Melba Moore "HAIR" Paul Jabara / Shelly Plimpton 1969 Broadway Souvenir Program

Description

This is a beautiful souvenir program from the Original Broadway production of the groundbreaking GEROME RAGNI, JAMES RADO and GALT MacDERMOT American Tribal Love-Rock Musical "HAIR" which played the Biltmore Theatre in New York City. (The production originally opened October 29th, 1967 at New York's Joseph Papp Public Theatre and ran for 49 performances. An overwhelming demand for tickets resulted in a move December 22nd, 1967 to the Cheetah Theatre, a former discotheque on Broadway at 53rd Street, where it ran for an additional 45 performances. The production later opened April 29th, 1968 at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City and ran for 1750 performances.) ..... "HAIR" is a rock musical which was the product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960's. Several of its songs became anthems of the anti–Vietnam War peace movement. The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality, its irreverence for the American flag, and its nude scene caused much controversy and as a result initially made it difficult to find a home in a Broadway theatre. The show broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of the "rock musical" and utilizing a racially-integrated cast.
Hair
was conceived by actors JAMES RADO and GEROME RAGNI (both members of the Original Cast). The two actors met in 1964, when they acted together in the Off-Broadway play
Hang Down Your Head and Die
, and they began writing
Hair
together in early 1965. The main characters of Claude and Berger were autobiographical, Rado's Claude being the pensive romantic and Ragni's Berger the extrovert. Their close relationship, sometimes volatile, is symbolized in the show by the well known ballad "Easy to be Hard". In addition to the two authors, the Original Broadway Cast included a young DIANE KEATON (who left the production shortly before this program was issued) and MELBA MOORE (photo and bio shown in the tenth scanned image). Other prominent actors and singers who have appeared in productions throughout the U.S. and abroad include JILL O'HARA, TIM CURRY, MEAT LOAF, ELAINE PAIGE, JOE MANTEGNA, PAUL JABARA, BEN VEREEN, KEITH CARRADINE, TED NEELEY, JOBRIATH, JENNIFER WARREN, DAVID PATRICK KELLY, PHILIP MICHAEL THOMAS, DONNA SUMMER, ANDRE DeSHIELDS, PAUL NICHOLAS, SHARON REDD, REG LIVERMORE and RICHARD O'BRIEN. (Reprinted in part from Wikipedia.) The recent Broadway revival which opened March 31st, 2009 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre received the Tony Award for "Best Revival of a Musical" ..... BROADWAY CREDITS: Music by GALT MacDERMOT ("Hair", "Two Gentlemen of Verona", "Dude", "Via Galactica", "The Human Comedy"); Book and Lyrics by GEROME RAGNI and JAMES RADO; Sets designed by ROBIN WAGNER; Costumes designed by NANCY POTTS; Choreographed by JULIE ARENAL; Directed by TOM O'HORGAN; Produced by MICHAEL BUTLER ..... The oversized 28 page program measures 9" X 12" inches and includes full production credits, photos and bios of each actor and member of the creative team, promotional text, a wonderful full page AL HIRSCHFELD illustration (ninth scanned image) and several pages of production photos from the production ..... CONDITION: With the exception of minor surface marks on the back cover, this program is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian ..... Check my "Other Auctions" for additional vintage playbills and programs, Original Cast CD's and other theatre related memorabilia. Multiple purchases are always combined to save on shipping costs ..... NO RESERVE! ..... This item will be carefully packaged in a protective sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard ..... U.S. SHIPPING: Buyer pays choice of .95 USPS first class/ media rate shipping with delivery confirmation (50 cents for each additional program or playbill purchased when combined into a single payment - U.S. addresses only) or .95 USPS Priority with delivery confirmation. PayPal preferred. Personal checks accepted (U.S. only) but delay shipping by 10 days ..... INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: (Please Note!) I can now ship by USPS International First Class Airmail (.50 to Canada / .50 to all other international destinations) or by USPS Priority International recorded delivery (.00 to Canada / .00 to all other international destinations). Please email me with any other inquiries ..... THANKS !!!
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