Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)
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''Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical'' is a
rock musical A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concep ...
with a book and lyrics by
Gerome Ragni Gerome Ragni (born Jerome Bernard Ragni; September 11, 1935 – July 10, 1991) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter, best known as one of the stars and co-writers of the 1967 musical ''Hair''. On June 18, 2009, he was inducted into the So ...
and
James Rado James Alexander Radomski (January 23, 1932 – June 21, 2022), known professionally as James Rado, was an American actor, playwright, director, and composer, best known as the co-author, along with Gerome Ragni, of the 1967 musical ''Hair''. He ...
and music by
Galt MacDermot Arthur Terence Galt MacDermot (December 18, 1928 – December 17, 2018) was a Canadian-American composer, pianist and writer of musical theater. He won a Grammy Award for the song "African Waltz" in 1960. His most successful musicals were ''Hair ...
. The work reflects the creators' observations of the
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
and
sexual revolution The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the late 1950s to the early 1 ...
of the late 1960s, and several of its songs became anthems of the
anti-Vietnam War movement Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War began in 1965 with demonstrations against the escalating role of the United States in the war. Over the next several years, these demonstrations grew into a social movement which was ...
. The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
, its irreverence for the
American flag The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...
, and its nude scene caused controversy. The work broke new ground in
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
by defining the genre of "rock musical", using a racially integrated cast, and inviting the audience onstage for a " Be-In" finale.Pacheco, Patrick (June 17, 2001)
"Peace, Love and Freedom Party"
''Los Angeles Times'', p. 1. Retrieved on June 10, 2008
''Hair'' tells the story of the "tribe", a group of politically active, long-haired hippies of the "
Age of Aquarius The Age of Aquarius, in astrology, is either the current or forthcoming astrological age, depending on the method of calculation. Astrologers maintain that an astrological age is a product of the Earth's slow precessional rotation and lasts f ...
" living a
bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...
life in New York City and fighting against
conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
into the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. Claude, his friend Berger, their roommate Sheila and their friends struggle to balance their young lives, loves and the sexual revolution with their rebellion against the war and their conservative parents and society. Ultimately, Claude must decide whether to resist the draft, as his friends have done, or serve in Vietnam, compromising his
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
principles and risking his life. After an
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
debut on October 17, 1967, at
Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp is a pioneering figure in American theater, known for creating Shakespeare in the Park, which aimed to make classi ...
's
Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: A ...
, and a run at the Cheetah nightclub from December 1967 through January 1968, the show opened on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
in April 1968 and ran for 1,750 performances. Simultaneous productions in cities across the United States and Europe followed shortly thereafter, including a London production that ran for 1,997 performances. Since then, productions have been staged around the world, spawning dozens of recordings, including the 3 million-selling original Broadway cast recording. Some of the songs became Top 10 hits, and a feature film adaptation was released in 1979. A Broadway revival opened in 2009, earning strong reviews and winning the
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
and
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
for Best Revival of a Musical. In 2008,
Richard Zoglin Richard Zoglin (born August 8, 1948) is an American journalist and author. Career Zoglin wrote about entertainment for ''Time'' for over 20 years. He is the author of ''Hope: Entertainer of the Century'', a 2014 biography of comedian Bob Hop ...
wrote in ''Time'' that "Today ''Hair'' seems, if anything, more daring than ever." Zoglin, Richard
"A New Dawn for ''Hair''"
''Time'', July 31, 2008 (in the August 11, 2008 issue, pp. 61–63)


History

Actors
James Rado James Alexander Radomski (January 23, 1932 – June 21, 2022), known professionally as James Rado, was an American actor, playwright, director, and composer, best known as the co-author, along with Gerome Ragni, of the 1967 musical ''Hair''. He ...
and
Gerome Ragni Gerome Ragni (born Jerome Bernard Ragni; September 11, 1935 – July 10, 1991) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter, best known as one of the stars and co-writers of the 1967 musical ''Hair''. On June 18, 2009, he was inducted into the So ...
began writing ''Hair'' together in late 1964. Rado, James (February 14, 2003)
"Hairstory – The Story Behind the Story"
''hairthemusical.com''. Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
"''Viet Rock''"
. ''Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database''. Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
The main characters were autobiographical, with Rado's Claude a pensive romantic and Ragni's Berger an extrovert. Their close relationship, including its volatility, was reflected in the musical. Rado said, "We were great friends. It was a passionate kind of relationship that we directed into creativity, into writing, into creating this piece. We put the drama between us on stage."
. ''Newark Star-Ledger'' (July 19, 2008). Retrieved on July 26, 2008.
Rado described the inspiration for ''Hair'' as "a combination of some characters we met in the streets, people we knew and our own imaginations. We knew this group of kids in the East Village who were
dropping out Dropping out refers to leaving high school, college, university or another group for practical reasons, necessities, inability, apathy, or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves. Canada In Canada, most in ...
and dodging the draft, and there were also lots of articles in the press about how kids were being kicked out of school for growing their hair long". He recalled, "There was so much excitement in the streets and the parks and the hippie areas, and we thought if we could transmit this excitement to the stage it would be wonderful. ... We hung out with them and went to their Be-Ins ndlet our hair grow."Taylor, Kate (September 14, 2007)
"The Beat Goes On"
. ''The New York Sun''. Retrieved on May 27, 2008.
Many cast members (
Shelley Plimpton Shelley Plimpton (born February 27, 1947) is an American former actress and Broadway performer. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Crissy in the off-Broadway production of ''Hair'', a role she resumed when the production move ...
in particular) were recruited off the street. Rado said, "It was very important historically, and if we hadn't written it, there'd not be any examples. You could read about it and see film clips, but you'd never ''experience'' it. We thought, 'This is happening in the streets', and we wanted to bring it to the stage."Haun, Harry. "Age of Aquarius", ''Playbill'', April 2009, from ''Hair'' at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, p. 7 According to Rado's obituary in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', the title was inspired by "a painting of a tuft of hair by the Pop artist
Jim Dine Jim Dine (born June 16, 1935) is an American artist. Dine's work includes painting, drawing, printmaking (in many forms including lithographs, etchings, gravure, intaglio, woodcuts, letterpress, and linocuts), sculpture, and photography. Educ ...
. Its title was 'Hair'." Rado and Ragni came from different artistic backgrounds. In college, Rado wrote musical
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
s and aspired to be a Broadway composer in the
Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their musical ...
tradition. He went on to study acting with
Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...
. Ragni was a member of
The Open Theater The Open Theater was an experimental theatre group in New York City, active from 1963 to 1973. Foundation The Open Theater was founded in New York City by a group of former students of acting teacher Nola Chilton, together with director Joseph Chai ...
, one of several groups that were developing
experimental theatre Experimental theatre (also known as avant-garde theatre), inspired largely by Richard Wagner, Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, began in Western theatre in the late 19th century with Alfred Jarry and his Ubu Roi, Ubu plays as a rejection of bot ...
techniques,Miller, pp. 54–56 including non-traditional theater roles, blurring the lines between playwright, director and actor. By 1967, theaters such as
The Living Theatre The Living Theatre is an American theatre company founded in 1947 and based in New York City. It is the oldest experimental theatre group in the United States. For most of its history it was led by its founders, actress Judith Malina and painter/p ...
,
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (sometimes abbreviated as La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theater founded in 1961 by African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer Ellen Stewart. Located in the East Village neighborho ...
and The Open Theatre were devising plays from improvisational scenes crafted in the rehearsal space rather than following a traditional script.Miller, pp. 56–58 Ragni introduced Rado to the modern theatre styles and methods being developed at The Open Theater. In 1966, while the two were developing ''Hair'', Ragni performed in The Open Theater's production of
Megan Terry Marguerite Duffy (July 22, 1932 – April 12, 2023), known professionally as Megan Terry, was an American playwright, screenwriter, and theatre artist. Terry produced over fifty works for theater, radio, and television, and is best known for her ...
's play ''
Viet Rock ''Viet Rock'' is a rock musical by Megan Terry that served as inspiration to the musical ''Hair (musical), Hair''. A violent denunciation of the American involvement in the Vietnam War, the play was described by its author as a "folk war movie" co ...
'', about young men being deployed to the Vietnam War. ''Viet Rock'' employed the improvisational exercises being used in experimental theatre. Scenes were connected in "prelogical ways": a scene could be built from a tangent from the previous scene, in counterpoint to it, or connected psychologically. Actors switched roles in the middle of a show, in mid-scene, or played actors. Terry wrote, "The ... transformations should be abrupt and total." ''Hair'' was designed in much the same way; the actors play different characters throughout the piece, and, as in Claude's psychedelic trip in Act 2, sometimes during the same scene. As in ''Viet Rock'', the actors frequently break the "
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance dramatic convention, convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. ...
" to interact with the audience. Rado and Ragni brought their drafts of the show to producer
Eric Blau Milton Eric Blau (June 1, 1921 – February 17, 2009) was an author and is best known as the creator of the Off Broadway show ''Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris''. Biography Blau was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on June ...
who, through common friend
Nat Shapiro Nat Shapiro (September 27, 1922, New York City - December 15, 1983, New York City) was an American jazz writer and record producer. Shapiro worked in the music industry from the late 1940s; he was a promotional director for Mercury Records in 1948 ...
, connected the two with Canadian composer Galt MacDermot. MacDermot won two
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
for
Best Instrumental Composition The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. I ...
and Best Original Jazz Composition in 1961 for his "African Waltz" (recorded by
Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered by the general public for the 1966 soul ...
). The composer's lifestyle was in marked contrast to his co-creators: "I had short hair, a wife, and, at that point, four children, and I lived on
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
." "I never even heard of a hippie." But he shared their enthusiasm to do a rock and roll show. "We work independently", MacDermot said in May 1968. "I prefer it that way. They hand me the material. I set it to music." MacDermot wrote the first score in three weeks, starting with "I Got Life", "Ain't Got No", "Where Do I Go" and the title song. He first wrote "Aquarius" as an unconventional art piece, but later rewrote it as an uplifting anthem.


Off-Broadway productions

The creators pitched the show to Broadway producers and received many rejections. Eventually
Joe Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp is a pioneering figure in American theater, known for creating Shakespeare in the Park, which aimed to make classi ...
, who ran the
New York Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in New York City's Central Park. The theater and the productions are ...
, decided he wanted ''Hair'' to open the new
Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: A ...
(still under construction) in New York City's East Village. ''Hair'' was the first work by living authors that Papp produced. The director,
Gerald Freedman Gerald Alan Freedman (June 25, 1927 – March 17, 2020) was an American theatre director, librettist, and lyricist, and a college dean. Life and career Freedman was born in Lorain, Ohio, the son of Fannie (Sepenswol), a history teacher, and Bar ...
, the theater's associate artistic director, decided that Rado, at 35, was too old to play Claude, although he agreed to cast the 32-year-old Ragni as Berger. The production did not go smoothly:
The rehearsal and casting process was confused, the material itself incomprehensible to many of the theater's staff.
reedman The Autobots are a fictional faction of sentient robots in the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. The Autobots are living robots from the planet Cybertron who, like most Transformers, are each imbued with a unique "life force" known as a "s ...
withdrew in frustration during the final week of rehearsals and offered his resignation. Papp accepted it, and the choreographer
Anna Sokolow Anna Sokolow (February 9, 1910 – March 29, 2000) was an American dancer and choreographer. Sokolow's work is known for its social justice focus and theatricality. Throughout her career, Sokolow supported the development of modern dance arou ...
took over the show. ... After a disastrous final dress rehearsal, Papp wired Mr. Freedman in Washington, where he'd fled: "Please come back." Mr. Freedman did.Isherwood, Charles (September 16, 2007)
"The Aging of Aquarius"
. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on May 25, 2008.
''Hair'' premiered off-Broadway at the Public on October 17, 1967, and ran for six weeks. The lead roles were played by Walker Daniels as Claude, Ragni as Berger,
Jill O'Hara Jill O'Hara (born August 23, 1947) is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical in 1969 for creating the role of Fran Kubelik in '' Promises, Promises'', a role made famous by Shirley ...
as Sheila, Steve Dean as Woof, Arnold Wilkerson as Hud, Sally Eaton as Jeanie and Shelley Plimpton as Crissy. Set design was by
Ming Cho Lee Ming Cho Lee (; October 3, 1930 – October 23, 2020) was a Chinese-American theatrical set designer and professor at the Yale School of Drama. Personal life Lee was born on Oct. 3, 1930, in Shanghai, China to Lee Tsu Fa and Tang Ing. Lee, whos ...
, costume design by Theoni Aldredge, and, although Anna Sokolow began rehearsals as choreographer, Freedman received choreographer credit. The production had a "tepid critical reception" but was popular with audiences. A
cast album A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...
was released in 1967. Chicago businessman Michael Butler was planning to run for the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
on an antiwar platform. After seeing an ad for ''Hair'' in ''The New York Times'' that led him to believe the show was about Native Americans, he watched the Public's production several times and joined forces with Papp to reproduce the show at another New York venue after it closed at the Public. Papp and Butler first moved the show to The Cheetah discothèque in midtown, where it opened on December 22, 1967, and ran for 45 performances. There was no nudity in either the Public Theater or Cheetah production.Horn, pp. 87–88


Revision for Broadway

''Hair'' underwent a thorough overhaul between its closing at the Cheetah in January 1968 and its Broadway opening three months later. The off-Broadway book, already light on plot, was loosened even further and made more realistic.Planer, Lindsay
"''Hair'' [Original 1967 Off-Broadway Cast
/nowiki>"">riginal 1967 Off-Broadway Cast">"''Hair'' [Original 1967 Off-Broadway Cast
/nowiki>" AllMusic.com, accessed February 3, 2011
were added,Horn, pp. 39–40 including "Let the Sun Shine In", to make the ending more uplifting. Before the move to Broadway, the creative team hired director Tom O'Horgan, who had built a reputation directing experimental theater at La MaMa E.T.C. He had been the authors' first choice to direct the Public Theater production, but he was in Europe at the time. ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' called O'Horgan's directing style "sensual, savage, and thoroughly musical ... edisintegrates verbal structure and often breaks up and distributes narrative and even character among different actors. ... He enjoys sensory bombardment." O'Horgan and the writers rearranged scenes to increase the experimental aspects. In rehearsals, O'Horgan used techniques passed down by
Viola Spolin Viola Spolin (November 7, 1906 — November 22, 1994) was an American theatre academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important innovator in 20th century American theater for creating directorial techniques to help actors to be ...
and
Paul Sills Paul Sills (born Paul Silverberg; November 18, 1927 – June 2, 2008) was an American director and improvisation teacher, and the original director of Chicago's The Second City. Life and career Sills was born Paul Silverberg in Chicago, Illinois ...
involving role playing and improvisational "games", many of which were incorporated into the Broadway script.Horn, p. 53 O'Horgan and new choreographer Julie Arenal encouraged freedom and spontaneity in their actors, introducing "an organic, expansive style of staging" that had never been seen before on Broadway. The inspiration to include nudity came when the authors saw an antiwar demonstration in
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
in which two men stripped naked as an expression of defiance and freedom. O'Horgan had used nudity in many of the plays he directed, and he helped integrate the idea into the fabric of the show. Papp declined to pursue a Broadway production, so Butler produced the show himself. For a time it seemed that he would be unable to secure a Broadway theater, as the Shuberts,
Nederlanders The Dutch, or Netherlanders (Dutch: ) are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common ancestry and culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably ...
and other theater owners deemed the material too controversial. But Butler had family connections and knew important people; he persuaded Biltmore Theatre owner David Cogan to make his venue available. The stage design was completely open, with no curtain and the fly area and grid exposed to the audience. The
proscenium A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...
arch was outlined with climb-ready scaffolding. The spare set was painted in shades of grey, with street graffiti stenciled on the stage. The stage was raked, and a tower of abstract scaffolding upstage at the rear merged a Native American totem pole and a modern sculpture of a crucifix-shaped tree. This scaffolding was decorated with found objects that the cast gathered from New York's streets, including a life-size
papier-mâché file:JacmelMardiGras.jpg, upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti Papier-mâché ( , , - the French term "mâché" here means "crushed and ground") is a versatile craft technique with roots in ancient China, in which waste paper is s ...
bus driver, a head of Jesus and a neon marquee of the Waverly movie theater in
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
.Horn, pp. 61–64 The costumes were based on hippie street clothes, made more theatrical with enhanced color and texture. Some of these included mixed parts of military uniforms, bell-bottom jeans with Ukrainian embroidery, tie dyed T-shirts and a red, white and blue fringed coat.


Synopsis


Act I

Claude sits center stage as the "tribe" mingles with the audience. Tribe members Sheila, a
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
student and
political activist A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some ...
, and Berger, an irreverent free spirit, cut a lock of Claude's hair and burn it. After the tribe converges in slow motion toward the stage, they begin their celebration as children of the
Age of Aquarius The Age of Aquarius, in astrology, is either the current or forthcoming astrological age, depending on the method of calculation. Astrologers maintain that an astrological age is a product of the Earth's slow precessional rotation and lasts f ...
("Aquarius"). Berger removes his trousers to reveal a loincloth. Interacting with the audience, he introduces himself as a "psychedelic teddy bear ... looking for my Donna" ("Donna"). The tribe recites a list of pharmaceuticals, legal and illegal ("Hashish"). Woof, a gentle soul, extols sexual practices ("Sodomy"). He loves plants, his family and the audience, telling the audience, "We are all one." Hud, a militant African-American, is carried in upside-down on a pole. He declares himself "president of the United States of Love" ("Colored Spade"). In a fake English accent, Claude says that he is "the most beautiful beast in the forest" from "
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, England". A tribe member reminds him that he's from
Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places Netherlands * Flushing, Netherlands, an English name for the city of Vlissingen, Netherlands United Kingdom * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in Cornwall, England * The Flushing, a building in Suffolk, England ...
, New York ("Manchester England"). Hud, Woof and Berger declare their color ("I'm Black"), while Claude counters that he is "invisible". The tribe rattles off a list of things they lack ("Ain't Got No"). African-American tribe members list street signs in symbolic sequence ("Dead End"). Sheila is carried onstage ("I Believe in Love") and leads the tribe in a protest chant. Jeanie, an eccentric young woman, appears wearing a gas mask because of pollution ("Air"). She is pregnant and in love with Claude, wishing it was Claude's baby, as she was "knocked up by some crazy speed freak". The tribe link LBJ,
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
,
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
and
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...
("Initials"). Members of the tribe appear dressed as Claude's parents, berating him for transgressions: he has no job and collects "mountains of paper" clippings and notes. They say they will not give him any more money, and "the army'll make a man out of you", presenting him with his
draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
notice. In defiance, Claude leads the tribe in celebrating their vitality ("I Got Life"). Berger hands out imaginary pills to the tribe members, saying they are for high-profile people such as
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
,
the Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...
and " Alabama Wallace". He relates how he was expelled from high school. Three tribe members dress up as principals in Hitler mustaches and swastika armbands, mocking the American education system. Berger and the tribe defy them, singing "Going Down". Claude returns from passing his
draft board {{further, Conscription in the United StatesDraft boards are a part of the Selective Service System which register and select men of military age in the event of conscription in the United States. Local board The local draft board is a board tha ...
physical. He pretends to burn his Vietnam War draft card, which Berger reveals is a library card. Claude agonizes about what to do about being drafted. Two tribe members dressed as tourists arrive to ask the tribe why they have
long hair Long hair is a hairstyle where the head hair is allowed to grow to a considerable length. Exactly what constitutes long hair can change from culture to culture, or even within cultures. For example, a woman with chin-length hair in some cultures ...
. Claude and Berger lead the tribe in explaining the significance ("
Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
"). The woman says kids should "be free, no guilt" and "do whatever you want, just so long as you don't hurt anyone." She observes that long hair is natural ("My Conviction"). She opens her coat to reveal that she's a man in drag. As the couple leaves, the tribe calls her
Margaret Mead Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist, author and speaker, who appeared frequently in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard Col ...
. Sheila gives Berger a yellow shirt. He goofs around and tears it in two. Sheila laments that Berger cares more about the "bleeding crowd" than about her ("
Easy to Be Hard "Easy to Be Hard" is a song from the 1967 rock musical ''Hair''. It was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni, who put the musical together in the mid-1960s. The original recording of the musical featuring the song was releas ...
"). Jeanie summarizes everyone's romantic entanglements: "I'm hung up on Claude, Sheila's hung up on Berger, Berger is hung up everywhere. Claude is hung up on a cross over Sheila and Berger." Berger, Woof and another tribe member pay satiric tribute to the American flag as they fold it ("Don't Put it Down"). The tribe joins the audience, inviting them to a Be-In. After young and innocent Crissy describes "Frank Mills", a boy she's looking for, the tribe participates in the "Be-In". The men burn their draft cards. Claude puts his card in the fire, changes his mind and pulls it out. He asks, "where is the something, where is the someone, that tells me why I live and die?" ("Where Do I Go"). The tribe appears naked, intoning "beads, flowers, freedom, happiness."


Act II

Some tribe members have the "Electric Blues". The tribe enters worshiping in an attempt to summon Claude ("Oh Great God of Power"). Claude returns from the induction center, and tribe members act out an imagined conversation from his draft interview, with Hud saying "the draft is white people sending black people to make war on the yellow people to defend the land they stole from the red people". Claude gives Woof a
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
poster; Woof is excited about the gift, as he is infatuated with Jagger. Three white women of the tribe tell why they like "Black Boys" ("black boys are delicious"), and three black women of the tribe, dressed like
The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
, explain why they like "White Boys" ("white boys are so pretty"). Berger gives Claude a joint laced with a
hallucinogen Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelics, entheogens, or historically as psychotomimetics, are a large and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mo ...
. Claude starts to trip as the tribe acts out his visions ("Walking in Space"). He hallucinates that he is skydiving from a plane into the jungles of Vietnam. Berger appears as General
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
and is told to retreat because of an
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...
attack. The Indians shoot all of Washington's men. General
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
appears and begins a roll call:
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
(played by a black female tribe member),
John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...
,
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...
,
Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...
,
Scarlett O'Hara Katie Scarlett O'Hara is the protagonist of Margaret Mitchell's 1936 in literature, 1936 novel ''Gone with the Wind (novel), Gone with the Wind'' and the 1939 Gone with the Wind (film), film of the same name, where she is portrayed by Vivien Le ...
,
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
, Colonel
George Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Poin ...
. They all dance a
minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually written in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form tha ...
until African
witch doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...
s kill them, except for Lincoln, who says, "I'm one of you". After the Africans sing his praises, Lincoln recites an alternate version of the
Gettysburg Address The Gettysburg Address is a Public speaking, speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, U.S. president, following the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The speech has come to be viewed as one ...
("Abie Baby"). Booth shoots Lincoln, but Lincoln tells him, "Shit! I'm not dyin' for no white man". As the visions continue, Buddhist monks enter. One pours a can of gasoline over another monk, who is set afire (reminiscent of the
self-immolation Self-immolation is the act of setting oneself on fire. It is mostly done for political or religious reasons, often as a form of protest or in acts of martyrdom, and known for its disturbing and violent nature. Etymology The English word ' ...
of
Thích Quảng Đức Thích Quảng Đức ( vi-hantu, , ; born Lâm Văn Túc; – 11 June 1963) was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who died by self-immolation at a busy Saigon road intersection on 11 June 1963. Quảng Đức was protesting the persecut ...
) and runs off screaming. Three Catholic nuns strangle the three remaining Buddhist monks. Three astronauts shoot the nuns with
ray gun A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have various names: ray gun, de ...
s. Three Chinese people stab the astronauts. Three Native Americans kill the Chinese with bows and tomahawks. Three
Green Berets The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service Berets of the United States Army, headgear, is a branch of the United States Army United States Army Special Operations Comm ...
kill the Native Americans with machine guns and then kill each other. A sergeant appears with two parents holding a suit on a hanger, talking to the suit as if it were their son of whom they are very proud. The bodies rise and play like children. The playing escalates to violence until they are all dead again. They rise again and comment about the casualties in Vietnam: "It's a dirty little war" (" Three-Five-Zero-Zero"). At the end of the sequence, two tribe members sing, over the dead bodies,
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's paean to the nobility of Man ("What A Piece of Work Is Man"). After the trip, Claude says "I can't take this moment to moment living on the streets. ... I want to be ... invisible". As they "look at the Moon", Sheila and the others enjoy a light moment (" Good Morning Starshine"). The tribe pays tribute to an old mattress ("The Bed"). Claude leaves as the tribe enters wrapped in blankets during a snowstorm. They begin a protest chant and then call for Claude. Claude enters dressed in a military uniform, his hair short, but the tribe does not see him because he is an invisible spirit. Claude says, "like it or not, they got me." The tribe sings "Flesh Failures". They move in front of Claude and launch into "Let the Sun Shine In"; as they exit, Claude is left lying in the center. During the curtain call, the tribe reprises "Let the Sun Shine In" and brings audience members on stage to dance. (Note: ''This plot summary is based on the original Broadway script. The script has varied in subsequent productions.'')


Principal casts


Early productions


Broadway

''Hair'' opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre on April 29, 1968. The production was directed by O'Horgan and choreographed by Arenal, with designs by Robin Wagner (set), Nancy Potts (costumes), and
Jules Fisher Jules Fisher (born November 12, 1937) is an American lighting designer and producer. He is credited with lighting designs for more than 300 productions over the course of his 50-year career of Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well extensiv ...
(lighting). The original Broadway cast included Rado and Ragni as Claude and Berger,
Lynn Kellogg Lynn Kellogg (April 2, 1943 – November 12, 2020) was an American actress and singer. Biography Kellogg was born on April 2, 1943 in Appleton, Wisconsin the daughter of Harry Burton Kellogg and Maxine (Goekes) Kellogg; she had a sister and two ...
as Sheila,
Lamont Washington Lamont Washington was an American singer, dancer, actor, and comedian known for his theater work, notably in the role of Hud in the original Broadway cast of ''Hair''. Early life Washington was born in Brooklyn and attended the High School of ...
as Hud, Eaton, Plimpton and Dyson reprising their off-Broadway roles as Jeanie, Crissy and the "Aquarius" soloist,
Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Smith (born October 29, 1945) known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Smith on October 29, 1945, in New York City to Gertrude Melba ...
as Dionne, Steve Curry as Woof, and
Paul Jabara Paul Frederick Jabara (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from '' Thank God It's Friday'' (1978), as well as "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough ...
and
Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...
in the ensemble (both Moore and Keaton later played Sheila).original Broadway production of ''Hair''
at the Internet Broadway Database, accessed June 30, 2017
Other replacements during the original Broadway run were
Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (né Middleton; October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. He gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received ...
,
Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor. In film he is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's ''Nashville'', E. J. Bellocq in Louis Malle's ''Pretty Baby'', and Mickey in Alan Rudolph's '' Choose Me.'' ...
,
Barry McGuire Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter primarily known for his 1965 hit " Eve of Destruction". He was later a singer and songwriter of contemporary Christian music. Early life McGuire was born in Oklahoma City; ...
,
Ted Lange Theodore William Lange III (; born January 5, 1948) is an American actor, director and screenwriter best known for his roles as bartender Isaac Washington in the TV series ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986) and Junior in ''That's My Mama'' (1974–7 ...
,
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...
, La La Brooks, Mary Seymour (of
Musique Musique is the French word for music. Musique may also refer to: Music *Musique (disco band), a 1970s studio band produced by Patrick Adams *Musique, a British dance act consisting of Moussa Clarke and Nick Hanson best known for their 2001 song ...
),
Joe Butler Joseph Campbell Butler (born September 16, 1941) is an American drummer, singer and actor. He is best known as a member of folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful, where he was their drummer and later lead vocalist, the group had seven top 10 hits ...
, Peppy Castro (of the
Blues Magoos The Blues Magoos are an American rock group from The Bronx, a borough of New York City, United States. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend, beginning in 1966. They are best known for the hit song " (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Y ...
), Robin McNamara,
Eddie Rambeau Eddie Rambeau (born Edward Cletus Fluri; June 30, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. Career While performing in a high-school musical he had written, Rambeau met songwriter and musician Bud Rehak, who went on to become his mana ...
,
Vicki Sue Robinson Vicki Sue Robinson (May 31, 1954 – April 27, 2000) was an American singer closely associated with the disco era of late 1970s pop music; she is most famous for her 1976 hit, " Turn the Beat Around". Early life Born in Harlem, New York, to Afr ...
,
Beverly Bremers Beverly Ann Bremers (born March 10, 1950) is an American singer and actress. After roles on Broadway theatre, Broadway, Bremers recorded the 1972 Top 20 hit single, "Don't Say You Don't Remember". Early life/ career Beverly Bremers - her surname ...
,
Bert Sommer Bert Sommer (February 7, 1949 – July 23, 1990) was an American folk singer and songwriter. He appeared in the musical ''Hair'' and at the Woodstock Festival, and he released several albums as a singer-songwriter. Early life Sommer was born in ...
,
Dale Soules Dale Soules is an American actress known for starring in ''The Messenger (2009 film), The Messenger'' and portraying Frieda Berlin in ''Orange Is The New Black, Orange Is the New Black'' from 2014 to 2019. Early life Soules grew up in the Gr ...
and
Kim Milford Richard Kim Milford (February 7, 1951 – June 16, 1988), known professionally as Kim Milford, was an American actor, singer-songwriter, and composer. He was known for his stage acting in musicals such as ''Rocky Horror Show, The Rocky Horro ...
. It was the first Broadway show to have a regular ticket price of $50, with 12 of the seats at this price for sale to large corporations from July 1968. The top price when it opened was $11. The ''Hair'' team soon became embroiled in a lawsuit with the organizers of the
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
s. After assuring producer Michael Butler that commencing previews by April 3, 1968, would assure eligibility for the 1968 Tonys, the New York Theatre League ruled ''Hair'' ineligible, moving the cutoff date to March 19. The producers sued but were unable to force the League to reconsider. At the 1969 Tonys, ''Hair'' was nominated for Best Musical and
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
but lost to ''
1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...
'' in both categories. The production ran for four years and 1,750 performances, closing on July 1, 1972.


Early regional productions

The West Coast version played at the Aquarius Theater in Los Angeles beginning about six months after the Broadway opening and running for an unprecedented two years. The Los Angeles tribe included Rado, Ragni, Vereen (who played Hud and then replaced Ragni),
Ted Neeley Teddie Joe Neeley (born September 20, 1943) is an American singer, actor, musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for portraying the title role in the 1973 film adaptation of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he was nominated for ...
(who replaced Rado), Willie Weatherly (who played Berger and Claude),
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...
,
Gloria Jones Gloria Richetta Jones (born October 19, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song "Tainted Love" and has wo ...
,
Táta Vega Táta Vega (born Carmen Rosa Vega, October 7, 1951) is an American vocalist, whose career spans theater, film, and a variety of musical genres. Early life Vega was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York and raised between New York, Chicago, Texas, P ...
,
Jobriath Bruce Wayne Campbell (December 14, 1946 – August 3, 1983), known by his stage name Jobriath, was an American rock musician and actor. He was the first openly gay rock musician to be signed to a major record label and one of the first internatio ...
,
Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet " Up Where We Belong", and in 1987 fo ...
and
Dobie Gray Dobie Gray (born Lawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter. Gray's music spanned multiple genres, including soul, country, pop, and musical theater. His hit songs included " The 'In' Cro ...
. There were soon nine simultaneous productions in U.S. cities, followed by national tours.King, Betty Nygaard
"''Hair''"
. ''Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''. Historica Foundation of Canada. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
Performers in these included
Joe Mantegna Joseph Anthony Mantegna (, ; born November 13, 1947) is an American actor best known for starring on CBS's ''Criminal Minds'' since 2007 as FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi. He has voiced the recurring role of mob boss Fat Tony on th ...
,
André DeShields André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries, as well in Portugal ...
,
Charlotte Crossley Charlotte Crossley, nicknamed "Charlo", is an American singer and actress, best known for her roles in the musical theatrical productions of ''Hairspray'', ''The Color Purple'', ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', as a member of the Harlettes in Bette M ...
and
Alaina Reed Alaina Reed Hall (born Bernice Ruth Reed; November 10, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American actress and singer who portrayed Olivia Robinson, Gordon's younger sister, on the PBS children's television series ''Sesame Street'', and Rose Lee ...
(Chicago),
David Lasley David Eldon Lasley (August 20, 1947 – December 9, 2021) was an American recording artist, singer, musician and songwriter. He was best known as a touring background singer for James Taylor, as a session singer on recordings by artists including ...
,
David Patrick Kelly David Patrick Kelly (born January 23, 1951) is an American actor, musician and lyricist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is best known for his role as the main antagonist Luther in the cult film '' The Warriors'' (1979 ...
, Meat Loaf, and
Shaun Murphy Shaun Peter Murphy (born 10 August 1982) is an English professional snooker player who won the 2005 World Snooker Championship, 2005 World Championship and has completed the Triple Crown (snooker), Triple Crown. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murp ...
(
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
),
Kenny Ortega Kenneth John Ortega (born April 18, 1950) is an American director, producer, choreographer, and concert creator. He is best known for his work with Disney Channel, notably the '' High School Musical'' film trilogy, cult classics such as '' Newsi ...
and
Arnold McCuller Arnold McCuller (born August 26, 1950) is an American vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He was active as a solo artist and session musician, but is perhaps best known for his work as a touring back-u ...
(tour), Bob Bingham (
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
) and
Philip Michael Thomas Philip Michael Thomas (born May 26, 1949) is a retired American actor and musician, best known for his role as detective Ricardo Tubbs on the hit 1980s TV series ''Miami Vice''. His first notable roles were in '' Coonskin'' (1975) and opposite ...
(San Francisco). The creative team from Broadway worked on ''Hair'' in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, as the Broadway staging served as a rough template for these and other early regional productions. In Los Angeles,
Tom Smothers Thomas Bolyn Smothers III (February 2, 1937 – December 26, 2023) was an American comedian, actor, composer, and musician, widely known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick Smothers, Dick. I ...
was co-producer. Regional casts consisted mostly of local actors, although a few Broadway cast members reprised their roles.Horn, pp. 100–01 O'Horgan or the authors sometimes took new ideas and improvisations from a regional show and brought them back to New York, such as when live chickens were tossed onto the stage in Los Angeles. It was rare for so many productions to run simultaneously during an initial Broadway run. Butler, who had called ''Hair'' "the strongest anti-war statement ever written", said the reason he opened so many productions was to influence public opinion against the war and end it as soon as possible.


West End

''Hair'' opened at the
Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. It opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, with a capacity of 2,500. The current capacity is 1,416. The title "Shaftesbury Theat ...
in London on September 27, 1968, led by the same creative team as the Broadway production. The opening night was delayed until the abolition of
theatre censorship The Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department within the British Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household. It is concerned with matters such as protocol (diplomacy), protocol, state visits, investitures, garden party, garden parties ...
in England under the
Theatres Act 1968 The Theatres Act 1968 (c. 54) abolished stage censorship in the United Kingdom, receiving royal assent on 26 July 1968, after passing both Houses of Parliament.Sonja Kristina Sonja Kristina (born Sonia Christina Shaw; 14 April 1949) is a British singer and songwriter, best known for starring in the original London production of the seminal 1960s musical ''Hair'', and for being the lead vocalist of the 1970s progres ...
,
Peter Straker Peter Straker (born 7 November 1943) is a Jamaican-born British singer and actor. Life and career Straker was born in Jamaica, and moved to London in his early childhood. He first became known in 1968, when he starred as Hud in the original Lo ...
,
Paul Nicholas Paul Nicholas (born Paul Oscar Beuselinck; 3 December 1944) is an English actor and singer best known for starring as Vince Pinner in the BBC television sitcom '' Just Good Friends'' (1983—86). The show won a BAFTA and Nicholas was nominated ...
, Melba Moore,
Annabel Leventon Judith Annabel Leventon (born 20 April 1942 in Hertfordshire, England) is an English actress who has acted in various roles on stage and television. While reading English at the University of Oxford she made several appearances at the Oxford Pl ...
,
Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...
,
Paul Korda Paul Korda (born Paul Kunstler, 1948 – 11 March 2020) was a Singaporean songwriter, singer, musician, and actor. He wrote and performed music from the 1960s onwards, and his songs have been covered by artists such as Roger Daltrey, Dave ...
, Marsha Hunt,
Floella Benjamin Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin (born 23 September 1949), is a Trinidadian-British actress, singer, presenter, author and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as ''Play School (British TV series), ...
, Alex Harvey,
Oliver Tobias Oliver Tobias Freitag (born 6 August 1947), known professionally as Oliver Tobias, is a Swiss-born, UK-based film, stage and television actor and director. Biography Born in Zürich, Switzerland, he is the son of the Austrian-Swiss actor Rob ...
,
Richard O'Brien Richard O'Brien (born Richard Timothy Smith; 25 March 1942) is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has since remained in continuous p ...
and
Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the musical film '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London, 1974 L ...
. This was Curry's first full-time theatrical acting role, where he met future ''
Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...
'' collaborator O'Brien. ''Hair''s engagement in London surpassed the Broadway production, running for 1,997 performances until the roof of the theatre collapsed in July 1973.


Early international productions

Bertrand Castelli, Butler's partner and executive producer of the Broadway show, led the foreign-language productions.Horn, pp. 103–10 Castelli was a writer/producer known in Paris art circles. Butler called him a "crazy showman ... the guy with the business suit and beads". Castelli decided to do the show in the local language of each country at a time when Broadway shows were always done in English. The translations followed the original script closely, and the Broadway stagings were used. Each script contained local references. Castelli produced companies in France, Germany, Mexico and other countries, sometimes also directing the productions. The first European production, after London, opened in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden, on September 20, 1968, with a cast including
Ulf Brunnberg Hans Ulf Brunnberg (born 7 April 1947) is a Swedish actor. Filmography Film Television References External links * 1947 births Living people Male actors from Stockholm Swedish male film actors Best Supporting Actor G ...
and
Bill Öhrström Bill Göran Fredrik Öhrström (born 2 April 1943) is a Swedish musician, singer, actor and former model. He has performed with Jukka Tolonen and Mikael Ramel. He started the club "Filips" in Stockholm in the 1960s, and also played the harmon ...
, produced and directed by Pierre Fränckel and choreographed by Arenal. It ran for 134 performances until March 1969. A German production, directed by Castelli, opened a month later in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
; the tribe included
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
,
Liz Mitchell Elizabeth Rebecca Pemberton-Mitchell (born 12 July 1952) is a British singer, best known as one of the original singers of the 1970s disco and reggae band Boney M. Mitchell now lives in Reading, UK. Early life Mitchell was born in the paris ...
and Donna Wyant. A Paris production opened on June 1, 1969. The original Australian production debuted in Sydney on June 6, 1969, produced by Harry M. Miller and directed by
Jim Sharman James David Sharman (born 12 March 1945) is an Australian director and writer for film and stage with more than 70 productions to his credit. He is renowned in Australia for his work as a theatre director since the 1960s, and is best known in ...
, who also designed the production. The tribe included
Keith Glass Keith Robert Glass (born 17 September 1946) is an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist, musical theatre actor, record label owner, producer and journalist. In April 1967 he formed a soul music group, Cam-Pact, which released fou ...
and then
Reg Livermore Reginald Dawson Livermore (born 11 December 1938) is an Australian actor, singer, theatrical performer, designer, director, lyricist and writer and former television presenter. Biography Early life From a young age, Livermore demonstrated an ...
as Berger,
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
as Claude and
Sharon Redd Sharon Redd (October 19, 1945 – May 1, 1992) was an American singer from New York City. She was the half sister of Snap! singer Penny Ford. Life and career Redd was born on October 19, 1945, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Gene and Katherine Redd. Ge ...
as The Magician. Redd was one of six African-Americans brought to Australia to provide a racially integrated tribe.''Hair'': Original Australian production
, Milesago: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964–1975, accessed April 29, 2009.
The production broke local box-office records and ran for two years, but because of some of the language in the show, the cast album was banned in Queensland and New Zealand. The production transferred to
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
in 1971 and then had a national tour. It marked the theatrical debut of
Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines AM (born July 20, 1953) is an American-born Australian singer and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical ''Hair'' and followed with the role of Mary Magdalen ...
. In Mexico the production was banned by the government after one night in Acapulco. 18-year-old
Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in ''Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985 film), Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) a ...
appeared in the 1969 Brazilian production. A production in
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
,
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
, in 1969, was the first ''Hair'' produced in a communist country. The show, translated into Serbian, was directed by
Mira Trailović Mira Trailović (Serbian language, Serbian Cyrillic: Мира Траиловић; née Milićević; 22 January 1924 – 7 August 1989) was a Serbian dramaturg and one of the most distinguished theatre directors in the history of Serbian and Yugosl ...
at the
Atelje 212 Atelje 212 ( sr-Cyrl, Атеље 212) is a theatre located in Belgrade, Serbia. Established in 1956 on the premises of the '' Borba'' building in front of 212 chairs, its opening play was the staging of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's '' Faust'' dir ...
theatre.Nježić, T
"Autorima 'Kose' najviše se dopala beogradska verzija iz 1969"
, blic.rs, January 31, 2010, accessed May 25, 2016
Lemon, Richard

, ''Performing Arts Magazine'', October 1969, accessed May 25, 2016
It featured
Dragan Nikolić Dragoslav "Dragan" Nikolić ( sr-cyr, Драгослав Драган Николић, ; 20 August 1943 – 11 March 2016) was a Serbian and Yugoslav actor. Nikolić studied at Dramatic Arts Academy in Belgrade. In 1967 he starred in the film ' ...
,
Branko Milićević Branislav "Branko" Milićević ( sr-Cyrl, Бранислав "Бранко" Милићевић), also known by his stage name Branko Kockica (''Branko the Little Cube''), is a Serbian (Yugoslavian) actor known for his roles in children's TV shows. ...
,
Seka Sablić Jelisaveta "Seka" Sablić ( sr-cyr, Јелисавета "Сека" Саблић; born 13 June 1942) is a Serbian actress. She has performed in theatre houses in Belgrade and on TV and film. She is the winner of major theatre awards in Serbia and ...
and
Dušan Prelević Dušan Prelević "Prele" (Serbian Cyrillic: Душан Прелевић Преле; 11 November 1948 – 28 July 2007) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer, journalist and writer. Prelević was widely known for his raspy voice, his transgressive p ...
. Over four years, the production played 250 performances and was attended by president
Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 until his death ...
. Local references in the script included barbs aimed at
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
as well as
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
, Yugoslavia's traditional rival. By 1970, ''Hair'' was a huge financial success, and 19 productions had been staged outside of North America, including in Scandinavia, South America, Italy, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria. According to ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', the productions took in almost $1 million every ten days, and royalties were being collected for 300 different recordings of the show's songs, making it "the most successful score in history as well as the most performed score ever written for the Broadway stage".Gross, Mike
"Hair Is Doing Runaway Business as Score & Play"
, ''Billboard'', michaelbutler.com, June 27, 1970, accessed April 18, 2008


Themes

''Hair'' explores many themes of the hippie movement of the 1960s. Theatre critic Scott Miller wrote:
outh protests in the 1960s concernedracism, environmental destruction, poverty, sexism and sexual repression, violence at home and the war in Vietnam, depersonalization from new technologies, and corruption in politics. ... e hippies had great respect for America and believed that they were the true patriots. ...
ong Ong or ONG may refer to: Arts and media * Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction * “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip Places * Ong, Nebraska, US, city * Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town * Ong River, Odisha, ...
hair was the hippies' flag—their ... symbol not only of rebellion but also of ... the rejection of discrimination and restrictive gender roles. ... Drab work clothes (jeans, work shirts, pea coats) were a rejection of materialism. Clothing from ... the Third World and native Americans represented their awareness of the global community and their rejection of U.S. imperialism and selfishness. ... tural fabrics were a rejection of synthetics, a return to natural things. ... d World War II or
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
jackets o-optedthe symbols of war into their newfound philosophy of nonviolence.Miller, Scott (2001)
"HAIR – An analysis by Scott Miller"
''Rebels with applause: Broadway's groundbreaking musicals'' . Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.


Race and the tribe

Extending the precedents set by ''
Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...
'' (1927) and ''
Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' ( ) is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play ''Porgy (play), ...
'' (1935), ''Hair'' opened the Broadway musical to racial integration; fully one-third of the cast was African American.Horn, p. 134 Except for satirically in skits, the roles for the black tribe members portrayed them as equals, breaking from traditional roles for black people in entertainment as slaves or servants. Rado, James;
Gerome Ragni Gerome Ragni (born Jerome Bernard Ragni; September 11, 1935 – July 10, 1991) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter, best known as one of the stars and co-writers of the 1967 musical ''Hair''. On June 18, 2009, he was inducted into the So ...
966, 1969 ''Hair'', Original Script, Tams Whitmark.
An ''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...
'' article called the show the biggest outlet for black actors in the history of the U.S. stage. Several songs and scenes from the show address racial issues. "Colored Spade", introducing the character Hud, a militant black man, is a long list of racial slurs ("jungle bunny ... little black Sambo"). "Dead End", sung by black tribe members, is a list of street signs that symbolize black frustration and alienation. "Black Boys/White Boys" is an exuberant acknowledgment of interracial sexual attraction; the U.S. Supreme Court had not struck down laws banning interracial marriage until 1967. "Abie Baby" is part of the Act 2 "trip" sequence: four African witch doctors, who have just killed various American historical, cultural and fictional characters, sing the praises of Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by a black female tribe member, whom they decide not to kill. The first part of the song contains stereotypical language that black characters used in old movies, like "I's finished ... pluckin' y'all's chickens" and "I's free now thanks to y'all, Master Lincoln". The Lincoln character recites a modernized version of the Gettysburg Address while a white female tribe member polishes his shoes with her blond hair. The script's many references to Native Americans are part of the
anti-consumerist Anti-consumerism is a sociopolitical ideology. It has been described as "''intentionally'' and ''meaningfully'' excluding or cutting goods from one's consumption routine or reusing once-acquired goods with the goal of avoiding consumption". The ...
, naturalist focus of the hippie movement and of ''Hair''. The characters are referred to as the "tribe", borrowing the term for Native American communities. The cast of each production chooses a tribal name. Miller wrote: "The practice is not just cosmetic ... the entire cast must work together, must like each other. ... All the sense of family, of belonging, of responsibility and loyalty inherent in the word 'tribe' has to be felt by the cast." To enhance this feeling, O'Horgan put the cast through sensitivity exercises based on trust, touching, listening and intensive examination that broke down barriers between the cast and crew and encouraged bonding.


Nudity, sexual freedom and drug use

The brief nude scene at the end of Act I was a subject of controversy and notoriety. "Much has been written about that scene ... most of it silly," wrote
Gene Lees Frederick Eugene John Lees (February 8, 1928 – April 22, 2010) was a Canadian music critic, biographer, lyricist, and journalist. Lees worked as a newspaper journalist in his native Canada before moving to the United States, where he was a musi ...
in ''
High Fidelity High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...
''. During "Where Do I Go?", those choosing to participate in the scene removed their clothes behind a
scrim Scrim can refer to: * Scrim (material), either of two types of material (a lightweight, translucent fabric or a coarse, heavy material) * Scrim (lighting), a device used in lighting for films * Scrim (esports), a private match for the purpose of ...
. At the musical cue, "they toodnaked and motionless, their bodies bathed" in dim projections of floral patterns, chanting.Brien, Alan
"Alan Brien Takes an Advance Look at a Frontal Attack on Broadway"
. ''The London Sunday Times'', April 28, 1968. Retrieved on July 2, 2008.
It lasted 20 seconds. The scene prompted threats of censorship and even violent reactions in some places. It also became fodder for pop-culture jokes.
Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...
quipped at a London preview, "Did you happen to notice if any of them were Jewish?"
Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...
joked, "I was gonna go see it ...
o save the $11 ticket price, O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), p ...
I went into my bathroom, took off all my clothes, and looked at myself in the full-length mirror." The nudity was optional for the performers. The French cast was "the nudest" of the foreign groups, while the London cast "found nudity the hardest to achieve". In
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, the tribe thought the nudity too tame and decided to walk naked in the aisle during the show's prelude. In some early performances, the Germans played their scene behind a big sheet labeled "CENSORED". Miller writes, "nudity was a big part of the hippie culture, both as a rejection of the sexual repression of their parents and also as a statement about naturalism, spirituality, honesty, openness, and freedom. The naked body was beautiful, something to be celebrated and appreciated. ... They saw their bodies and their sexuality as gifts". According to Melba Moore, "It doesn't mean anything except what you want it to mean. ... It's like so much else people get uptight about." Donna Summer, who was in the German production, said that "it was not meant to be sexual. ... We stood naked to comment on the fact that society makes more of nudity than killing." ''Hair'' glorifies sexual freedom in various ways. In addition to acceptance of interracial attraction, the characters'
free love Free love is a social movement that accepts all forms of love. The movement's initial goal was to separate the State (polity), state from sexual and romantic matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery. It stated that such issues we ...
lifestyle acts as a sexually and politically charged updating of ''
La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...
''; as Rado explained, "The love element of the peace movement was palpable." In the song "Sodomy", Woof exhorts everyone to "join the holy orgy
Kama Sutra The ''Kama Sutra'' (; , , ; ) is an ancient Indian Hindu Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kamasutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly a sex manual on sex positions ...
". Toward the end of Act 2, the tribe members reveal their
free love Free love is a social movement that accepts all forms of love. The movement's initial goal was to separate the State (polity), state from sexual and romantic matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery. It stated that such issues we ...
tendencies when they banter about who will sleep with whom that night. Barnes, Clive (April 30, 1968)
"Theater: ''Hair'' – It's Fresh and Frank; Likable Rock Musical Moves to Broadway"
, ''The New York Times'', p. 40. Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
Illegal drugs taken by the characters include a hallucinogen during the trip sequence. The song "Walking in Space" begins the sequence, declaring "how dare they try to end this beauty ... in this dive we rediscover sensation ... our eyes are open, wide, wide, wide". Similarly, in "Donna", Berger sings, "I'm evolving through the drugs that you put down." Generally, the tribe favors hallucinogenic or "mind expanding" drugs, such as LSD and marijuana.Miller, p. 116


Pacifism and environmentalism

The opposition to the war that pervades the show is unified by the plot thread that progresses through the book—Claude's
moral dilemma In philosophy, an ethical dilemma, also called an ethical paradox or moral dilemma, is a situation in which two or more conflicting moral imperatives, none of which overrides the other, confront an agent. A closely related definition characterizes ...
over whether to burn his draft card.
Pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ...
is explored throughout the extended trip sequence in Act 2. The lyrics to " Three-Five-Zero-Zero", sung during that sequence, evoke the horrors of war ("ripped open by metal explosion"). The song is based on
Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of th ...
's 1966 poem " Wichita Vortex Sutra", in which General
Maxwell D. Taylor Maxwell Davenport Taylor (26 August 1901 – 19 April 1987) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer and diplomat during the Cold War. He served with distinction in World War II, most notably as commander of the 101st Air ...
proudly reports to the press the number of enemy soldiers killed in one month, repeating it digit by digit for effect: "Three-Five-Zero-Zero". The song begins with images of death and dying and turns into a manic dance number, echoing Maxwell's glee at reporting the enemy casualties. The song also raises the issue of the disproportionate loss and disparate treatment of black servicemen in "decorations, promotion and duty assignments" in the Vietnam War, with the repeated phrase "Prisoners in niggertown/ It's a dirty little war". "Don't Put It Down" satirizes the unexamined patriotism of people who are "crazy for the American flag". "Be In (Hare Krishna)" praises the peace movement and events like the
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and Central Park Be-Ins. Throughout the show, the tribe chants popular protest slogans like "What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!" and "Do not enter the induction center". The upbeat "Let the Sun Shine In" is a call to action, to reject the darkness of war and change the world for the better. ''Hair'' also satirizes pollution. Jeanie appears wearing a gas mask and sings the song "Air": "Welcome, sulfur dioxide. Hello carbon monoxide. The air ... is everywhere", suggesting that pollution will eventually kill her: "vapor and fume at the stone of my tomb, breathing like a sullen perfume". In a comic, pro-green vein, Woof introduces himself by explaining that he "grows things", and Berger weaves nature imagery into the title song.


Religion and astrology

Religion, particularly Catholicism, appears both overtly and symbolically throughout the piece and is often the butt of jokes. Berger sings of looking for "my Donna", giving it the double meaning of a woman he is searching for and the
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
.Davis, Lorrie (1968). Album notes for ''Hair'',
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...
, track 4 (CD booklet, pp. 5–6)
During "Sodomy", a hymn-like paean to all that is "dirty" about sex, the cast strikes evocative religious positions: the
Pietà The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Mary (mother of Jesus), Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the mortal body of Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross. It is most often found in sculpture. ...
and Christ on the cross. Before the song, Woof recites a modified
rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...
. In Act II, when Berger gives famous figures imaginary pills, he offers "a
pill Pill or The Pill may refer to: Drugs * Pill (pharmacy), referring to anything small for a specific dose of medicine * "The Pill", a general nickname for the combined oral contraceptive pill Film and television * ''The Pill'' (film), a 2011 fil ...
for
the Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...
". In "Going Down", after being kicked out of school, Berger compares himself to
Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...
: "Just like the angel that fell / Banished forever to hell / Today have I been expelled / From high school heaven." Claude becomes a classic
Christ figure A Christ figure, also known as a Christ-Image, is a literary technique that the author uses to draw allusions between their characters and the biblical Jesus. More loosely, the Christ figure is a spiritual or prophetic character who parallels J ...
at various points.Miller, pp. 88–89 In Act I, he says, "I am the Son of God. I shall vanish and be forgotten", then gives benediction to the tribe and the audience. He suffers from indecision, and, in his
Gethsemane Gethsemane ( ) is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus Christ underwent the Agony in the Garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. The garden is ...
at the end of Act I, he asks "Where Do I Go?". The textual alludes to Claude being on a cross, and, in the end, he is chosen to give his life for the others. Berger is a
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
figure, preparing the way for Claude. Songs like "Good Morning, Starshine" and "Aquarius" reflect the 1960s cultural interest in astrological and cosmic concepts. "Aquarius" was written after Rado researched his own astrological sign."Rapping With Sally Eaton of ''Hair''"
. ''Astrology Today'', michaelbutler.com. Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
The company's astrologer, Maria Crummere, was consulted about casting: Sheila was usually played by a
Libra Libra generally refers to: * Libra (constellation), a constellation * Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation Libra may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo Musi ...
or Capricorn and Berger by a
Leo Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to: * Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky * Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac * Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually mas ...
. Crummere was also consulted on when the show would open on Broadway and in other cities."Hairzapoppin'"
. ''Time'' (December 12, 1969). Retrieved on May 29, 2008.
''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...
'' reported that she chose April 29, 1968, for the Broadway premiere.
The 29th was auspicious ... because the moon was high, indicating that people would attend in masses. The position of the 'history makers' (
Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...
,
Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is a gaseous cyan-coloured ice giant. Most of the planet is made of water, ammonia, and methane in a Supercritical fluid, supercritical phase of matter, which astronomy calls "ice" or Volatile ( ...
,
Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
) in the 10th house made the show unique, powerful and a money-maker. And that
Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...
was on the ascendancy foretold that ''Hair'' would develop a reputation involving sex.Dowling, Colette (May 1971)
"''Hair'' – Trusting the Kids and the Stars"
. ''Playbill''. Retrieved on June 1, 2008.
In Mexico, where Crummere did not pick the opening date, the show was closed by the government after one night. She disliked the date of the
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
opening (where the producers were sued over the show's content), saying, "Jupiter will be in opposition to naughty
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...
, and the show opens the very day of the sun's
eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...
. Terrible".


Literary themes and symbolism

''Hair'' makes many references to
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's plays and, at times, takes lyrical material directly from Shakespeare. For example, the lyrics to the song "What a Piece of Work Is Man" are from ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'' ( II: scene 2), and portions of "Flesh Failures" ("the rest is silence") are from Hamlet's final lines. In "Flesh Failures/Let the Sun Shine In", the lyrics "Eyes, look your last!/ Arms, take your last embrace! And lips, O you/ The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss" are from ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' (V: iii). According to Miller, the ''Romeo'' suicide imagery makes the point that, with our complicity in war, we are killing ourselves. Claude's indecision, especially his resistance to burning his draft card, which ultimately causes his demise, parallels ''Hamlet'', "the melancholy hippie". This symbolism is carried into the last scene, where Claude appears as a ghostly spirit among his friends wearing an army uniform in an ironic echo of an earlier scene, where he says, "I know what I want to be ... invisible". Public Theater Artistic Director
Oskar Eustis Oskar Eustis (born July 31, 1958) has been the Artistic Director at the Public Theater in New York City since 2005. He has worked as a director, dramaturg, and artistic director for theaters around the United States.'Hair'' and ''Hamlet''center on idealistic brilliant men as they struggle to find their place in a world marred by war, violence, and venal politics. They see both the luminous possibilities and the harshest realities of being human. In the end, unable to effectively combat the evil around them, they tragically succumb. Other literary references include the song "Three-Five-Zero-Zero", based on Ginsberg's "Wichita Vortex Sutra", and, in the psychedelic drug trip sequence, the portrayal of
Scarlett O'Hara Katie Scarlett O'Hara is the protagonist of Margaret Mitchell's 1936 in literature, 1936 novel ''Gone with the Wind (novel), Gone with the Wind'' and the 1939 Gone with the Wind (film), film of the same name, where she is portrayed by Vivien Le ...
from ''
Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...
'' and activist African-American poet
LeRoi Jones Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism. He was the author of numerous b ...
.


Music

After studying the music of the
Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...
at
Cape Town University The University of Cape Town (UCT) (, ) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest university in South Afri ...
, MacDermot incorporated African rhythms into the score of ''Hair''. He listened to "what
he Bantu He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
called quaylas ... hich have avery characteristic beat, very similar to rock. Much deeper though. ... ''Hair'' is very African—a lot of herhythms, not the tunes so much." Quaylas stress beats on unexpected syllables, and this influence can be heard in songs like "What a Piece of Work Is Man" and "Ain't Got No Grass". MacDermot said, "My idea was to make a total funk show. They said they wanted rock & roll—but to me that translated to 'funk'."Alapatt, Eothen; Galt MacDermot
"Interview with Galt MacDermot by Eothen "Egon" Alapatt"
, "Volume 5: ''Hair'' and Thangs", November 1, 1999. Retrieved on November 9, 2013.
Funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
influence is evident throughout the score, notably in songs like "Colored Spade" and "Walking in Space". But MacDermot said the songs "can't all be the same. You've got to get different styles. ... I like to think they're all a little different". The music in ''Hair'' varies from the
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
sensibilities of "Don't Put it Down" to the
folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
rhythms of "Frank Mills" and "What a Piece of Work is Man" to
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
in "
Easy to Be Hard "Easy to Be Hard" is a song from the 1967 rock musical ''Hair''. It was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni, who put the musical together in the mid-1960s. The original recording of the musical featuring the song was releas ...
" and protest rock anthems, such as "Ain't Got No" and "The Flesh Failures". The
acid rock Acid rock is a loosely defined type of rock music that evolved out of the mid-1960s garage rock, garage punk movement and helped launch the psychedelia, psychedelic subculture. While the term has sometimes been used interchangeably with "psyc ...
of "Walking in Space" and "Aquarius" are balanced by the mainstream pop of "Good Morning Starshine". Miller ties the music of ''Hair'' to the hippies' political themes:
The hippies ... were determined to create art of the people and their chosen art form, rock/folk music was by its definition, populist. ... e hippies' music was often very angry, its anger directed at those who would prostitute the Constitution, who would sell America out, who would betray what America stood for; in other words, directed at their parents and the government.
The music did not resonate with everyone.
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
said, "the songs are just laundry lists",Berkvist, Robert (May 11, 1969)
"He Put ''Hair'' on Broadway's Chest"
''The New York Times'', p. D1. Retrieved on May 26, 2008.
and walked out of the production.
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...
could hear only the beat and called it "one-third music".
John Fogerty John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty, he founded the swamp rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he was th ...
said, "''Hair'' is such a watered-down version of what is really going on that I can't get behind it at all." For ''High Fidelity'', Gene Lees wrote that
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
found the show "dull" and "I do not know any musician who thinks it's good."Lees, Gene (July 1969)
"''hair'' in Europe"
. ''High Fidelity''. Retrieved on May 26, 2008.
Theatre historian John Kenrick countered:
'Hair's''explosion of revolutionary proclamations, profanity and hard rock shook the musical theatre to its roots. ... Most people in the theatre business ndTony voters tried to ignore ''Hair's'' importance, shutting it out from any honors. However, some now insisted it was time for a change. ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' critic
Clive Barnes Clive Alexander Barnes (13 May 1927 – 19 November 2008) was an English writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977, he was the dance and theater critic for ''The New York Times'', and, from 1978 until his death, the ''New York Post''. Barnes had sign ...
gushed that ''Hair'' was "the first Broadway musical in some time to have the authentic voice of today rather than the day before yesterday."


Songs

The score had many more songs than typical Broadway shows of the day. Most had about six to ten songs per act; ''Hairs total is in the thirties. This list reflects the songs most often included during the original Broadway run.Miller, pp. 70–77 Act I * "Aquarius"  – Tribe and soloist (often Dionne) * "Donna" – Berger and Tribe * "Hashish" – Tribe * "Sodomy" – Woof and Tribe * "Colored Spade" – Hud, Woof, Berger, Claude and Tribe * "Manchester England" – Claude and Tribe * "I'm Black/Ain't Got No" – Woof, Hud, Dionne and Tribe * "I Believe in Love" – Sheila and Tribe trio * "Air" – Jeanie with Crissy and Dionne * "Initials (L.B.J.)" – Tribe * "I Got Life" – Claude and Tribe * "Going Down" – Berger and Tribe * "
Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...
" – Claude, Berger, and Tribe * "My Conviction" – Margaret Mead (tourist lady) * "
Easy to Be Hard "Easy to Be Hard" is a song from the 1967 rock musical ''Hair''. It was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni, who put the musical together in the mid-1960s. The original recording of the musical featuring the song was releas ...
" – Sheila * "Don't Put It Down" – Berger, Woof and male Tribe member * "Frank Mills" – Crissy * "Be-In (
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna may refer to: * International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a group commonly known as "Hare Krishnas" or the "Hare Krishna movement" * Hare Krishna (mantra), a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra also known as the "Maha Mantra" (Great ...
)" – Tribe * "Where Do I Go?" – Claude and Tribe Act II * "Electric Blues" – Tribe quartet * "Black Boys" – Tribe sextet (three male, three female) * "White Boys" – Tribe Supremes trio * "Walking in Space" – Tribe * "Yes, I's Finished/Abie Baby" – Abraham Lincoln and Tribe trio (Hud and two men) * " Three-Five-Zero-Zero" – Tribe * "What a Piece of Work Is Man" – Tribe duo * " Good Morning Starshine" – Sheila and Tribe * "The Bed" – Tribe * "Aquarius" (reprise) – Tribe * "Manchester England" (reprise) – Claude and Tribe * "Eyes Look Your Last" – Claude and Tribe * "The Flesh Failures (Let the Sun Shine In)" – Claude, Sheila, Dionne and Tribe The show was under almost perpetual rewrite. Thirteen songs were added between the production at the Public Theater and Broadway. Others were cut; "
What a piece of work is a man "What a piece of work is a man!" is a phrase within a monologue by Prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet''. Hamlet is reflecting, at first admiringly, and then despairingly, on the human condition. The speech is recited at the end o ...
" and "Hashish" were originally spoken but musicalized for Broadway. Subsequent productions have included or cut others. Rado, James (July 25, 2007)
"New lyrics for 'Hippie Life' song"
, ''hairthemusical.com'', accessed November 9, 2013


Recordings

The first recording in 1967 featured the off-Broadway cast. The original Broadway cast recording received a Grammy Award in 1969 for
Best Score from an Original Cast Show Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album's producers, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more ...
and sold nearly 3 million copies in the U.S. by December 1969. It charted at No. 1 on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
, the last Broadway cast album to do so (as of 2024), and stayed at No. 1 for 13 weeks in 1969. The album peaked at number 2 in Australia in 1970. According to ''The New York Times'', "The cast album of ''Hair'' was ... a must-have for the middle classes. Its exotic orange-and-green cover art imprinted itself instantly and indelibly on the psyche. ... tbecame a pop-rock classic
ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometers, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is i ...
an appeal that transcends particular tastes for genre or period." In 2019, the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
added the original Broadway cast album to the
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...
. A 1969 studio album, ''DisinHAIRited'', contains 19 songs written for the show but not included in previous recordings, a few of which were never included in stage productions. Some were cut between the Public and Broadway productions or were left off the original cast albums due to space. Productions in England, Germany, France, Sweden, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, Australia and elsewhere released cast albums, Such broad attention was paid to the recordings of ''Hair'' that, after an unprecedented bidding war,
ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
paid a record amount for MacDermot's next Broadway adaptation, ''
Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first ten ...
''. The 2009 revival recording debuted at on ''Billboards "Top Cast Album" chart and at in the Top 200, making it the highest debuting album in
Ghostlight Records Sh-K-Boom Records is an independent record label and producer of recorded and live entertainment, which was founded in 2000 by Kurt Deutsch with the mission of bridging the gap between pop music and theater. In 2004 Sh-K-Boom created their seco ...
history. The 1993 London revival cast album contains new music incorporated into the standard rental version. More than 1,000 performances of individual songs from ''Hair'' have been recorded.
The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...
's release of "
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In "Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" (commonly called "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", "The Age of Aquarius" or "Let the Sunshine In") is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical ''Hair'' by James Rado and Gerome Ragni (lyrics), and ...
" in 1969 won
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
in 1970 and topped the charts for six weeks.
The Cowsills The Cowsills are an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island, six siblings noted for performing professionally and singing harmonies at an early age, later with their mother. The band was formed in early 1965 by brothers Bill Cowsill, B ...
' recording of the title song "Hair" climbed to on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, while
Oliver Oliver may refer to: Arts, entertainment and literature Books * ''Oliver the Western Engine'', volume 24 in ''The Railway Series'' by Rev. W. Awdry * ''Oliver Twist'', a novel by Charles Dickens Fictional characters * Ariadne Oliver ...
's "Good Morning Starshine" reached .
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...
's "Easy to Be Hard" went to .
Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...
's 1968 medley of "
Ain't Got No, I Got Life "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" is a 1968 single by American singer-songwriter Nina Simone, from her album '' 'Nuff Said''. It is a medley of two songs, "Ain't Got No" and "I Got Life", from the musical ''Hair'', with lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ra ...
" reached the top 5 on the UK singles chart.
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
confirmed that "Aquarius" was the most frequently played song on U.S. radio and television in 1970. Among other artists recording ''Hair'' songs are
Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...
,
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
and
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
. "Good Morning Starshine" was sung on a 1969 episode of ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'' by
Bob McGrath Robert Emmett McGrath (June 13, 1932 – December 4, 2022) was an American actor, singer, and children's author best known for playing original human character and music teacher Bob Johnson on the educational television series ''Sesame Street' ...
, and versions have been recorded by artists such as
Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer and actress. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made ...
,
Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...
and
Strawberry Alarm Clock Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock band formed in 1967, originating in Glendale, California, a city about ten miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The band is best known for its 1967 hit single " Incense and Peppermints." Their music ...
.
Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...
and
The Lemonheads The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tours as an indep ...
recorded "Frank Mills", and
Andrea McArdle Andrea McArdle (born November 5, 1963) is an American singer and actress best known for originating the role of Annie in the Broadway musical '' Annie''. Career McArdle appeared on '' Al Alberts Showcase'', a local televised talent show in Phila ...
,
Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet " Up Where We Belong", and in 1987 fo ...
and
Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; 11 February 1941 – 5 September 2024) was a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his band Brasil '66. He released 35 albums and was known for playing bossa nova, often mixed with funk. He ...
each made versions of "Easy to Be Hard".
Run DMC Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jam Master Jay, Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as ...
sampled "Where Do I Go" on its 1993 single " Down with the King", which went to on the ''Billboard'' rap chart and reached the top 25 in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. ''Hair'' helped launch the recording careers of Meat Loaf, Dobie Gray, Jennifer Warnes,
Jobriath Bruce Wayne Campbell (December 14, 1946 – August 3, 1983), known by his stage name Jobriath, was an American rock musician and actor. He was the first openly gay rock musician to be signed to a major record label and one of the first internatio ...
,
Bert Sommer Bert Sommer (February 7, 1949 – July 23, 1990) was an American folk singer and songwriter. He appeared in the musical ''Hair'' and at the Woodstock Festival, and he released several albums as a singer-songwriter. Early life Sommer was born in ...
, Ronnie Dyson, Donna Summer and Melba Moore. In 2004 "Aquarius", from the 1979 film version, was number 33 on AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs.


Early critical reception

Reception of ''Hair''s Broadway premiere was overwhelmingly positive.
Clive Barnes Clive Alexander Barnes (13 May 1927 – 19 November 2008) was an English writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977, he was the dance and theater critic for ''The New York Times'', and, from 1978 until his death, the ''New York Post''. Barnes had sign ...
wrote in ''The New York Times'': "I think it is simply that it is so likable. So new, so fresh, and so unassuming, even in its pretensions." John J. O'Connor of ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' said the show was "exuberantly defiant and the production explodes into every nook and cranny of the Biltmore Theater". Richard Watts Jr. of the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' wrote that "it has a surprising if perhaps unintentional charm, its high spirits are contagious, and its young zestfulness makes it difficult to resist." Allan Jeffreys of ABC TV said the actors were "the most talented hippies you'll ever see ... directed in a wonderfully wild fashion by Tom O'Horgan." Leonard Probst of
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
said "''Hair'' is the only new concept in musicals on Broadway in years and it's more fun than any other this season". John Wingate of WOR TV praised MacDermot's "dynamic score" that "blasts and soars", and Len Harris of
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
said "I've finally found the best musical of the Broadway season ... it's that sloppy, vulgar, terrific tribal love rock musical ''Hair''." A dissenting review in ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' called the show "loony" and "without a story, form, music, dancing, beauty or artistry. ... It's impossible to tell whether he cast hastalent. Maybe talent is irrelevant in this new kind of show business." In ''Newsweek'',
Jack Kroll John Kroll (''ca.'' 1926 – June 8, 2000) was an American drama and film critic. His career at ''Newsweek'' spanned 37 years—more than half the publication's existence. Biography Kroll was born in Manhattan. His mother was an Earl Carroll sho ...
wrote, "There is no denying the sheer kinetic drive of this new ''Hair'' ... there is something hard, grabby, slightly corrupt about O'Horgan's virtuosity, like
Busby Berkeley Berkeley William Enos, (November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) known professionally as Busby Berkeley, was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geo ...
gone bitchy." A ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' critic wrote that although the show "thrums with vitality,
t is T, or t, is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is d ...
crippled by being a bookless musical and, like a boneless fish, it drifts when it should swim." When ''Hair'' opened in London, critic
Irving Wardle John Irving Wardle (20 July 1929 – 23 February 2023) was an English theatre critic and author. He wrote about theatre for ''The Observer'' from 1959 to 1963, for ''The Times'' from 1963 to 1989, and for ''The Independent on Sunday'' from 1989 ...
of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' wrote, "Its honesty and passion give it the quality of a true theatrical celebration—the joyous sound of a group of people telling the world exactly what they feel." In the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'', B. A. Young wrote that ''Hair'' was "not only a wildly enjoyable evening, but a thoroughly moral one." In his final review before retiring, 78-year-old W. A. Darlington of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' wrote that he had "tried hard" but found the evening "a complete bore—noisy, ugly and quite desperately funny". Of such critiques, Miller wrote in 2001, "some people can't see past the appearance of chaos and randomness to the brilliant construction and sophisticated imagery underneath", adding, "Not only did many of the lyrics not rhyme, but many of the songs didn't really have endings, just a slowing down and stopping, so the audience didn't know when to applaud. ... The show rejected every convention of Broadway ndof traditional theatre."


Social change

''Hair'' challenged many of the norms of Western society in 1968. The name itself was a reaction to the restrictions of civilization and consumerism and a preference for naturalism. Rado recalled that long hair "was a visible form of awareness in the consciousness expansion. The longer the hair got, the more expansive the mind was. Long hair was shocking, and it was a revolutionary act to grow long hair. It was kind of a flag, really."Rizzo, Frank (August 31, 2008)
"''Hair'': Reviving the Revolution"
. ''Hartford Courant'', courant.com. Retrieved on November 9, 2013 (subscription required)
The musical caused controversy. It was the first time a Broadway show had seen totally naked performers, and the show was charged with the desecration of the American flag and the use of
obscene language An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...
. These controversies, and the anti-Vietnam War theme, attracted occasional threats and violence during the show's early years and became the basis for legal actions. Two cases eventually reached the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
. In Indiana cities, the producers were either refused booking, had difficulty securing a theater,Hair Ruffles Officials In Ind'p'ls; South Bend Nix, Evansville Maybe
". ''Variety'' (michaelbutler.com). June 26, 1968. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
or the production was picketed by church groups. Productions in the U.S. were frequently confronted with the closure of theaters by the
fire marshal A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a state, provincial or territorial government, but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include ...
.
Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
's 1972 refusal to allow ''Hair'' to play at the city-owned Memorial Auditorium was later found by the Supreme Court to be an unlawful
prior restraint Prior restraint (also referred to as prior censorship or pre-publication censorship) is censorship imposed, usually by a government or institution, on expression, that prohibits particular instances of expression. It is in contrast to censorship ...
. Legal challenges against the Boston production were appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Chief of the Licensing Bureau said, "anyone who desecrates the flag should be whipped on
Boston Common The Boston Common is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by five major Boston streets: Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charl ...
."Livingston, Guy (April 15, 1970).
Nudity and Flag "Desecration" Figure In Appeal Against Hair Foldo in Hub
". ''Variety'' (michaelbutler.com). Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
Although the scene was removed before opening, the
District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
alleged that "lewd and lascivious" actions were taking place onstage. ''Hair'' obtained an
injunction An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable rem ...
from the Superior Court against criminal prosecution, and the D.A. appealed to the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously fu ...
. At the request of both parties, several of the justices viewed the production; the court ruled that "the cast ustbe clothed to a reasonable extent." The cast defiantly played the scene nude later that night, saying the ruling was vague about when it took effect. The next day, the production closed. After a Federal
appellate In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...
bench reversed the Massachusetts court's ruling, the D.A. appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 4–4 decision, the Court upheld the reversal, allowing ''Hair'' to reopen.Supreme Court Clears ''Hair'' for Boston Run
". ''The New York Times'': p. 26. May 23, 1970. Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
A 1969
Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...
, Mexico, production played for one night. The theater, across the street from a popular bordello, was padlocked by the government, which called the production "detrimental to the morals of youth". The cast was arrested and agreed to leave the country, but because of legal complications they went into hiding.Johnson, p. 43 They were expelled from Mexico days later. In
Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...
, Norway, citizens formed a human barricade to try to prevent the performance. In
St. Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
, Minnesota, a protesting clergyman released mice in the lobby, hoping to frighten the audience.
Jim Lovell James Arthur Lovell Jr. ( ; born March 25, 1928) is an American retired astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he became, with Frank Borman and William Anders, one of the fi ...
and
Jack Swigert John Leonard Swigert Jr. (August 30, 1931 – December 27, 1982) was an American NASA astronaut, test pilot, mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, United States Air Force pilot, and politician. In April 1970, as command module pilot of A ...
, after naming
Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo program, Apollo space program and would have been the third Moon landing. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the landing was abort ...
's
lunar module The Apollo Lunar Module (LM ), originally designated the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), was the lunar lander spacecraft that was flown between lunar orbit and the Moon's surface during the United States' Apollo program. It was the first crewed s ...
"Aquarius" after the song, walked out of the production at the Biltmore in protest of perceived anti-Americanism and disrespect of the flag. In April 1971, a bomb was thrown at ''Hair'''s theater in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, Ohio, bouncing off the marquee; the blast shattered windows in the building and nearby storefronts. The same month, the families of a cast member and the stage manager died in a fire in the Cleveland hotel where members of the show's troupe were staying. The
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia, production's opening night was interrupted by a bomb scare in 1969. ''Hair'' effectively marked the end of stage
censorship in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom censorship has been applied to various forms of expression such as the media, cinema, entertainment venues, literature, theatre and criticism of the monarchy. While there is no general right to free speech in the UK, since ...
.Lewis, Anthony (September 29, 1968).
Londoners Cool to ''Hairs Nudity; Four-Letter Words Shock Few at Musical's Debut
". ''The New York Times'': p. 76. Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
London's stage censor, the
Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Monarchy of the United Ki ...
, refused to license the musical, and the opening was delayed until Parliament passed a bill stripping his licensing power. San Francisco's large hippie population considered the show an extension of their street activities, blurring the barrier between art and life by frequently meditating with the cast and joining them onstage during the show. 18-year-old
Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King ...
danced onstage in London. In Munich, authorities threatened to close the production if the nude scene remained, but after a ''Hair'' spokesman said his relatives had been marched nude into
Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...
, the authorities relented. The Paris production encountered little controversy, nudity being common onstage in Paris. But even in Paris there was occasional opposition, as when a member of the
Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
used a portable loudspeaker to exhort the audience to halt the presentation.


Subsequent productions


1970s to 1990s

The first college production took place in 1970 at
Memphis State University The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...
, Tennessee, directed by Keith Kennedy. The cast participated in the Atlanta International Pop Festival in 1970.
WMC-TV WMC-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power broadcasting#Television, low-power Telemundo affiliate WTME-LD (channel 14). The two stations s ...
produced a 1971 documentary chronicling the production. In 1977, a Broadway revival of ''Hair'' produced by Michael Butler and directed by O'Horgan ran for 43 performances at the Biltmore Theater. The cast included
Ellen Foley Ellen Foley (born June 5, 1951) is an American singer and actress who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the hit NBC sitcom '' Night Court'' during its second season. In music, she has released five solo albums, bu ...
,
Annie Golden Annie Golden (born October 19, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She first came to prominence as the lead singer of the punk band the Shirts from 1975 to 1981 with whom she recorded three albums. She began her acting career as Mother in ...
,
Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of ''Dreamgirls'' (1981), Gloria Mat ...
, Cleavant Derricks and
Kristen Vigard Kristen Vigard (born May 15, 1963) is an American actress and singer. She is known for being the first actress to play the title role in '' Annie'' in its pre-Broadway run and for her two-year run as Morgan Richards on ''Guiding Light'' (1980–8 ...
. Reviews were generally negative, and critics accused the musical of "showing its gray". A 1985 production in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
was reportedly the 70th professional production. A 20th-anniversary benefit concert was held in May 1988 at the
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...
. The event was sponsored by First Lady
Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress who was the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989, as the second wife of President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in ...
and introduced by
Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters (September 25, 1929December 30, 2022) was an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, she appeared as a host of numerous television programs, ...
.Horn, pp. 118–20 Rado, Ragni and MacDermot reunited to write nine new songs for the concert. The cast of 163 included former stars from productions around the globe, Moore, Vereen, Williams and Summer, as well as guest performers
Bea Arthur Beatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress, comedienne and singer. She began her career on stage in 1947, attracting critical acclaim before achieving worldwide recognition for her work o ...
,
Frank Stallone Francesco Stallone Jr. (born July 30, 1950) is an American actor and musician. He is the younger brother of actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone and has written music for Sylvester's movies. His song " Far from Over" appeared in the 1983 film ...
and
Dr. Ruth Westheimer Karola Ruth Westheimer (née Siegel; June 4, 1928 – July 12, 2024), better known as Dr. Ruth, was a German and American sex therapist and talk show host. Westheimer was born in Germany to a Jewish family. As the Nazis came to power, her paren ...
. Ticket prices ranged from $250 to $5,000, and the proceeds went to the United States Committee for
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
and the Creo Society's Fund for Children with AIDS. In November 1988, Butler produced ''Hair'' at Chicago's Vic Theater. The production was well received and ran until February 1989. From 1990 to 1991, Pink Lace Productions ran a U.S. national tour of ''Hair''. A 1990 "bus and truck" production toured Europe for over 3 years.Gowan, Anne (March 6, 1994)
"''Hair'' Today"
. ''The Washington Times'' (michaelbutler.com). Retrieved April 11, 2008
Even after Ragni died in 1991, MacDermot and Rado continued to write new songs for revivals through the 1990s. ''Hair Sarajevo, AD 1992'' was staged during the
siege of Sarajevo The siege of Sarajevo () was a prolonged military blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the ethnically charged Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by Serbian forces of the Yugoslav People's Arm ...
as an appeal for peace. Rado directed a US national 25th-anniversary tour in 1994 featuring actor Luther Creek; MacDermot returned to oversee the music. Rado also directed various European productions from 1995 to 1999. A production ran in Australia in 1992, and a London revival starring John Barrowman and Paul Hipp opened at the Old Vic in 1993, directed by Michael Bogdanov. A ''Guardian'' review suggested that its failure stemmed from a cast of "Margaret Thatcher, Thatcher's children who didn't really get it". South African productions began only after the eradication of apartheid. In 1996, Butler staged a revival in Chicago, concurrent with the 1996 Democratic National Convention, echoing the last time the DNC was in Chicago: 1968 Democratic National Convention, 1968. A 30th-anniversary Off-off Broadway production was staged at Third Eye Repertory, directed by Shawn Rozsa.


2000s and 2010s

In 2001, Reprise Theatre Company in Los Angeles performed ''Hair'' at the Wadsworth Theatre, starring Steven Weber (actor), Steven Weber as Berger, Sam Harris (singer), Sam Harris as Claude and Jennifer Leigh Warren as Sheila. ''Encores!'' presented a 2001 production at City Center, starring Luther Creek, Idina Menzel and Tom Plotkin, with MacDermot playing the keyboards. An Actors' Fund benefit of the show was performed for one night at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City in 2004. In 2005, a London production opened at the Gate Theatre (London), Gate Theatre, directed by Daniel Kramer. Rado approved an updating of the musical's script to place it in the context of the Iraq War. In Kramer's modernized interpretation, the nudity called to mind images from Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse, Abu Ghraib. In 2006, Rado collaborated with director Robert Prior on a CanStage production in Toronto. A revival produced by Pieter Toerien toured South Africa in 2007, directed by Paul Warwick Griffin. From September to December 2007, ''Hair'' ran at the MET Theatre in Los Angeles, produced by Butler and directed and choreographed by Bo Crowell, with musical direction by Christian Nesmith. It won the LA Weekly Theater Award for Musical of the Year. For three nights in September 2007, Joe's Pub and the
Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: A ...
presented a 40th-anniversary production at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This concert version, directed by Diane Paulus, featured MacDermot on keyboards and starred Jonathan Groff as Claude, Karen Olivo as Sheila and Will Swenson (actor), Will Swenson as Berger. Actors from the original Broadway production joined the cast onstage during the encore of "Let the Sun Shine In". Demand for the show was extraordinary. The Public presented a fully staged production of ''Hair'' at the Delacorte from July to September 2008. Paulus again directed, with choreography by Karole Armitage. Groff and Swenson returned as Claude and Berger, with others from the concert cast. Caren Manuel, Caren Lyn Manuel played Sheila, and Christopher Hanke, Christopher J. Hanke replaced Groff as Claude on August 17. Reviews were generally positive, with Ben Brantley of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' writing, "this production establishes the show as more than a vivacious period piece". ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine wrote: "''Hair'' ... has been reinvigorated and reclaimed as one of the great milestones in musical-theatre history. ... Today ''Hair'' seems, if anything, more daring than ever."


2009 Broadway revival and 2010 U.S. national tour

The Public Theater production transferred to Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, beginning previews on March 6, 2009, with an official opening on March 31, 2009. Paulus and Armitage again directed and choreographed, and most of the cast returned from the production in the park. A pre-performance ticket lottery was held nightly for $25 box-seat tickets. The opening cast included Gavin Creel as Claude, Swenson as Berger, Caissie Levy as Sheila, Megan Lawrence as Mother and Sasha Allen as Dionne. Designers included Scott Pask (sets), Michael McDonald (costume designer), Michael McDonald (costumes), Kevin Adams (lighting), and Acme Sound Partners (sound). Critical response was almost uniformly positive. The ''New York Daily News'' praised the direction, "colorfully kinetic" choreography and technical features, writing, "as a smile-inducing celebration of life and freedom, [''Hair'' is] highly communicable" and warning: "If you're seated on the aisle, count on [the cast] to be in your face or your lap". The ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' wrote of the "triumphant" production: These days, the nation is fixated less on war and more on the economy. As a result, the scenes that resonate most are the ones in which the kids exultantly reject the rat race." ''Variety'' enthused, "Paulus and her prodigiously talented cast ... cut right to the 1967 rock musical's heart, generating tremendous energy. ... If this explosive production doesn't stir something in you ... check your pulse." ''The Boston Globe'' dissented, saying the revival "felt canned" and "overblown" and "feels unbearably naive and unforgivably glib". Ben Brantley, writing for ''The New York Times'', reflected the majority: The Public Theater struggled to raise the budget for the Broadway transfer. Paulus helped keep costs low by using an inexpensive set, and the show sold well. On April 30, 2009, on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'', the cast recreated a performance on the same stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater by the original tribe. The production won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical. By August, the revival had recouped its $5,760,000 investment, becoming one of the fastest-recouping musicals in Broadway history. Its cast album was nominated for the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album."Review Roundup: HAIR National Tour"
. BroadwayWorld.com, March 10, 2011
When the Broadway cast transferred to London for the 2010 West End revival, a mostly new tribe took over on Broadway on March 9, 2010, including Ace Young as Berger, Diana DeGarmo as Sheila, Kyle Riabko as Claude, Annaleigh Ashford as Jeanie and Vanessa Ray as Chrissie. Rachel Bay Jones later played Mother and other roles. Sales decreased, and the revival closed on June 27, 2010, after 29 previews and 519 regular performances. A U.S. national tour of the production began on October 21, 2010, starring Steel Burkhardt as Berger, Paris Remillard as Claude and Caren Lyn Tackett as Sheila. The tour received mostly positive reviews. The show returned to Broadway at the St. James Theatre from July 5 to September 10, 2011. After that, the tour resumed, ending on January 29, 2012.


2010 West End revival

The 2009 Broadway production was duplicated at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End theatre, West End. Previews began on April 1, 2010, with an official opening on April 14. The producers were the Public Theater, together with Cameron Mackintosh and Broadway Across America. Nearly all of the New York cast relocated, but Luther Creek played Woof. The revival closed on September 4, 2010. A review by Michael Billington (critic), Michael Billington of ''The Guardian'' described it as "a vibrant, joyous piece of living theatre", writing, "it celebrates a period when the joy of life was pitted against the forces of intolerance and the death-dealing might of the military–industrial complex." Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, Charles Spencer in ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' agreed: "This is a timely and irresistibly vital revival of the greatest of all rock musicals." Michael Coveney of ''The Independent'' wrote that ''Hair'' is "one of the great musicals of all time, and a phenomenon that, I'm relieved to discover, stands up as a period piece". In ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', Benedict Nightingale commented that "it's exhilarating, as well as oddly poignant, when a multihued cast ... race downstage while delivering that tuneful salute to an age of Aquarius that still refuses to dawn."


2014–present

In August 2014, ''Hair'' returned for a three-night engagement at the Hollywood Bowl. Directed by Adam Shankman, the cast included Kristen Bell as Sheila, Hunter Parrish as Claude, Benjamin Walker (actor), Benjamin Walker as Berger, Amber Riley as Dionne, Jenna Ushkowitz as Jeanie, Sarah Hyland as Crissy, Mario (American singer), Mario as Hud, and Beverly D'Angelo and Kevin Chamberlin as Claude's parents. A 2016 production in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, England, at the Hope Mill Theatre, directed by Jonathan O'Boyle, starring Robert Metson as Claude, Laura Johnson as Sheila and Ryan Anderson as Berger, earned positive reviews. In 2017, the musical's 50th anniversary, the staging was repeated Off West End at The Vaults theatre in London, with Metson and Johnson repeating their roles and Andy Coxon as Berger. The production won the WhatsOnStage Awards, WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off-West End Production. A UK national tour of the production began in March 2019, starring Jake Quickenden as Berger, Daisy Wood-Davis as Sheila, Paul Wilkins as Claude and Marcus Collins as Hud.


International success

''Hair'' has been performed in most countries. After the Berlin Wall fell, the show traveled for the first time to Poland, Lebanon, the Czech Republic and Sarajevo (featured on ABC's Nightline (US news program), ''Nightline'', when Phil Alden Robinson visited in 1996 and discovered a production of ''Hair'' there in the midst of the war). In 1999, Butler and director Bo Crowell helped produce ''Hair'' in Russia at the Stas Namin Theatre in Moscow's Gorky Park (Moscow), Gorky Park. The production caused a similar reaction as the original did 30 years earlier because Russian soldiers were fighting in Chechnya at the time. Rado wrote in 2003 that the only places where the show had not been performed were "China, India, Vietnam, the Arctic and Antarctic continents as well as most African countries." Since then, an Indian production has been mounted.


Adaptations


Film

A musical film, musical Hair (film), film adaptation was released in 1979. Directed by Miloš Forman with choreography by Twyla Tharp and a screenplay by Michael Weller, the film stars John Savage (actor), John Savage, Treat Williams and Beverly D'Angelo, with Golden, Moore, Dyson, Foley, Dorsey Wright, Don Dacus, Nell Carter and Cheryl Barnes. It was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globes: Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor, New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture (for Williams), and Forman was nominated for a César Award for Best Foreign Film, César Award.Horn, pp. 117–18 Several songs were deleted, and the film's more conventionally romantic storyline departs greatly from the musical. Claude is rewritten as an innocent draftee from Oklahoma, newly arrived in New York to join the military, and Sheila is a high-society debutante who catches his eye. The friendly tribe adopts the farm boy in
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
and, led by Berger, tries to facilitate the romance. During Claude's basic training, they bring Sheila for a tryst with Claude, substituting Berger in his barracks wearing Claude's dogtags. A mistake leads Berger to be taken to Vietnam in Claude's place, where he is killed. While the film received generally positive reviews, Ragni and Rado said its comic portrayal of the tribe failed to capture the essence of ''Hair'' by portraying hippies as "oddballs" without any connection to the peace movement.


Popular culture

''The New York Times'' noted in 2007 that "''Hair'' was one of the last Broadway musicals to saturate the culture as shows from the golden age once regularly did." Songs from the musical have been featured in films and television episodes. For example, in the 2005 film ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'', the character Willy Wonka welcomed the children with lyrics from "Good Morning Starshine". "Aquarius" was performed in the final episode of ''Laverne and Shirley'' in 1983, where the character Carmine moves to New York City and auditions for ''Hair''. "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In" was also performed in the final scene in the film ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'',Lustig, Jay
"''Hair'': 20 covers by pop and rock artists of songs from the musical"
NJ Arts, October 15, 2023
and Three Dog Night's recording of "Easy to Be Hard" was featured in David Fincher's film Zodiac (film), ''Zodiac''. On ''The Simpsons'' episode "The Springfield Files", townspeople sing "Good Morning Starshine". The episode "Hairography" of ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' includes a mash-up of the songs "Hair" and "Crazy in Love (Beyoncé Knowles song), Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé. ''Head of the Class'' featured a two-part episode in 1990, titled "Hair to Eternity", in which the head of the English department is determined to disrupt the school's performance of ''Hair''. ''Hair'' continues to be a popular choice for high-school, university, and amateur productions. In 2002, Peter Jennings featured a Boulder, Colorado, high-school production in his ABC documentary series ''In Search of America''. A 2006 community theater production in Red Bank, New Jersey, was singled out by Butler as "one of the best ''Hair''s I have seen in a long time." A production by Mountain Play Association, Mountain Play ran at the 4,000-seat Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre in Mount Tamalpais State Park in Mill Valley, California, in 2007.


Legacy

''Hair'' was Broadway's "first fully realized" concept musical, a form that dominated the musical theatre of the seventies.Horn, pp. 127–29 While the development of the concept musical was an unexpected consequence of ''Hair'' tenure on Broadway, the expected rock music revolution on Broadway turned out to be less than complete. MacDermot followed ''Hair'' with three successive rock scores: ''Two Gentlemen of Verona'' (1971); ''Dude (musical), Dude'' (1972), a second collaboration with Ragni; and ''Via Galactica'' (1972). While ''Two Gentlemen of Verona'' found receptive audiences and a Tony for Best Musical, ''Dude'' failed after just sixteen performances, and ''Via Galactica'' flopped after a month.Horn, pp. 131–32 According to Horn, these and other such "failures may have been the result of producers simply relying on the label 'rock musical' to attract audiences without regard to the quality of the material presented". By the late 1970s, the genre had played itself out. Audience tastes in the 1980s turned to megamusicals with pop scores. Some later rock musicals, such as ''Rent (musical), Rent'' (1996) and ''Spring Awakening (musical), Spring Awakening'' (2006), as well as jukebox musicals featuring rock music, like ''We Will Rock You (musical), We Will Rock You'' (2002) and ''Rock of Ages (musical), Rock of Ages'' (2009), have found success. But the rock musical did not quickly come to dominate the musical theatre stage after ''Hair''. Critic
Clive Barnes Clive Alexander Barnes (13 May 1927 – 19 November 2008) was an English writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977, he was the dance and theater critic for ''The New York Times'', and, from 1978 until his death, the ''New York Post''. Barnes had sign ...
commented: "No major rock musician ever did a rock score for Broadway. ... ''Tommy (rock opera), Tommy'' ... was never conceived as a Broadway show. ... And one can see why. There's so much more money in records and rock concerts." The continued popularity of ''Hair'' in the 21st century is seen in its number ten ranking in a 2006 BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "[United Kingdom]'s Number One Essential Musicals". On the other hand, ''Hair'' had a profound effect not only on what was acceptable on Broadway, but as part of the very social movements that it celebrated. For example, in 1970, Butler, Castelli and the various ''Hair'' casts contributed to fundraising for the World Assembly of Youth.Teltsch, Kathleen
"Youth Assembly Finds an Angel on Broadway"
, ''The New York Times'', May 19, 1970. Retrieved on November 9, 2013
The Assembly enabled 750 young representatives from around the world to meet in New York in July 1970 to discuss social issues.
. Press release, June 1970, accessed April 19, 2011
For about a week, cast members worldwide collected donations at every show for the fund. ''Hair'' raised around $250,000 and ended up being the principal financier of the Assembly.Johnson, pp. 84–85 Cast and crew also contributed a day's pay, and Butler contributed a day's profits from these productions. Moreover, as Ellen Stewart, founder of La MaMa E. T. C., noted:


Awards and nominations


Original Broadway production


2009 Broadway revival


See also

*List of plays with anti-war themes *List of anti-war songs


References

Notes Bibliography * Davis, Lorrie and Rachel Gallagher. ''Letting Down My Hair: Two Years with the Love Rock Tribe'' (1973) A. Fields Books * Horn, Barbara Lee. ''The Age of Hair: Evolution and the Impact of Broadway's First Rock Musical'' (New York, 1991) * Johnson, Jonathon. ''Good Hair Days: A Personal Journey with the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical Hair'' (iUniverse, 2004) * Miller, Scott. ''Let the Sun Shine In: The Genius of Hair'' (Heinemann, 2003) * Wollman, Elizabeth Lara, ''The Theatre Will Rock: A History of the Rock Musical from Hair to Hedwig'' (University of Michigan Press, 2006)


External links

* * *
The ''HAIR'' Archives
at Michael Butler.com, curator Nina Machlin Dayton, containing numerous historical documents about the musical
Official ''HAIR'' blog from Michael Butler
the musical's original producer

* [https://galtmacdermot.com/hair.html Galt MacDermot ''Hair'' website]
''HAIR'' Pages
(1995–2009 archive) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hair (Musical) 1967 musicals Broadway musicals Hippie movement Nudity in theatre and dance Anti-war musicals Counterculture of the 1960s Off-Broadway musicals Original musicals West End musicals Musicals set in New York City Musicals set in the United States Musicals set in the 1960s Musicals by Galt MacDermot Sexual revolution American rock musicals Tony Award–winning musicals Obscenity controversies in theatre