'Hair' is NBC's next live musical

[TexasTowelie]

This makes sense. After the success of its live “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Easter Sunday, NBC has chosen “Hair” as its next live musical. It’s network logic: If one rock-styled show does well, another one will, too, right? “Hair Live” will be executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who’ve done all of NBC’s live musicals since “The Sound of Music” in 2013.

“Hair,” which premiered off-Broadway in 1967, tells the story of . . . well, actually, there’s not a lot of story there. It’s about hippies in New York in the 1960s who are for the sexual revolution and against the Vietnam War. They sing great songs, they dance, and, in the original stage version, they sometimes take off their clothes. Once it moved to Broadway in 1968, the musical ran for four years, and it has been revived a number of times.

When Milos Forman adapted “Hair” into a film in 1979, he managed to shape it all into an engaging narrative, with Treat Williams, John Savage, and Beverly D’Angelo as the stars.

“Hair Live” is due next spring. No casting announced yet.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2018/05/25/hair-nbc-next-live-musical/9CCIC3H9j4hbxkEmnOAnsJ/story.html
(brief article)

[elleng]

1. Let the Sunshine In

[BigmanPigman]

2. That was a really good movie.

I have the original 1968 cast album and it is impossible NOT to dance as soon as the needle drops onto the vinyl.

* Diane Keaton was in the play when it was first on Broadway in NYC. She was the only one who didn't take her clothes off.

"In 1968, Keaton became a member of the "Tribe" and understudy to Sheila in the original Broadway production of Hair. She gained some notoriety for her refusal to disrobe at the end of Act I when the cast performs nude, even though nudity in the production was optional for actors (Those who performed nude received a $50 bonus).
https://goo.glimages/YoJS4q

[raven mad]

3. I loved both; never got the full Broadway productions but snippets etc.

The movies came out!

There was one "snippet" of JCSS done in a nice club on Cocoa Beach - the woman who sang "I don't know how to love him" was about 5'0 in heels, had gorgeous straight black hair down past her butt................ and did NOT need a microphone, she was that good.

And of course............. this:

Excerpt from "Aquarius"

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding.
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation.
Aquarius

SUCH good memories, TexasTowelie! Thank you.

[TexasTowelie]

4. You're welcome.

I saw "Hair" when my college alma mater performed it about 15 years ago. It was done in a theater-in-the-round setting and the actors came and grabbed members of the audience to join in the dance at the end. I knew a couple of actors that were performing as well as the guy that played keyboards for the musical.

[raven mad]

5. I adore "theater in the round". As an uprooted for 3 months high school kid,

went to Hancock College near Santa Maria, CA for summer stock (1969). Mostly learning. But they had a theater round stage, and did "The Mikado", then "HMS Pinafore" that summer.

It was almost almost worth being lonely for home!

[yallerdawg]

6. Cool!

But I bet in this PC era we won't get new versions of 'Sodomy' and 'Colored Spade.'