HAIR's Oliver Tobias and Paul Nicholas Set for Help For Heroes Event, July 1

Oliver Tobias and Paul Nicholas - two of the original stars of the musical Hair when it premiered in the West End in 1968 - are to make guest appearances in a celebrity-packed fundraiser performance of the musical in the West End for the Help For Heroes charity on Sunday July 1.

Tobias (the originAl Berger) and Nicholas (Claude) will take to the stage with Zoe Birkett, George Maguire and Amy Diamond and the rest of the 2012 cast.

More surprise guests are due to be announced for the production, which is being presented at the Piccadilly Theatre after a sold-out season in Europe by Gary Lloyd (Director and Choreographer of the worldwide stage hit Thriller – Live and the just-announced Top of the Pops LIVE stage show).

The cast of Hair includes Zoe Birkett as Dionne. A finalist in Pop Idol, she has appeared in the West End in Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical and Thriller - Live. George Maguire is Berger. He recently starred in Thrill Me and 20th Century Boy, in which he starred as Marc Bolan. Amy Diamond is Sheila. She was a finalist in BBC1's Over The Rainbow and will next to be seen as Sue in Dreamboats and Petticoats.

More than 40 years since it opened on Broadway, Hair, with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, remains one of the most successful rock shows ever. Its many hit songs include Aquarius, I Got Life, Let The Sun Shine In, and Good Morning Starshine; it feature an infamous nude scene that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on stage; and a political message that resonates as much today as it did in the 60s.

Hair tells the story of Claude, a hippie living a life of self exploration, meditation, peace and most certainly love. He and his tribe resist the looming draft and spend much of their time in passionate protest against the Vietnam war and for human rights, equality and freedom. Set in New York City in 1967, we join Claude and the tribe as they introduce us to their world through some of the most infectious songs ever written for musical theatre.

Gary said, "I am very proud to be putting on this event in support of such an amazing and relevant charity. HAIR has become a part of all our lives and discovering what these people went through has been a mindblowing journey of discovery. The issues that arise within the piece are still hugely prevalent today so since it was created, there has never been a better time to do HAIR. The Help For Heroes charity do amazing work and we are honoured to be a part of supporting them with such an incredible piece. This also promises to be the most exciting night in the theatrical calendar so far this year!"

Hair premiered Off-Broadway in October 1967 then ran for 1,750 performances on Broadway. Hair opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London on September 27, 1968 with the same creative team as the Broadway production. The opening night was delayed until the abolition of theatre censorship in England under the Theatres Act 1968. The original London tribe included Sonja Kristina, Paul Nicholas, Melba Moore, Elaine Paige, Paul Korda, Marsha Hunt, Floella Benjamin, Alex Harvey, Oliver Tobias, Richard O'Brien and Tim Curry. Hair's London run surpassed the Broadway production, running for 1,997 performances until its closure was forced by the roof of the theatre collapsing in July 1973.

HAIR will play the Piccadilly Theatre, located at 16 Denman Street, London, W1D 7DY, on July 1, at 7:30 p.m. with a VIP reception beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets start at £50.00 and can be purchased online here or by calling the box office at 08448 717630.

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