TD and I recently went to see Hair on Broadway. I'm telling you, go see it if you can.
This revival of the 60s musical was staged last summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This year in March it moved to Broadway. We had heard good things about it from last summer, and the number that was presented at the Tonys in June on tv (pictured above) was sensational. That night Hair won the Tony for best revival of a musical, beating out Arthur Laurents' re-staging of West Side Story. I decided we should high-tail it up to the box office for tickets.
Hair was first presented off-Broadway in 1967 at the Public Theater run by Joe Papp, and moved to Broadway in 1968. The rock musical told the story of a band of anti-war hippies and included plenty of sex and drugs which was very controversial at the time. It was the precursor to later rock musicals of the era like Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar.
The colorful production up now at the Al Hirshfield Theater is infused with irresistible joy. The cast has the most tremendous energy, spinning and dancing around the stage like whirling dervishes in choreography created by Karole Armitage. The show eliminates the line between the stage and the audience so the cast is in the theater a lot dancing in the aisles and on the seats. I love the clothes from this era and the hippie costumes are an inspiration. The music is great, and of course there is all that long glorious hair waving around.
I had a long hair moment. I always wanted long hair or a pony tail for a Martha's-Vineyard-hippie/Irish poet sort of look so I did grow my hair long for a while. One day I was at the gym and a woman approached me. She said that her husband was a photographer and they were shooting pictures for stock houses. She told me that there was a demand for guys with grey hair and they would pay me to model for a session. She thought I could sign up with an agency. I didn't pursue that but I did do one shoot with them. Here is a picture:
This revival of the 60s musical was staged last summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This year in March it moved to Broadway. We had heard good things about it from last summer, and the number that was presented at the Tonys in June on tv (pictured above) was sensational. That night Hair won the Tony for best revival of a musical, beating out Arthur Laurents' re-staging of West Side Story. I decided we should high-tail it up to the box office for tickets.
Hair was first presented off-Broadway in 1967 at the Public Theater run by Joe Papp, and moved to Broadway in 1968. The rock musical told the story of a band of anti-war hippies and included plenty of sex and drugs which was very controversial at the time. It was the precursor to later rock musicals of the era like Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar.
The colorful production up now at the Al Hirshfield Theater is infused with irresistible joy. The cast has the most tremendous energy, spinning and dancing around the stage like whirling dervishes in choreography created by Karole Armitage. The show eliminates the line between the stage and the audience so the cast is in the theater a lot dancing in the aisles and on the seats. I love the clothes from this era and the hippie costumes are an inspiration. The music is great, and of course there is all that long glorious hair waving around.
I had a long hair moment. I always wanted long hair or a pony tail for a Martha's-Vineyard-hippie/Irish poet sort of look so I did grow my hair long for a while. One day I was at the gym and a woman approached me. She said that her husband was a photographer and they were shooting pictures for stock houses. She told me that there was a demand for guys with grey hair and they would pay me to model for a session. She thought I could sign up with an agency. I didn't pursue that but I did do one shoot with them. Here is a picture:
Eventually I cut my hair shorter and shorter. Someone said to me cut your hair shorter so you look younger on job interviews. Oh dear. That's not why I cut my hair, but I suppose you have to be about eighteen, or live in 1968, to pull off a pony tail.
At the end of the Broadway show the cast invites the audience up on to the stage to dance and sing to a reprise of "Hair." Everyone was on their feet for a thrilling curtain call (click on my photo to enlarge).
TD was speechless, and he's seen a lot of Broadway shows.
Let the sun shine.
2 comments:
sounds like a thrilling, life filled experience!
thanks for sharing.
I think you look absolutely gorgeous with your long hair...like a European aristocrat in Town and Country magazine who inherited a palazzo in Venice and doesn't speak a lick of inglese... Ciao! xx
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