Did anyone see the original HAIR?

[insomniak]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:06pm

I bet it was something. *wistful sigh*

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:11pm

Yes, Insomniak, it was.

I was only a yung'un at the time; so the only two moments that stand out in my memory were 1) the Supremes takeoff where all three singers are revealed to be wearing the same dress; 2) the infamous Act I finale where--where--well, let's just say they let it "all hang out." :)

[insomniak]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:13pm

I wish I could have been there. What else was it like? The atmosphere, the energy? Did the recording do it justice or was too much lost because technology was so-so?

[WOSQ]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:27pm

Three times:
Once in Paris in French
Once in London in English
and in New York at the Biltmore in New Yawkese.
The language didn't matter as I knew the score and had an idea of the story. The Paris production which was based on the US production but not a copy had a few differences that were striking. For instance the lead singer of Aquarius was not put in a spotlight and separated out. She was in the dim light upstage at at times was part of the circle that was formed.

This was one of the defining musicals of Broadway since the score was contemporary sounding, the fourth wall was shattered and the script such as it was, dealt with very contempoary topics--the draft, Vietnam, and the sexual revolution for starters not to mention drugs. And the actors looked like us. You know, hippies.

I think the score had about half a dozen hits and none were from the cast album. Artists were chomping at the bit to record the songs. At one point there were about 10-12 companies in North America alone.

It was a crazy time and the show reflected that.

But those songs are immortal.

[A number of us would sing 'Sodomy' at the top of our drunken lungs in the middle of the night on campus. We were breathtaking. Also nuts. Like I said, it was a crazy time.]

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:34pm

You definitely HAD to be there. People running up and down the aisles before the show started handing out love flowers; the language that was used (this was a BROADWAY MUSICAL?); songs like "Frank Mills" and "Air"; they didn't dance--they CAVORTED on stage; their anger at the "older generation."

Plus, my own personal favorite, the song "Initials":

LBJ took the IRT
Down to 4th Street USA
When he got there
What did he see?
The youth of America on LSD

LBJ IRT
USA LSD

LSD LBJ
FBI CIA

FBI CIA
LSD LBJ


My gosh, Insomniak it IS coming back!

THANK You!!! :)

[insomniak]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:40pm

Retrieve more memories! Tell me about the costuming and the instumentals- they sound kinda twangy on the OBCR. And the acting and the story that was left off the recording, tell me about that too.

*sits, wide-eyed and attentive, waiting to hear more*

edit- thanks to you to, WOSQ. Updated On: 10/29/04 at 03:40 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:45pm

i was in my crib so i didn't get to see the original production but here's a cool photo of the girls from the Original Broadway Cast.

Back Row: Suzannah Norstrand, Melba Moore (Dionne), Marjorie Lipari, Lynn Kellogg (Sheila), Emmeretta Marks.

Middle Row: Natalie Mosco, Lorrie Davis, Diane Keaton

Front Row: Shelley Plimpton (Crissy), Leata Galloway

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:47pm

Here's a picture of the first replacements

Left to right: Steve Curry (who replaced Gerome Ragni as "Berger"), Diane Keaton (who replaced Lynn Kellogg as "Sheila") and rock singer Barry McGuire (who replaced James Rado as "Claude").

[WOSQ]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:53pm

Dear Wide Eyed and Attentive (Oh, I love that),

The story is pretty much what is summarized in the liner notes. There wasn't much script. There were a lot of songs.

[During 'The Flesh Failures' leading into 'Let The Sunshine In' listen carefully and you will hear Shakespeare's Romeo "Eyes look your last, Arms take your last embrace." We missed this completely in the theatre as there was so much else going on.]

The 'costumes' looked like what we were wearing on the street. The show followed fashion and then imprinted it throughout.

Buy the double album that is out now of the Off-Bway and Bway casts. The instrumentals are there.The band was on stage.

At the very end of Act One just after our hearts were broken with the lovely song 'Where Do I Go?', and then we were titlilated with naked people (except we were hippies--we'd already seen a LOT of naked people) the stage lights blacked out and a uniformed policeman was standing in the audience next to the stage. After some threatening remarks, he told people to move it, it was intermission after all. The joke was on us.

The London cast album has some songs on it that were not on the Bway album.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 3:58pm

Shelly Plimpton is the mother of actress Martha Plimpton. Martha's father is Keith Carradine who was in the show for a while. She didn't meet him for quite some time until her teens.

Shelley, long retired from acting, is or was (I forget) married to director Daniel Sullivan, Tony winner for Proof.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:06pm

interesting note about shelley plimpton: while pregnant with martha she married "hair" cast member steve curry. and her rendition of "frank mills" on the OBC is a winner. Updated On: 10/29/04 at 04:06 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:10pm

yes WOSQ that's one of the best parts of "The Flesh Failures" when the tribe sings counterpoint to what Claude is singing:

Manchester England, England
Manchester England, England
Eyes, look your last
Across the Atlantic sea
Arms, take your last embrace
And I'm a genius, genius
And lips, oh you, the doors
I believe in God
Of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
And I believe that God believes in Claude
Seal with a righteous kiss
That's me, that's me
The rest is silence
That's me
The rest is silence
The rest is silence

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:11pm

Insomniak, there wasn't much of a "story."

The basic "thread" of the piece was that a hippie had gotten drafted and had to decide whether to burn his draft card or fight in Vietnam.

But most of it was just a bitch of irrelevant sketches that poked fun at EVERYTHING in the late 1960s--

1) Abraham Lincoln being played by a BLACK WOMAN singing "Abie Baby"

2) A takeoff on The Generation Gap with THREE MEN playing "Mom"

3) The anti-pollution song "Air"

4) Racial issues were addressed by three WHITE girls singing "Black Boys" (one was Diane Keaton) followed by three BLACK girls singing "White Boys" (The Supremes Takeoff I mentioned earlier)

5) A lead character pretending to be from Manchester, UK because that's where the Beatles were from

6) The whole cast gets "stoned" on "pot" in the Second Act have a "trip" together

7) The "Love-In" when all gathered to worship peace and happiness

8 ) Midway through the First Act, the rousing title number which helped you kind of figure out exactly what these guys were trying to say

9) The "Hare Krishna" number where the whole cast swung to and through in rhythm

10) How can I have almost forgotten the stunning opener "Age of Aquarius"--it started in the aisles and moved onstage--by the time it was over, you KNEW that you weren't at HELLO, DOLLY! or FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

Insomniak, The orchestratations on the OBC are not very good. The album was recorded by RCA Victor, not exactly a expert in rock music.

At the show, the Orchestra seemed to be PART OF THE SHOW. It seemed like there was ALWAYS music being played--most scenes lead into music, like the Lincoln parady leading directly into "Abie Baby." Most of the "dialogue" scenes had underscoring, similar to most movies.

Whew! Brought back a lot of memories!!!

And by the way, the lead character decides NOT to burn his draft card. Instead, he gets a crew cut and joins the Army.

Updated On: 10/29/04 at 04:11 PM

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:19pm

Insomniak, there is a book about the original production of HAIR written by one of the original cast members:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0525630058/002-8435326-2752818?v=glance

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:28pm

i have the Broadway Deluxe Collector's Edition that includes the Original Broadway Cast Recording and the Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording. it's fascinating to compare the two and see how the show changed and transformed. by the way insomniak if you don't already have the OBC on CD get this version because the Original Broadway Cast Recording has been re-mastered and sounds superior to the CD that was released originally in 1988.

it also includes a booklet with extensive notes, anecdotes and photos from both versions of HAIR.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:34pm

The Biltmore Theatre marquee during HAIR's run. 1969.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:35pm

The script to the Off-Broadway version was published in paperback in about 1969-70. It uses the Bway logo on the cover, but that is as close as you're going to get to a published script.

The film from about 1980 is fairly faithful to the Bway script and very faithful to its spirit.

And my God, Manchester was the home of Mick "Mickey Jag" Jagger, not the Beatles. Berger had the distinct hots for Mick.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:38pm

i have the "script" of the Broadway version from Tams-Witmark Music Library. i think it's in a box somewhere. i also have the published Off-Broadway "script"... alot of changes were made to the show. Updated On: 10/29/04 at 04:38 PM

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:39pm

Duly noted, WOSQ. :)

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:45pm

i don't think the movie script is faithful at all to the original Broadway script. they're two completely different takes on the same theme.

the movie did keep the "spirit" and message of the original show, but that's where the similarities end.

in the show it's claude who goes off and dies in Vietnam, in the film Claude is enlisted but due to a cruel twist of fate (and not spoiling it for those who haven't seen the movie) he's not the one who winds up going off to war and dying.

i love the movie too though.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:51pm

I wouldn't even use the stage version of HAIR and the film version of HAIR in the same sentence--they're about alike as Shirley Temple and Hitler. :)

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:55pm

i've seen revivals of the stage version. i wasn't even born when the original was done on stage. and i own the movie on DVD and i like them both. i think both can be enjoyed on their own merits.

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 4:57pm

I did a production of Hair in which I sang "What a Piece of Work is Man." If you think watching the show is awsome, try being in a production. Literally the best experience I've ever had, ever.

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 5:04pm

From Leonard Maltin's MOVIE AND VIDEO GUIDE:

HAIR (1979) "... unfortunately, it's now a period piece and its impact considerably muffled. Story has exciting musical moments, but doesn't hang together."

2 1/2 Stars

[KarenNYC]

Posted: 10/29/04 at 5:07pm

Here's a book I highly recommend as well:

"Let The Sun Shine In: The Genius of Hair"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0325005567/ref=wl_it_dp/103-7676410-0591819?%5Fencoding=UTF8&coliid=I3LD8WWIQ1AEJX&v=glance&colid=1308LMOJ89QV7