With a score including such enduring musical numbers as "Let the Sunshine In," "Aquarius," "Hair" and "Good Morning Starshine," Hair depicts the the birth of a cultural movement in the 60's and 70's that changed America forever: the musical follows a group of hopeful, free-spirited young people who advocate a lifestyle of pacifism and free-love in a society riddled with intolerance and brutality during the Vietnam War. As they explore sexual identity, challenge racism, experiment with drugs and burn draft cards, the "tribe" in Hair creates an irresistable message of 'hope' that continues to resonate with audiences 40 years later.
This acclaimed production played Central Park last summer.
With its alfresco setting and the penetrating echoes of its countercultural themes during an election year in which political disenchantment became endemic, the Public Theater's revival of 'Hair' last summer in Central Park was a unique experience. So shifting it indoors could only dim the thrill, right? Wrong. The enhanced production now at the Al Hirschfeld is sharper, fuller and even more emotionally charged. Director Diane Paulus and her prodigiously talented cast connect with the material in ways that cut right to the 1967 rock musical's heart, generating tremendous energy that radiates to the rafters.'
The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park revival of 'Hair' has moved to Broadway, restaged and recast but identical in spirit to the outdoor version that I saw in Central Park last August. The direction and choreography, by Diane Paulus and Karole Armitage, are as festive as ever, and the onstage band is still lava-hot, especially Bernard Purdie on drums. The show itself, alas, is also unchanged: The first act is lively but smug, the second act a hopelessly incoherent mess, and Galt MacDermot's once-revolutionary music now sounds like a medley of moldering AM-radio promos. As before, everyone in the cast strips, some to better effect than others. Senescent dopers need not hesitate, but everyone else should approach 'Hair' with extreme caution.
1967 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
1968 | Broadway |
Broadway Transfer Broadway |
1968 | West End |
London Production West End |
1969 | Australia |
Australian Production Australia |
1977 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
1993 | West End |
London Revival West End |
2001 | Off-Broadway |
Encores! Concert Off-Broadway |
2004 | Broadway |
Actors' Fund Concert Broadway |
2005 | London Fringe |
London Revival London Fringe |
2008 | Off-Broadway |
Shakespeare In The Park Revival Off-Broadway |
2009 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2010 | West End |
London Revival West End |
2010 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
2011 | Broadway |
National Tour [Broadway Return Engagement] Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Hair |
2009 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Will Swenson |
2009 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Karole Armitage |
2009 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Michael McDonald |
2009 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Diane Paulus |
2009 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Bryce Ryness |
2009 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design of a Musical | Scott Pask |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Karole Armitage |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Diane Paulus |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Kevin Adams |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | 0 |
2009 | The Hewes Awards | Lighting Design | Kevin Adams |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Karole Armitage |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Michael McDonald |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Diane Paulus |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Kevin Adams |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Will Swenson |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Gavin Creel |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Jam Theatricals |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The Public Theater |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Elizabeth Ireland McCann |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Joey Parnes |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Jujamcyn Theaters |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The Weinstein Company/Norton Herrick |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Andrew D. Hamingson |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Andy Sandberg |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | JK Productions/Terry Schnuck |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Barbara Manocherian/Wencarlar Productions |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Broadway Across America |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Marc Frankel |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Fran Kirmser Productions/Jed Bernstein |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Nederlander Productions, Inc. |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Kathleen K. Johnson |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Gary Goddard Entertainment |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Jerry Frankel |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Jeffrey Richards |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Acme Sound Partners |
2009 | Tony Awards | Revival (Musical) | Oskar Eustis |
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