A Tribute To Tresses!

 Hair! 

Streamin', Flaxen, and Waxin'...

our first theme on Sunday's 2 on the Aisle. 

The original Hair hit Broadway in 1968,

and was NOT an instant success.

Nudity, controversial topics,

and though nominated for Best Musical,

it lost out to 1776.

However, it ran for four years!

Original Off- and On- Broadway cast members included

Diane Keaton, Melba Moore, Ben Vereen,

and Heather MacRae.

Scott Miller wrote in 2001:

"Not only did many of the lyrics not rhyme, 

but many of the songs didn't really have endings,

 just a slowing down and stopping, 

so the audience didn't know when to applaud. ... 

The show rejected every convention of Broadway, 

of traditional theatre in general,
and of the American musical in specific.
And it was brilliant."

 In 2009,

it was revived with Gavin Creel (above) 

and Will Swenson (below, center)

as the leads, Claude and Berger.

It won for Best Revival.

 Below, James Rado and Gerome Ragni, 

who did the book and lyrics,

and Galt McDermot, the man with the music.

James and Gerome conceived of the musical.

They were inspired by "some characters we met in the streets, 

people we knew and our own imaginations. 

We knew this group of kids in the East Village who were dropping out 

and dodging the draft, 

being kicked out of school for growing their hair. 

There was so much excitement in the streets and the parks 

and the hippie areas, 

and we thought if we could transmit this excitement to the stage 

it would be wonderful."

Galt was living another lifestyle entirely

when he was introduced to the pair;

he lived in Staten Island with a wife and kids.

(Note tie. Note white shirt. Note...Hair!)

 A couple more "Hair" entrees:

Above, from the original Grease, we'll hear

Marya Small (at lower right) who played Frenchy,

with "Beauty School Drop Out".

Below, from Hairspray,

Clark Thorell as Corny Collins

and Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tracey

with "(It's) Hairspray!"

 Above, a West End performance of

Hot Mikado...

from which we'll hear 

"Braid The Raven Hair."

I think neither Gilbert NOR Sullivan envisioned a color scheme

like this for their original!

Below, 2 more pics from other "Hot" productions 

hither and thither...

 Included in our tribute to tresses,

Mary Martin lathering her locks

8 times a week for 2 years of a Broadway run

of South Pacific. 

Below, more shampooing about to commence with

Richard and Oscar

doing the honors for 

Mary and her replacements in the show:
Janet Blair and Martha Wright (1954).

 And in another country entirely,

Lena Horne and Ricardo Montalban

in Jamaica, 

a Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg musical from 1957.

The show was written specifically for

Harry Belafonte,

but when he fell ill,

the lead was shifted to Lena.

Super choreography by Jack Cole,

produced by David Merrick,

and it lasted 1.5 years on Broadway.

 Above, Lena with Josephine Premice and Ossie Davis.

Everybody got nominated,

but all came home empty-handed.

Below, a pic from the recording of the cast album.

 We'll hear "Push De Button,"

"Little Biscuit",

and "Cocoanut Sweet."