Can ‘Hairspray’ repeat ‘Grease’ feat?

Live musicals are challenging. NBC has tried the genre most often recently: “The Sound of Music” in 2013, “Peter Pan” in 2014 and “The Wiz” in 2015.

Then Fox swept in this year with “Grease,” which earned four Emmys and the best reviews of the lot. The beginning of a trend? Nope. Fox laid an egg in October with a lifeless “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Musicals aren’t easy, but here comes determined NBC with “Hairspray,” debuting at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

A 2007 film with John Travolta was a pleasant box-office hit but no classic. NBC’s version presents Harvey Fierstein in his Tonywinning role as Edna Turnblad. “Hairspray,” based on John Waters’ film comedy, casts a male actor as mom and wife dealing with dance and discrimination in 1960s Baltimore.

NBC has surrounded Fierstein with notable singing actors: Martin Short as Edna’s husband, Wilbur; Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle; and Kristin Chenoweth as Velma Von Tussle.

The cast includes Ariana Grande, Andrea Martin, Sean Hayes, Rosie O’Donnell, Billy Eichner and Derek Hough, who plays TV host Corny Collins. A lot rides on newcomer Maddie Baillio, who is cast as Tracy Turnblad, Edna’s daughter and the show’s heroine.

With the right actors, “Hairspray” should surpass the NBC musicals blasted for miscasting. Many viewers couldn’t accept Carrie Underwood as Maria von Trapp in “The Sound of Music” or Allison Williams as Peter Pan. “The Wiz,” though better, earned its most acclaim for costumes.

The main reason to hope for a lively “Hairspray”: Alex Rudzinski is directing with stage veteran Kenny Leon. Rudzinski, who worked for years on “Dancing With the Stars,” oversaw Fox’s “Grease” with Thomas Kail.

The director has to make a strange hybrid — live theater on TV — work, and Rudzinski excelled with “Grease.”

There’s renewed interest in musicals in general, thanks to “La La Land,” opening this month in theaters. The film with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling is the heavy favorite for best picture at next year’s Oscars.

For 2017, NBC has lined up “Bye Bye Birdie” with Jennifer Lopez as star and executive producer. Musicals are here to stay.

NBC/COURTESY From left, Garrett Clayton as Link Larkin, Maddie Baillio (Tracy Turnblad), Derek Hough (Corny Collins), Harvey Fierstein (Edna Turnblad), Ephraim Sykes (Seaweed J. Stubbs), Ariana Grande (Penny Pingleton).