TGIF! presents...the Original Broadway cast of "HAIR!"!

This video is from 1967 or 1968 when the original Broadway cast performed on The Smothers Brother's Show. The co-creators, James Rado (blond wig) and Gerome Ragni (brunette) performing "Hair" together (which is the 2nd song on this video), performed in the show Off-Broadway and on Broadway and are the two singing lead on "Hair" in the video. "Aquarius" is sthe first song - you have to fast-forward to the 3:45 mark for "Hair".

I interviewed James Rado last year for the 40th anniversary of "HAIR!'s" Off-Broadway debut - very nice gentleman. Ragni has since passed. if you search "HAIR!" on this blog (right panel, scroll down for topic list), you can find the Rado interview and other posts on this historic musical. I performed in "HAIR!" in 1995 and I'll be attending the production of "HAIR!" at my old theater stomping grounds tomorrow evening - Theatre Cedar Rapids.

To my fellow Iowa tribe members I say, "Let the sunshine in!"

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"HAIR" returns to Broadway!

"HAIR", the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical makes a triumphant return to Broadway, since first shaking up the establishment in 1968. For some reason I always want to put it "HAIR" in all caps. I don't think that's right, but it's my way of attaching more significance to one of my favorite musicals - and a musical I am proud to say I performed in back in 1995. And yes, I was nakey, nakey.

AND Theatre Cedar Rapids (my old stomping grounds) is performing it this May. So in celebration of everything that is "HAIR", here's a couple of previous blog posts on the show: a review of the show I saw in LA last year, the history behind the show and my involvement with it, an interview with James Rado - co-creator of "HAIR" - that I did over the phone back in 2007, and a post on The Cowsills, who I saw perform recently in LA and who had a #2 hit with their rendition of "Hair".

Oh - a review from the current Broadway production.


The Theatre Cedar Rapids cast of "HAIR". Welcome to the Tribe! Now the "let the sunshine in!"

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Interview with HAIR Creator, James Rado!

James Rado (left) and Gerome (Jerry) Ragni (right) - co-authors (book & lyrics) of HAIR. Photo courtesy of James Rado's website: www.hairthemusical.com

Finally! The other HAIR interview I've been promising - James Rado, co-author and creator of HAIR! For the backstory on HAIR, check out my earlier post: http://jeffircink.blogspot.com/2007/09/blog-post.html. And coming soon - listen for my interview with Jim in its entirety on GABCAST (see right panel)! Now, let's talk with James Rado:

Jeff
Hey - Jeff again. As you might already know from previous posts, this month – October – marks the 40th anniversary of the Broadway opening of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical –

Jim Rado
– the Off-Broadway opening…

Jeff
– the Off-Broadway opening, thank you – James Rado, who is my guest. He is the co-author of HAIR, which became a smash hit, running on Broadway for six years and I’m honored to be speaking with Jim from...are you in New York?

JR
Well, I’m near New York – New Jersey.

Jeff
New Jersey. Well, hello Jim. Thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.

JR
Yes. You’re welcome.

Above: Jim, Jerry and Galt McDermott, composer of HAIR. Photo courtesy of Michael Butler's website: http://www.michaelbutler.com/hair/.

Jeff
YouTube has a video of the West Coast cast on The Smothers Brothers’ Comedy Hour – I wasn't aware this video existed for the public's consumption and watching you and Jerry Ragni – who was the co-author (you guys wrote the book and lyrics and conceived the idea, and Galt McDermott wrote the music) - you looked like you were having a lot of fun in that you were living in the moment. How has HAIR changed in the last 40 years?

JR
Well it seems I’m still living that HAIR moment in a way. It goes on…everyday there’s another HAIR aspect that comes to light or some development that someone such as yourself, who’s calling me to ask some new insight into something that’s so very old. But it seems to have a life of its own and I’m just surfing with it.

Jeff
People who aren’t former cast members like myself (who did it in 1994) or who aren’t “into” HAIR might not know that you originated the role of Richard in the Broadway play, The Lion in Winter and you and Jerry did a number of other things prior to HAIR, yet all these years later, you’re still associated with HAIR. Is there a downside to that?

JR
No. I think it enabled me to become a hermit, in a way, so – not really, I’m kind of kidding, but I really gave up on the idea of becoming an actor at that point only because I wanted to create scripts and my acting was carried out in creating scenes. Jerry and I wrote another show, besides HAIR, called Sun (an environmental musical about politics, pollution, the rain forests being cut down, and the like), and it’s a wonderful, comic piece, very pertinent to today. I think eventually it will see the light of day…I hope.

Jeff
I look forward to hearing more about that project, and I have some other questions about projects you’re currently working on besides Sun. Now, the play within the musical HAIR, as well as the lyrics and music, really spoke to what was going on in our country at the time and with the youth culture - what they were experiencing, what they were feeling – you being a part of that. 40 years ago, what in particular, made you say, “We have to tell this story".?

Above: Playbill from The Cheetah in New York, the Off-Broadway venue where HAIR ran in 1967, prior to moving to Broadway. Photo courtesy of Michael Butler's website.

JR
Well, the whole thing that we were experiencing – in the parks, in the streets, meeting the people, seeing the sudden outburst of hair from the heads of men. And this was all extremely exciting and theatrical, we thought, and would prove to be exciting on stage. That’s why we devised a story within this setting and with this hippy philosophy – this root of peace and love and a whole new kind of consciousness that was emerging out of the youth of things like LSD and so forth. It was just a tripped out period and we tried to dramatize it and I guess we were pretty successful at doing it. Recently it was in Central Park –

Jeff
Yes.

JR
We had three performances there and 2,000 seats and it was absolutely stunning. The audience was absolutely so very moved by it, it seemed, and – yes, it was brilliant. I was just so amazed – it seems to work today. It worked at an emotional level more than Across the Universe – which I saw recently and which I loved, but I thought that by the end of Across the Universe it was kind of an apathetic reaction by the audience; there didn’t seem to be any kind of welling up of some kind of emotional catharsis the way HAIR, which was created 40 years ago, elicited at the park a month ago or so.

Above: Jim and Jerry. Photo courtesy of Dagmar's site: http://home.flash.net/~akstudio/dagmar.html

Jeff
When I did HAIR in 1994 – talking about that cathartic experience – I remember being on stage during the finale, singing “The Flesh Failures” and – I’m blanking…

JR
“Let the Sunshine In”.

Jeff
Yes – and I remember getting choked up on stage and realizing, for whatever reason – whether it was what the play or music was saying or what I was going through in the moment or what the emotion I had hoped the audience was experiencing – I got choked up and thought, “Wait a second, Jeff, you have to sing here.” It was a very cathartic experience. It was very moving.

JR
It’s actually a tragedy. It functions in the real Greek sense of a tragedy, and it’s funny, because it is a comedy in the earlier parts and it transforms into a tragedy; but what I think you felt was the classic cathartic experience of a tragedy.

LA premiere night ticket to HAIR, produced in part by Tommy Smothers (Smothers Brothers fame) and Ken Kragen (We Are the World, Hands Across America), who I know. Photo courtesy of Michael Butler's website.

Jeff
The collaboration between you and Jerry Ragni and then between you two and Galt McDermott…I had heard that you heard a few melodies he put to your lyrics and immediately decided to work with him. Did you come to Galt with the songs in tow or did you have some songs completed and write some as you worked with Galt?

JR
Basically it was all written. We did create some other things, I’m sure, as we went along, but the things that we heard that we liked (from Galt) were our lyrics that he had set to music.

Publicity photo from 1968-1969. Photo courtesy of Dagmar's website.

Jeff
Speaking of lyrics, I’m only singing this to you because then I can say before I’m gone that I got to sing lyrics from HAIR to the co-author, so you’ll have to grant me that indulgence. (Jeff sings stanza from Donna):

“Oh, once upon a looking for Donna time she was a sixteen-year-old virgin,
Oh Donna, oh, oh Donna, oh, oh, oh, looking for my Donna.”

Jeff
Who is Donna?

JR
Donna is Italian, I think, and means, “lady” or “woman”, so she really represents Woman. But Donna was a real person to this hippy that we met one afternoon when we were – well, this is an example of a song that wasn’t written when we teamed up with Galt. We went out for lunch one day at The Public Theater when we were at rehearsals or maybe it was casting perhaps, and – I think we were already in rehearsal actually – and this…little bit older hippy with very long and ratty hair came up to us at the table where we were sitting…he had this gnarly tree branch with him, embedded in it were stones and coins and ribbons from various places he had been traveling around the world and he said that he was looking for his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Donna – “she got busted for her beauty” – that’s an actual quote from his mouth (and a lyric in the song). This is the girl he was looking for – the girl of his dreams. She had a tattoo and it was such a colorful description that we went back immediately and wrote the song.

Jeff
I wasn’t sure if there was a story behind it but I had to ask and I wanted to sing to you –

JR
It’s a real story.

Jeff
I was fortunate to have sung the duet, “What A Piece of Work Is Man”, and we rocked the house. It’s such a poignant song and it comes at such an appropriate moment during the show. For those who don’t know, it’s from Hamlet. Did you know that or did you guys scour through Shakespeare and happen upon it?

JR
Yes we knew that. We - I think Jerry pulled that out. It’s from that famous speech and we adapted it to a certain extent.

Jeff
Well it’s a wonderful song.

JR
Yes.

Jeff
And I enjoyed doing it. You know – I remember a lot of the lyrics from the show and I can sing many of the songs by heart. It still resonates with me and you can’t get it out of your head. Four or five of the songs that were in HAIR went on to become Top 40 hits on the radio. So if the public wasn’t aware of the musical, they were aware of some of your via the radio. When you hear one of your songs, does it just blow your mind –

JR
Well…

Jeff
– that they’re still playing the stuff?

Photo courtesy of James Rado's website.

JR
Yah, I guess it does. Yah, my mind is blown every day. It’s quite a feat, I would say.

Jeff
It is.

JR
Because I always wanted to be a pop song writer. Even before I met Jerry, I was an aspiring pop song writer and I wanted my songs to be in the Top 40 and I wanted hit singles and I wrote a lot of songs and finally when HAIR came along, you know - I never thought in terms of suddenly those songs would become hits but they did and that was really exciting. I had always wanted to have that and suddenly I had it in abundance, you might say.

Jeff
I especially like The Cowsills' version of HAIR, especially with that drum pitter-patter in the beginning…but I thought it was wonderful.

JR
Yes…I thought so.

Jeff
Before I forget I wanna tell any listeners that your website is http://www.hairthemusical.com/ and people can go there and read about the back-story of HAIR - there are pictures, videos. It’s really a wonderful site if you want the straight poop from the horse’s mouth, sort of say.

JR
Ha.

Jeff
The last thing I wanted to ask you about – earlier you alluded to your musical, Sun – was The White House Haunted –

JR
The White Haunted House.

Jeff
Yes – what is that about?

JR
It’s about war – a soldier goes to The White House to see the President.

Jeff
Is it a musical?

Left. A 3rd floor room in New York City were some of HAIR was written. Photo courtesy of James Rado's website.

JR
It is.

Jeff
And Billy Earth?

JR
Billy Earth is The White Haunted House now. I wrote the music for it; my turn had come to write a show in its entirely. My brother has co-authored the book with me.

Jeff
That’s right.

JR
I wrote music and lyrics.

Jeff
When can we expect to hear more about that?

JR
As soon as I get a producer who wants to put up the money for it. I think it’s great; it’s strong and powerful and funny and cathartic.

Jeff
I’m sure it will be and I look forward to hearing more about it. Jim, I just wanted to tell you it’s really been an honor for me to talk to you. I’ve always said – even before I did HAIR – that my top three musicals were HAIR, West Side Story and – I can’t think of the third one, so maybe I’ll just say –

JR
Oklahoma.

Jeff
No, no –

JR
That was before your time.

Jeff
Yah – no, it was Superstar (Jesus Christ Superstar).

JR
Superstar, yes.

Jeff
And you know, oddly enough in looking back at past cast members who did HAIR, there was at that time in the late 60’s a lot of jumping around of actors who did HAIR, Superstar and West Side Story –

Above photo. Jim in the back, and sitting are Jerry and Galt. Photo courtesy of Michael Butler's website.

JR
Well, West Side Story was a decade earlier.

Jeff
Maybe - no it was Godspell. Godspell, Superstar and HAIR.

JR
There you go. Yah – Godspell. Well I wanted to say it was nice speaking with you.

Jeff
Yes. Thank you. I wish you the best, Jim. HAIR meant a lot to me – I think about it every day. I’m watching you right sing HAIR with Jerry on YouTube as we speak. It’s just a joy. You made my – I wouldn’t say “day”, maybe “year”, and I wish you the best on all your future projects.

JR
Thank you. I made your century. Great!

Jeff
There you go!

JR
Alright. Nice speaking with you.

Jeff
Nice speaking with you, too. Take care.

JR
You, too

Jeff
And I’ll be in touch and get a copy of this to you, OK?

JR
OK.

Jeff
Thanks, Jim.

JR
Thanks, much.

Jeff
Take care. Bye.

There he is - James Rado of HAIR. What a thrill. I could of talked to him all day (could you tell?). My interviewing skills need a tweek, but I got some cool stuff from Jim. Very nice man - very intelligent and well spoken. And he thought the name of my blog was very interesting. By the way, you can find some of his other plays, as well as some of mine, on the website: http://www.doollee.com/

Peace & Love.

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"I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty, oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen..."

"...knotted, polka-dotted, twisted, beaded, braided, powdered, flowered, and confettied, bangled, tangled, spangled, and spaghettied!"

All lyrics in this post by James Rado and Gerome Ragni. Songs included: HAIR, Sodomy, What A Piece of Work is Man. HAIR poster design by Michael Butler.

How'd you guess?? The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical - HAIR, turns 40 this month, as it debuted Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in October, 1967. And it's a special anniversary for me as I, Jeffrey James Ircink, am a member of the Iowa Tribe, having performed in the show in the fall of 1994 at the University of Iowa (one of three non-students in the production).

That's Gerome (Jerry) Ragni in the center - above, and James Rado in the center, below, co-authors of HAIR. They helped to open the West Coast (LA) premiere in 1969 as Berger and Claude, the roles they originated on Broadway.

Above: And that's me. Whoa!! Long hair, Fu Manchu, indian dream catcher 'round my neck and in my ear, fur vest, suede knee-high boots (trust me, I'm wearing them - they're vintage AND I still have them) and blue eyeshadow - if that ain't hippie-ish then I don't know what is. Look funny? That's cool - I got laid despite it.

Well, that's me (left) in June 2007 - with eyeliner, at Solstice in Santa Barbara, and without - to the right, in Chicago in August 2007. I think I've aged well in 13 years, do you?

Opening night of HAIR at the University of Iowa. Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul and Mary on my right, and Michael Butler on my left - the original producer of HAIR who took it from Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in NYC to Broadway.

The authors of HAIR - Back - Galt McDermott (music), Front - James Rado and Jerry Ragni (book and lyrics). Rado played Claude and Ragni played Berger in the Broadway production. Photo by Dagmar. Her site is: http://home.flash.net/~akstudio/dagmar.html

There's so much I'd love to say about this musical. Nobody, however, can say it better than two of the primary creative forces behind HAIR's success - James Rado and Michael Butler. Check out their websites that will entertain you thoroughly, complete with news clippings, pictures, video and music. Jim Rado's site (book & lyrics) is http://www.hairthemusical.com/ and Michael Butler's site (producer) is http://www.michaelbutler.com/hair/.

HAIR was revolutionary in many ways - primarily in that it ushered in and defined the "rock musical" and was really the first show that mimicked what was happening on the streets and in society at that time "on stage". People actually thought the actors were street people, hippies - whatever. And I suppose they were hippies, in a way. It was the first show on Broadway with nudity (something about being the "1st" and "nudity") which led to some awkward moments in some cities. In several cities, "the show" was charged with the desecration of the American flag and the use of obscene language. Two cases eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court. I suppose with lyrics such as, "Sodomy, fellatio, cunnilungus, pederasty - father, why do these words sound so nasty? Masturbation can be fun. Join the holy orgy, kama sutra, everyone," more than a few people were outraged. (And yes, I was one of a handful of nude actors in my production of HAIR - first on stage, walking hand-in-hand with another woman in an Adam and Eve-esque moment to open the show.)

HAIR opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in NYC in 1967. Michael Butler had the balls and money to moved it the Cheetah in NYC - then to Broadway. He and Rado/Ragni/McDermott have been associated with it ever since. Ragni passed away in 1991. The show opened on Broadway in 1968 and ran for around 1,873 shows. Then it moved to London and Los Angeles. The music? It speaks for itself. Not only were the songs hits within the stage show, but a few of them went on to become smash hits on the radio - HAIR (#2 on Billboard's Top 100 for The Cowsills), Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (#2 on Billboard for The 5th Dimension), Good Morning, Starshine (#3 on Billboard for Oliver), Easy to Be Hard (#4 on Billboard for Three Dog Night) - the doozies from the show. Hold it - these renditions (which some of you may remember more so than the versions in the musical) are as equally as good and I love them as much as the musical renditions. Go on YouTube or Amazon and search them out! Now, in my production, I was fortunate to sing the duet, What A Piece of Work Is Man, adapted from the play, Hamlet. And I sang on most of the others as a member of THE TRIBE.

Do yourself a favor and check out this video of the original Los Angeles cast of HAIR on the Smothers Brother's Comedy Hour in 1969 (I think).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OyGEDOOEaMM

That's James Rado in the long blond hair with the indian headband on and Jerry Ragni in the black frizzy hair, singing with him in the song, HAIR. That's your two creators having the time of their lives (I bet). The songs sung in this video are, in order: Aquarius, HAIR and Let the Sunshine In. I never knew this video existed - it's a rarity. And it's fun. Listen and watch. Close your eyes and you'll find yourself floating back to '69. I can't believe it but I was 5 years old. Listen to the words. Do you think these songs have any relevance today? You bet they do.

As I mentioned, I was one of three non-students cast in the university production. Not only did I not know anyone (which isn't a big deal in theater) but there was somewhat of an age gap - 9 years or so. No matter. This was HAIR - and we began to gel as I assume every cast of HAIR before me did and every cast afterwards. And speaking of casts, here's a few of the celebs who were TRIBE members like myself:

Nell Carter, Ben Vereen, Diane Keaton, Ted Lange (Isaac in The Love Boat), Keith Carradine, Meat Loaf, Ted Neeley (originated the role of Jesus in the movie, Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973 and has played the same role on stage since the 1970's), Dobie Gray, Jennifer Warren ("Up Where We Belong", "It's the Right Time of the Night" and "I've Had the Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing), Melba Moore, Shelley Plimpton, Phillip Michael Thomas (Miami Vice), Joe Mantegna, David Patrick Kelly (the bad guy in The Warriors - "Warriors...come out and play-ee-ay!"), Richard O'Brien (Riff-Raff and creator of The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Tim Curry (Frank-n-Furter in Rocky Horror), Elaine Paige (Grizabella in Cats, Evita) and Steven Weber (Wings).

Above: HAIR cast at The Public Theater. Photo courtesy of Dagmar.

HAIR's popularity began to diminish in the late 70's and 80's, and then a revival began in the 90's - which is when I got involved with it. It has played all over the world and is currently performing somewhere as we speak. And why not? With a message of peace and love, why shouldn't that message be as universal today as it was back in 1967?

I am very lucky to have been associated with HAIR. I feel blessed that - today, I am still a member of "the Tribe" - something very few people can say. And whenever I hear a song on the radio from the show or listen to the soundtrack, I smile and sing along. It's one of my fondest theater memories. To all of you - Michael, James, Galt and the late Jerry Ragni - I thank you and I love you all.

This post is dedicated to Jerry - "What a piece of work is man...".

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