Broadway Cast of HAIR Readies to Open in West End

As the original Broadway cast of 'Hair' readies to begin previews at London's Gielgud Theatre on April 1, the UK's Telegraph looks at the genesis of the show and speaks to the show's producer Cameron Mackintosh on the allure the musical holds.

James Rado, who conceived and wrote 'Hair' with Gerome Ragni, reflects on how the show came to be. 'Hair', he says in the Telegraph piece, "was conceived almost in a 'missionary' spirit. 'We were aiming for Broadway because we wanted it to reach the people who were probably never in the presence of hippies. I was under the impression that most people were at home watching television and only got glimpses of these things, however the media filtered it or portrayed it. But to actually be at these places and among these people was very thrilling for us; we were really turned on by all this.'

Rado also addresses how the production, set in the turmoil of the 1960's, continues to keep its relevance, in particular the dilemma that Claude is faced with as he is drafted to the Vietnam War. Rado says, "There's more urgency to it now,' Rado says. 'We've upped the stakes a bit, in a way that makes it more relevant and more pointed, because there are still wars going on."

"'When we first put the show on a lot of it was shocking and very revolutionary and new, and that's exactly what we wanted to communicate to that audience. That shock element is no longer there, but the ecstatic element of the way the tribe exists is something to be shared now; you are there, experiencing what it was like to be there for these people. There was no drug known as Ecstasy in those days, but there was an ecstasy in the movement, and that's what comes across now.'

For Cameron Mackintosh, the story behind 'Hair' signifies a sense of idealism and utter frustration towards the status quo. He tells the Telegraph, "'The way this production has been shaped, it isn't just about the Vietnam war,' he says. 'It speaks very much to young people now, and their feeling of impotence at a time when the system set up by their elders is failing, whether it's the lack of opportunities or the wars that keep happening all over the world - and the knowledge that it's their responsibility to deal with it. It challenges young people and asks, what are you going to do now? That's what I found so contemporary about it."

To read the rest of the story in The Telegraph, click here.

'Hair' will open at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End with the original Broadway cast, with previews beginning on Thursday, April 1, 2010 and an opening night set for Wednesday, April 14th. Led by Director Diane Paulus, the complete creative team will reunite for the London production.

'Hair' will have evening performances Monday - Saturday at 7.30pm and Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Tickets are priced £17.50 - £65 and.

For more information, visit www.hairthemusical.co.uk