Review - Robert Patrick Shares a Memory of Tom O'Horgan

As Broadway prepares for another mounting of Hair, the theatre community has received the sad news that the innovative director who helped make that musical such a success, Tom O'Horgan, has passed away. I asked the legendary and colorful playwright Robert Patrick to share a remembrance...

"I was present at the turning point in Tom's life. Having started at the Caffe Cino in 1963 and then having re-formed the world's ideas of movement and mounting onstage at Ellen Stewart's La Mama with Paul Foster's Tom Paine and Rochelle Owens' Futz!, and on Broadway with the Ragni/Rado/McDermott Hair, Tom was wooed and pursued to direct Jesus Christ, Superstar for Broadway. He didn't want to and called me to ask if I had a script he could return to Off-Off Broadway with. Indeed, I had. We were lounging in Tom's bedroom planning our production when Tom's roommate poked his head in the door and said there was an urgent call from the producer of Superstar. Tom turned red with anger, tossed his hair, and said, 'I'll get rid of him for once and for all.' He came back with his face gray from shock and said, 'Bob, I've got to do Superstar. You wouldn't believe the money they just offered me.'"