Derek Hough Shows Off His Pipes on 'Hairspray Live!' as Fans Wonder Where Zac Efron Is

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NBC


Derek Hough made his debut on Hairspray Live! -- and he turned in one impressive performance.

The Dancing With the Stars vet showed off his singing voice for the first time on NBC’s live production of the beloved musical on Wednesday night, confirming that he’s much more than an accomplished dancer and choreographer.

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As Corny Collins, the host of Hairspray’s fictional The Corny Collins Show, Hough surprised fans by expertly belting out classic tunes, “The Nicest Kids in Town,” "(It's) Hairspray" and “Ladies’ Choice.”

In “Ladies Choice,” Hough sang and danced to the song originally performed by Zac Efron, who played Link Larkin, in the 2007 big-screen movie. Right after the upbeat number, the 31-year-old rolled off his lines to the in-production Oreo commercial without skipping a beat.

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Though Hairspray Live! marked the first time Hough has sung in an official capacity, he’s no stranger to singing. (His younger sister, Julianne, played Sandy on Fox’s live production of Grease on Jan. 31.) Check out Hough performing to "Singin’ in the Rain"!

Many were impressed by Hough’s performance, taking to Twitter to share their quick takes.

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But not everyone was into it.

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Hough performing Link’s song on Hairspray Live! -- instead of Efron lookalike Garrett Clayton, who played the character on the live production -- was one reason Efron became a trending topic on Twitter as the performance went on.

Fans admitted that they missed the 29-year-old actor’s presence on the show.