy Gerard of New York magazine.

In “Hairspray” it’s 1962 — the ’50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion — to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show,” and overnight is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity.

But can a plus-size trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the program’s reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin and integrate a television show without denting her ’do? Only in “Hairspray.” Welcome to the ’60s!

The play is based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, who served as a creative consultant on the musical comedy. It features a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan.

“Hairspray” features an original score by Academy Award nominated Marc Shaiman (who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut”) and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

This production of “Hairspray” is based on Jack O’Brien’s original direction and Jerry Mitchell’s original choreography, recreated by Matt Lenz and Danny James Austin, respectively.

Scenic design is by David Rockwell; the set coordinator is Michael Allen; costume design is by William Ivey Long; lighting design is by Kenneth Posner and Paul Miller; the sound is by Shannon Slaton; wig and hair design is by Paul Huntley; and the musical supervisor is Lon Hoyt.

“Hairspray” is produced by NETworks Presentations.

The show is proudly presented in Pensacola by Jam Theatricals (www.jamtheatricals.com) as part of the Broadway in Pensacola 2009-10 Season and is sponsored locally by Friends of the Saenger, Mini of Pensacola, COX Media, AT&T Real Yellow pages and Whitney Bank.