Penny Pingleton is her dorky and naive best friend, babied by her overprotective mother Prudy.
Penny falls head over heels for the African-American Seaweed J. Stubbs.
So what makes Grande so perfect for the role?
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Nothing prepares you for a live TV musical like doing eight shows a week on Broadway.
Check out her solo in the second verse of Brand New You.
Grande also has shown she can dance, andHairsprayis a very dance-heavy show.
The production includes big ensemble dance numbers, including You Cant Stop the Beat.
Shes a theater kid at heart
Ariana Grande clearly knows her Broadway musicals.
She called herself a musical theater geek when announcing her casting on Twitter.
Grande delivered again and again, and her spot-on Jennifer Lawrence impression was a highlight of the episode.
Shes Penny Perfect
Often compared to Mariah Carey, few can dispute Grandes vocal talents.
Naive and dorky, Penny often provides comic relief inHairspray.
Hairspray Live!premieres Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.
