HAIR - ORIGINAL LONDON CAST (1969)

"HAIR" was created by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, two out-of-work actors who, according to Rado, "were aware of the traditional Broadway format, but we wanted to create something new, something different, something that translated to the stage the wonderful excitement we felt in the streets." This "excitement" was that of the long-haired, peace-loving, freewheeling hippies of New York's East Village. Though "HAIR" is known as a musical of the late 60's (it was subtitled "The American Tribal Love/Rock Musical"), it questions the standards of morality, sexuality, individualism, racism, violence, drug use, loyalty, and social acceptance. The show opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theater on April 29, 1968. It closed on July 1, 1972 after 1,742 performances. Not long afterwards, on September 27, it opened in London at the equally respectable Shaftesbury Theatre, where it swiftly became the most popular show in the West End - 1,998 performances until closure was forced by the roof collapsing in July 1973 (I was lucky enough to see it just a month earlier...). The show challenged many of the norms held by Western society at the time. It caused controversy when it was first staged, and much publicity was provoked by the Act I finale which included male and female nudity. This became a legal issue when the show left New York on tour. Stage nudity was acceptable in New York at that time but was unknown elsewhere in the U.S. The show was also charged with the desecration of the American flag and the use of obscene language. The case eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The show also effectively marked the end of stage censorship in the United Kingdom. This original recording from January 1969, featuring the London Cast (the first-release original London tribe included Paul Nicholas, Richard O'Brien, Melba Moore, Elaine Paige, Tim Curry, Marsha Hunt and Alex Harvey), captures all the wild excitement of a very special opening night. It's got everything - great songs, superb perfomances and a real sense of occasion. That's what great musicals are all about.