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The musical that created history by bringing rock 'n' roll to the theatrical stage, Hair defines the '60's generation by examining a group of young adults struggling for generational and personal identity, dealing with the Vietnam War, drugs and teenage pregnancy. Dynamic score includes "Let the Sunshine In," "Aquarius" and "Good Morning Starshine."
Music By Galt MacDermot
Lyrics By Gerome Ragni and James Rado
Book/Libretto by: Gerome Ragni and James Rado
Produced by: Michael Butler
Choreography by: Julie Arenal
Directed by: Tom O'Horgan
Type of Musical: Off-Broadway
Opened: October 29, 1967
Theatre: Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theatre
Licensing Agent: Tams-Witmark
Synopsis
In the age of Aquarius, a time of harmony and understanding, sex-Sodomy and drugs-Hashish are used as vehicles to evade reality and the establishment. Skin colors are insignificant-Colored Spade and I'm Black. Imagination-Manchester, England lends beauty to a dreary existence-Dead End. The spirit of communal living finds its expressions in yearnings-Ain't Got No, affection-I Believe in Love, common needs-Ain't Got No Grass, awareness-Air and a desire to partake-I Got Life.
George Berger sets the mood in a song about his recent banishment from high school-Goin' Down. He mocks the educational hierarchy, and is obviously delighted to be dismissed. Berger feels persecuted by society as he learns of the draft notice received by his friend, Claude. Claude, whose only valuable possession, other than his freedom, is his Hair, tells of its joys. "Give me a head of hair, long beautiful hair, shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen...let it fly in the breeze...I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy..."
Sheila, a protester from NYU who lives with Berger and Claude, aspires to spread love. In an effort to please, Sheila buys Berger a yellow satin shirt which he spurns. She feels rejected-Easy to Be Hard.
As the flower children are leaving to attend a Be-in, one girl, Crissy, alone in her thoughts, sings of a boy she once met and of her longings to meet him again-Frank Mills.
At the Be-In, the boys burn their draft cards, exhibiting devotion to peace - Be-In "Hara Krishna". Claude puts his card into the fire, changes his mind and removes it. He has ambivalent feelings about escaping the draft-Where Do I Go.
Following a group ritual, Claude arrives dressed as a gorilla. He fantasizes ways to avoid being inducted. The kids recognize there is no escape and to ease the immediate tensions, Berger passes 'joints' to all.
During a drug induced hallucination-Walking in Space, Claude visualizes George Washington retreating, Indians shooting white men, famous American characters being attacked by African Witch Doctors, Abraham Lincoln patronizing toward the slaves, followed by mass murders. After the violence, Claude sees his Mom, Dad and a Sergeant beaming with pride due to his enrollment in the Army. They fade from view, replaced by the flower children who turn into horrible monsters and start killing one another; directing their aggressive actions towards Claude-Three-Five-Zero-Zero. Two of the group, observing this scene of destruction, express their feelings about mankind in What a Piece of Work Is Man.
Claude realizes that once he is inducted into the Army, he will not be able to enjoy all of life's simple pleasures-Good Morning Starshine and The Bed. He sees life in the streets offers no more fulfillment than life in the establishment. The stripping away of his freedom leaves him a feeling of doom-Ain't Got No (Reprise). Later, Claude dressed in a military uniform, enters the sanctum of the kids, but they are unable to see him-Eyes, Look Your Last. Ultimately, Claude lies in his uniform on a black cloth in center stage-The Flesh Failures (Let the Sun Shine In). The show ends on an upbeat note, sustaining its joyous mood with the full company in Hippie Life.
As a social commentary of our times, HAIR provides an insight into the philosophy of the flower children of the 1960's. As the first and most successful of the rock musicals, HAIR provides a new element in musical theatre entertainment.
Song List
- Aquarius
- Donna
- Hashish
- Sodomy
- Colored Spade
- Manchester England
- I'm Black
- Ain't Got No
- I Believe In Love
- Ain't Got No - (reprise)
- Air
- Initials
- I Got Life
- Going Down
- Hair
- My Conviction
- Easy To Be Hard
- Don't Put It Down
- Frank Mills
- Be-In
- Where Do I Go?
- Electric Blues
- Manchester England - (reprise)
- Black Boys
- White Boys
- Walking In Space
- Abie Baby
- Three-Five-Zero-Zero
- What A Piece Of Work Is Man
- Good Morning Starshine
- Bed, The
- Flesh Failures, The (Let The Sunshine In)
Cast List
Steve Curry, Ronald Dyson, Sally Eaton, Leata Galloway, Paul Jabara, Diane Keaton, Lynn Kellogg, Melba Moore, Shelley Plimpton, James Rado, Gerome Ragni & Lamont Washington
Misc. Show Information
Opened April 29, 1968 at the Biltmore Theater and ran for 1750 performances
Hair was the 4th longest running musical of the 1960's. At one time 7 road companies were touring the U.S at one time. There was a revival of the show done in 1977 but it only ran for 1 month.
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Added: Mon Nov 27 2006
Last Modified: Sat Aug 29 2009