Hairspray: O'Donnell

Mark O'Donnell Dept: An autopsy was scheduled to be performed Tuesday to determine cause of death after he was found in the lobby of his Manhattan apartment, according to CBC. With Thomas Meehan, O'Donnell co-wrote the book for Hairspray, the story of a plump Baltimore teenager who forges a place for herself on a TV dance show and fights for integration of her black friends. They won a Tony Award for best book for the show, which comes across as a parody of 1950s dance movies and mark O'Donnell, the playwright, librettist and comedian who co-wrote Broadway shows Hairspray and Cry-Baby , collapsed and died suddenly on Monday, according to his agent. He was 58. "Mark was a kind soul, a hysterical mind and the real hero of Hairspray . His passing is shocking, our great loss, but heaven's gain," said Hairspray co-songwriter Marc Shaiman in response to his death. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.