Hair (musical)

Hair, subtitled The American Tribal Love/Rock Musical, is a musical about hippies and was a significant part of the drug, music and peace-love culture of the 1960s. It is renowned for originally being performed with all the players totally naked in some scenes. It was written by James Rado and Gerome Ragni (lyrics), and Galt MacDermot (music). The original cast previewed a few performances at a go-go club called The Cheetah. It premiered off-Broadway, with much fanfare, as the inaugural performance of the Public Theater, on October 17, 1967, and moved to the Biltmore Theater on Broadway on April 29 1968 where it stayed for 1,472 performances. It opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London on September 27 1968, continuing for 1,998 performances until closure was forced by the roof collapsing in July 1973. It went on to stage productions across the world and continues to be performed today.

Later productions

• James Rado has given his blessing to an updating of the musical's script to place it in the context of the 2003 Gulf War instead of the Vietnam war. The new show is due to open at the Gate Theatre, London in September 2005.
• Original producer Michael Butler is helping New York City's LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts launch a production of Hair December 8-11, 2005 and December 16-17, 2005. See the LaGuardia website for details.