The 70s Spectacular comes to a close this week with actress Natalie Walker joining us to discuss 1979 and Milos Forman's adaptation of Hair. The brainchild of Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni, and James Redo, Hair took Broadway by storm in the late 1960s for its narrative and political audacity, presenting the free-love and anti-war hippie movement of the time. Forman wanted to bring the musical to the screen after seeing the Off-Broadway production, but wouldn't achieve that goal until after his One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Oscar victory. This delay turned the once ripped-from-the-headlines musical into old news when it eventually became a film.
This episode, we discuss the 2009 Broadway revival and the changes made to the film to give the story a more linear structure. We also discuss the best hair of 1970s cinema, Dustin Hoffman being a monster on the set of Kramer vs. Kramer, and Actors Fund Benefit concerts.
Topics also include the follow-up musical Dude, step and repeat falls, and "gliddy glop gloopy".
I bought this soundtrack CD set without having heard a single note of the music, solely on the recommendation that it was both good and highly niche.
The CD comes with a thin booklet that credits the cast, but certainly no lyrics, and I have almost no idea what the musical/opera is even ABOUT, and am not likely to work that out for a while by just half-listening to some songs. But at least it’s pleasant on the ears!
Post to mark the death of James Rado, co-lyricist of the Broadway hit Hair. Here, from Milos Forman’s film of the show, is Ren Woods’ performance of “Aquarius” with choreography by Twyla Tharp.
_______________________________
Aquarius
Lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni; Music by Galt MacDermot
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius
Aquarius!
Aquarius!
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golding living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revalation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius!
Aquarius!
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius
Aquarius!
Aquarius!
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golding living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revalation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius!
Aquarius!
The New Broadway Cast Recording
HAIR
The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
Cast:
Sasha Allen, Ato Blankson-Wood, Steel Burkhardt, Jackie Burns, Allison Case, Gavin Creel, Lauren Elder, Allison Guinn, Anthony Hollock, Kaitlin Kiyan, Andrew Kober, Megan Lawrence, Caissie Levy, Nicole Lewis, John Moauro, Darius Nichols, Brandon Pearson, Megan Reinking, Paris Remillard, Bryce Ryness, Saycon Sengbloh, Maya Sharpe, Kacie Sheik, Theo Stockman, Will Swenson, Tommar Wilson
Musicians:
Seymour 'Red' Press, Nadia DiGiallonardo, Lon Hoyt, Steve Bargonetti, Andrew Schwartz, Wilbur Bascomb, Jr, Allen Won, Elaine Burt, Rondald Buttacavoli, Christian Jaudes, Vincent MacDermot, Joe Cardello, Bernard Purdie
MacDermot, a Canadian who was primarily a jazz musician, (...) blended his obsession with the music of Duke Ellington with that of artists such as Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela.
He regarded Hair, which betrays these influences, as “a total funk show”, even though the subject matter of the libretto and songs by Gerome Ragni and James Rado encompassed psychedelic trips, tribal chorales, poignant ballads and the soulful rock splendour of the sensational opening and closing numbers, Age of Aquarius and Let the Sunshine In.