The Age of Hair: Evolution and Impact of Broadway's First Rock Musical (Contributions in Drama and Theatre Studies) [Hardcover]

Barbara Lee Horn (Author)

Book Description

Series: Contributions in Drama and Theatre Studies | Publication Date: November 30, 1991

A reflection and symbol of the turbulent 1960s and the culture and lifestyles of the Hippies, Hair made history as the first rock musical on Broadway and one of the most successful musicals. The sixties left an indelible imprint upon the American psyche, and Hair, in the words of critic Clive Barnes, "summed it up better than any other piece of American theatre." Aside from bringing experimental techniques and rock music to Broadway, Hair, in author Barbara Horn's view, represented a major step in the evolution of the "concept musical" from the "book musical" and was the first concept musical to reach mass audiences, an achievement unheralded and little recognized. Horn analyzes the social context of Hair and the Hippies, describes the tenor of the Broadway theatre of the times and the experimental trends Off-Broadway that culminated in Hair's innovations on the Great White Way. She then goes on to relate the dramatic story of Hair's creation and growth, dash myths and clarify the actual events, including the casual meeting of coauthors Gerome Ragni and James Rado with producer Joseph Papp on a train. The transfer of Hair to Broadway is fully detailed, and the Broadway production is compared with the earlier production at Papp's Public Theater with lists of song sequences provided. Several revivals and the film version are also discussed, and staff and cast lists appear as appendixes. Horn's extensive archival research is amplified by insights from numerous interviews, including those with the authors, Ragni and Rado; composer, Galt MacDermot; Broadway producer, Michael Butler, directors, Gerald Freedman and Tom O'Horgan, musical director, Galt MacDermot; set designer, Robin Wagner; lighting designer, Jules Fisher, cast members, Melba Moore and Lorrie Davis; and others associated with one or more of the productions, as well as with theatre critics and theorists. Numerous published works were also connsulted, and a strong bibliography is provided.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When Hair exploded onto the Broadway stage after a successful off-Broadway run, it was not only the first rock musical but one of the first "concept" musicals that eschewed plot for message. Horn (speech, communications, and theater, St. John's Univ.) discusses the creation, evolution, and runaway success of Hair by setting it in the context of the 1960s. Included are a scene-by-scene description of the Broadway version, cast and credits for all three New York productions and the film version, and a hefty bibliography. Occasional repetitions and a dry writing style suggest the dissertation that spawned this study, and musical fans might wish for a bit of the juicy backstage gossip that filled original cast member Lorrie Davis's Letting Down My Hair (1973). But Horn succeeds splendidly in exploring the social and political climate that produced Hair and nurtured its mass appeal. Recommended for academic theater collections.
- Eric W. Johnson, Teikyo Post Univ. Lib., Waterbury, Ct.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“The Age of "Hair" is exactly what its subtitle indicates; a book on the "evolution and impact of Broadway's first rock musical." Horn tracks Hair from field notes on the mid-1960s counterculture through its 1968-72 Broadway run, the 1979 movie, and its recent revival as a musical. She notes how Hair, and the hippies it portrays, defied conventions in its anti-war and pro-drugs stances, and in its staging, especially its frontal nudity. Despite mixed critical reviews, and much to the dismay of Broadway regulars, audience interest, if not approval, was tremendous. In addition to its original Broadway run of 1,750 performances, Hair was staged by numerous domestic and foreign touring companies. Hair's status as a watershed musical was legally confirmed when attempts to ban it were struck down by Supreme Court decisions affirming the right to freedom of expression (1970, 1975). Horn's text is extensively footnoted; her excellent bibliography and index are particularly useful to scholars. Recommended for undergraduate students in theater.”–Choice

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 188 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (November 30, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313275645
• ISBN-13: 978-0313275647
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,064,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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