A drama centered around Patty Montanari, the widowed mother of two who went to work for her lover Frank Russo, a captain in a Brooklyn crime family.

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.