For “Hairspray Live!” on Wednesday night, NBC lassoed some talented performers with fine singing voices but sacrificed cohesion by cramming the evening with too much interstitial fluff.

Based on the 1988 John Waters film, the musical’s story of social outcasts and racial barriers is set in 1962, and it should amaze and distress us with its continued relevance in 2016. The broadcast, though, didn’t generate as much power as it could have because of all the shots of the cast members golf-carting from one set to another, of viewing parties in various cities and so on. Only Jennifer Hudson, who played Motormouth Maybelle, found the real strength of this Tony Award-winning musical, delivering a knockout rendition of “I Know Where I’ve Been,” a gospel-infused power number, late in the show.

[Related: After 7 TV Musicals in 3 Years, Here’s What Works]

The production, directed by Kenny Leon, was the fourth installment of what has become a December tradition for NBC. (“The Sound of Music,” “Peter Pan” and “The Wiz” preceded it.) Maddie Baillio, a newcomer selected from an open casting call, played Tracy Turnblad, the plump teenager who becomes a dance-show sensation and helps bring down racial divides.