Do You Think Hair Will Move to Broadway? Why?

[musicalmaster703]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 4:57pm

Because I have no time and money to see it's run in the park.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:05pm

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:05pm

You don't need $$ to see it in the Park. It's free.

It certainly deserves to transfer, thought part of the mystique and charm of this production is it's presentation in the open air. This production has a young, fresh cast (one member just graduated high school) that puts the peeps in SPRING AWAKENING to shame and provides a great representation of the score.

Pro. productions of HAIR are rare in NYC...and if GYPSY can find an audience every five years...
Updated On: 7/28/08 at 05:05 PM

[winter_sky]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:14pm

I wouldn't say it puts SA to shame. Bryce Ryness and Nicole Lewis are almost 30. Groff is about 23. Caren Lyn Manuel is in her 30's. It's not exactly the same age demographic as SA where the oldest person in the OBC was 24.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:37pm

Don't forget the adults, winter_sky.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:42pm

I don't believe it will. It's a very dated piece and this production doesn't seem to connect to the piece. It's too clean of a production.

I'll repost something I posted before to put things in perspective.

"I'm reading a book called "The Assassin's Cloak" which is a collection of diary entries from many different people. In a 1971 entry, Cynthia Gladwyn, wife of a British diplomat, went to see the musical Hair in London. Here is what she wrote:

Tonight Gerry [her husband] and I went to Hair. It was ghastly. To begin with, the noise was deafening, as Gerry would sit in the front row, thinking he would not hear otherwise and wanting to see all the nudity. Then it was altogether so squalid and filthy, everybody in the cast looking unwashed and drugged, wearing grubby trendy clothes. The very first thing that happened was when one of the men on the stage made a beeline for me, removed his dirty blue jeans and said, "Lady, hold these for me." I refused to put out my hand, so he dropped them on my feet, later returning for them, when again I did not move, so Gerry had to pick them up. But the worst was when tiny white paper pellets, supposed to be snow, were showered down on to the stage and the first row of the stalls, so that we were covered with confetti which stuck in our hair and went down our necks. We arrived at the Savoy, to the acute embarrassment of Gerry, looking as though we had just been married."

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:48pm

Frankly, I just don't see why not.

[jagfkb]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:51pm

Dated? Perhaps some terms are slightly older and perhaps lesser known, but the message still rings true today. ESPECIALLY TODAY.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:58pm

This would be carrying nostalgia a bit to far.

I think a great idea would be to revive it with the original stars & call it "Hairless".

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 5:59pm

I saw the original "Hair" and my brother - bless him - took me to Woodstock. One of the two was the real thing. The other was Kraft cheese. I leave it to you to decipher my meaning.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 6:01pm

The audience didn't seem to care that it was dated the other night.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 6:19pm

The Neederlander?

[heathurrr]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 7:59pm

I hope it will transfer, because I won't get a chance to get to NY this summer and I would lose a freakin' limb to see a production of Hair.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 8:23pm

Somehow comparing Woodstock to the Original Broadway production of Hair, is really comparing apples to oranges. They are two completely different things. It would be like comparing visiting an AIDs ward and seeing Rent.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 8:29pm

To answer the question of the thread however: I liked this production of Hair despite it being clean and having Groff in it. I don't think it would work if they took it out of the Park though. The Delecorte is the perfect setting for it.
I don't know how it will ring with the younger audiences though. I know the aging Hippies and Hippy Wanna'dtobes are loving it!

[winston89]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 9:19pm

My Dad was talking to me about Hair when he saw the ad in The Times about it playing in Central Park. He said that what he loved was that the cast recording was constently being played on the rock stations back in the day (I guess what would now be considered classic rock stations) and that he loved and still loves the music from it. This is coming from a guy who is in his 50's and is still a very proud Dead Head.

I was wondering. Was Hair the last time music that was considered showtunes played on a mainstream radio station?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 9:41pm

Winston, I believe Hair was one of the first Musicals to have three songs in the top ten of the Pop Charts. The 5TH Dimension recorded Aquarius, I believe Good Morning Star Shine hit the charts as well as Hair.
Radio stations in New York would play Jesus Christ Superstar when that was on Broadway the first time. Day by Day from Godspell was played on the radio also.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 9:48pm

Three Dog Night did EASY TO BE HARD. Fifth Dimension also did Let the Sun Shine

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 9:51pm

There are many things wrong with this production. At the same time there are a lot of great things about it. No one will ever measure up to Tom O'Horgan's original, but Diane Paulus truly captured a different side of Hair and her direction should be lauded. While it was better suited to the concert staging than the full version with design, etc., it's nothing that can't be helped by some fine-tuning (perhaps with the help of Bo Crowell, who directed a brilliant production this past year in L.A. at the Met under the auspices of the show's original producer Michael Butler). If the show transferred to Broadway and she didn't win a Tony, I'd be severely depressed.

Also, James Rado has actually taken the book in a hopeful direction with this production. Usually he tends to trim, add or delete at the director's whim, but I get the sense that this is a version he was truly happy with. Enough of the (formerly excised) plotting of the Claude-Berger-Sheila menage a trois has been returned to keep him happy (a lot of the 'love' stuff between Claude and Berger is autobiographical, wink wink), and otherwise there is a decent balance of new and time-honored material in the rest of the show, no doubt helped by direction. Mr. Butler had expressed his view before opening (in Variety) that the original version was what worked period, but by all accounts including mine, it captures the spirit, the intensity, the message, the potential that the original exuded by leaps and bounds.

But that's just the material. And the material is helped by a good arrangement of the score. Galt MacDermot is a prime jazz composer who was born in South Africa and spent time there. You can hear a lot of the "tribal" influence in the work, particularly "Hare Krishna" and its rhythm bearing a resemblance to the drums in the tribal rituals of the Bantus. The arrangement used in this production captures the feel in a few places, but otherwise doesn't really show the score to its best potential. In my opinion, it wouldn't hurt to use some of the arrangements by the brilliant Seth Rudetsky from the 2004 Actor's Fund benefit. The recording of the AF concert alone captures the bounciness and fun of the original in many places, particularly "White Boys," which rocked the house.

Design is key with any production of HAIR. It can't look too cliche, but at the same time it can't be offbeat. Look at http://members.tripod.com/~rbowser/hair/haircostumes.html -- this guy did another brilliant production with Rado's help and he knows whereof he speaks. In addition, if the Public track down a copy of the Pocket Books paperback of an early script, they'll find many other suggestions for costumes that fit nicely.

In terms of talent, the cast is great, for the most part. The harmonies blend well, and with some (such as Patina Renea Miller, Caren Lyn Manuel, Allison Case), they truly embody the character. As for those who think that this is just a Sixties party (the ones who seem to be on auto-pilot with "let's get dressed up, smoke pot, listen to the Beatles and pretend it's 1969, dudes!"), they need to be fired and replaced with people who really fit. If Paulus chooses to bring in Crowell to tidy things up, she can't go wrong with including some members of the Met cast, who were truly sensational in it, as replacements.

In particular, there is one performer who seems not to connect with his character at all. Forced emotions, lack of characterization, lots of stiff self-blocking that makes no sense (seriously, how often does he point at the audience--listen, pal, you're not a rock star, or for that matter John Travolta singing "Greased Lightning"), and he just seems not to connect period. That's right, he was good for "Spring Awakening" but not for all musicals about teenage rebellion. Sack Jonathan Groff immediately. I don't care what excuse you at the Public use or if you've already come up with a whole list after hearing the complaints, just lose Groff as soon as you possibly can. And in case you can't tell, the guy at the Met who played Claude would be ideal as a replacement. He truly embodied it for me.

In summary:
-- Diane Paulus did an exceptional job, but Bo Crowell can tighten it up just a little more
-- James Rado outdid himself on this revision, and bringing in Bo Crowell to clean it up a bit will help focus the material even more (not to mention restore some priceless bits of staging from the Broadway production that carried over to the Met one)
-- Bring back some of Seth Rudetsky's musical arrangements for the Actor's Fund benefit
-- The designs need to look a little more accurate to time period
-- Sack the cast members who don't care about the piece and just seem to sleep-walk through it like it's a theme party
-- GET RID OF JONATHAN GROFF

Do this and the Public's version of Hair will transfer just fine.

Updated On: 7/28/08 at 09:51 PM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 10:03pm

In keeping with those sentiments which I whole heartedly agree Gvendo and with the spirit of the piece, join me in a chant will you?

Claude? NO!
Groff Must go!

Claude? No!
Groff must go!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/28/08 at 10:05pm

Thnak you for your astute observations about how this production should be more like the one in Los Angeles.

None of those changes will ever happen.

But I do agree that Groff is out of his league. In the end, however, does he bring the show down to a totally detestable, "I will only love it if and only if he's gone because he's so god-awful" level? No. Not even close.
Updated On: 7/28/08 at 10:05 PM

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 12:55am

If I wanted to see it this week, how would I go about doing so? I have heard the wait is very long, but I'm just here to see shows so if it's worth it I wouldn't mind the least. But timewise would this take the place of a normal show? Or is it earier in the day? Any details would be so appreciated.
Updated On: 7/29/08 at 12:55 AM

[elphaba.scares.me]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 9:14am

There was a LOT of talk that the cast was getting offers for their Broadway transfer about two months ago. This comes from, well, people in the cast. But I haven't heard anything about it since then.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 7/29/08 at 11:12am

SNAFU:

Thought this chant would be better, though it sounds more like an episode of 'Survivor':

"F*** Groff!
Kick him off!"

[gregj63]

Posted: 8/6/08 at 9:27pm

Saw Hair last night, and while I had some minor issues with the production I definitely enjoyed it, and know of quite a few others who would too. The clothes and some plot elements may be a bit dated, but the themes of the show are as timely now as they originally were, and the crowd last night was full of former hippies who seemed to love every second of the show. And who is most of the Broadway audience, if not gray-haired baby boomers who either were or thought of themselves as hippies? I can see the tourist crowd going for this show in a Broadway theater.

So let's hear some educated speculation (or facts, if you have them) about moving this production to Broadway after the closing in the park. I'd like to be able to go see it again, and take friends and family with me.
Updated On: 8/6/08 at 09:27 PM