Show guide
Hair
Hair is the 1968 rock musical that brought the sound and spirit of 1960s counterculture to Broadway, following a tribe of young hippies confronting the Vietnam War draft.
- Broadway premiere
- 1968
- Music by
- Galt MacDermot
- Genre
- Rock/Pop
- Setting
- 1960s
Hair: quick answers
What is Hair about?
- Hair follows a tribe of politically active hippies in New York living a life of free love and protest, centered on Claude, who must decide whether to resist the draft or accept induction and go to fight in Vietnam.
When did Hair open on Broadway?
- Hair opened on Broadway on April 29, 1968, at the Biltmore Theatre, after starting at Joseph Papp's Public Theater in 1967, and ran until July 1, 1972, for 1,750 performances. A 2009 revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
Is Hair a Golden Age musical?
- No. Hair opened in 1968, as Broadway's Golden Age was ending, and it deliberately broke with that tradition. Billed as The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, it brought a rock score, a loose plot, and countercultural politics to Broadway.
Where and when is Hair set?
- Hair is set in New York City's East Village in the late 1960s, during the Vietnam War.
Has Hair played in London's West End?
- Hair opened in London at the Shaftesbury Theatre on September 27, 1968, its opening delayed until theatre censorship was abolished so the show could keep its nudity and profanity. It ran for 1,997 performances, longer than the original Broadway run.
Is there a Hair movie?
- Milos Forman directed a 1979 film of Hair starring Treat Williams as Berger, John Savage as Claude, and Beverly D'Angelo as Sheila, with a heavily rewritten plot.
The story of Hair
Hair centers on a tribe of young, free spirited hippies living in New York City during the Vietnam War era, and in particular on Claude, a young man wrestling with whether to accept his draft notice or resist it alongside his friends. Around him swirl Berger, the tribe's charismatic and rebellious leader, Sheila, a politically committed college student, and other members of the tribe questioning war, sexuality, and authority.
Rather than following a tightly plotted narrative, the show unfolds as a loosely connected series of songs and scenes capturing the era's anti war protests, sexual freedom, and drug culture, building toward Claude's wrenching decision about the draft. Its themes of youthful idealism colliding with a violent world made it one of the most talked about shows of its time.
The music and the makers
The music was composed by Galt MacDermot, with book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, who also originated lead roles in the early productions. Billed as an American tribal love rock musical, the score was among the first to bring the sound of contemporary rock music fully into a Broadway show, rather than the traditional orchestral pop of earlier musicals.
Its songs, including Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine, and Let the Sunshine In, became genuine pop hits outside the theatre, helping the show's music reach far beyond typical Broadway audiences. That crossover sound, loud, communal, and unmistakably of its moment, remains the score's most distinctive quality.
Hair on Broadway
After beginning downtown at Joseph Papp's Public Theater in 1967, Hair transferred to Broadway and opened at the Biltmore Theatre on April 29, 1968, quickly becoming a sensation for its frank depiction of drug use, sexuality, and a brief scene of nudity. The original Broadway run lasted just over four years, an unusually long run for the period.
Hair has been revived on Broadway since, most notably in a celebrated 2009 production that won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and it was adapted into a 1979 film directed by Milos Forman. Its legacy endures as the show that opened Broadway's doors to rock music and to musicals built around protest and generational upheaval.
Hair: frequently asked questions
When did Hair open on Broadway?
Hair opened on Broadway on April 29, 1968, at the Biltmore Theatre, after an earlier run off Broadway.
Who composed Hair?
Galt MacDermot wrote the music, with book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni.
What is Hair about?
It follows a tribe of young hippies in the Vietnam War era, centered on a young man deciding whether to resist or accept his draft notice.
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