This is amazing. And the cast is so talented. But if you see the production on Ed Sullivan from 1968 (on RU-vid), you notice how much more dramatic rage that cast had; the stakes were higher. The members probably lost classmates in Vietnam. Both productions give me goosebumps, but the the original just tears me up.
This is so true.Thanks for mentioning.I was 17 at the time in a few yrs I was in college with protests taking place on my and campuses all over the country b/c of the Kent State Shootings.B/C of the protests at Columbia and other unis. throughout the country I have revisited these times.This time to my suprise with still anger at '73 and little hope.
Yes ! Definitely more emotional than this one !! Those kids were living it bavk then, and were able to sing exactly what they were feeling. Not just covering a famous song. And Melba Moore in the original....WOW !!!!! Never can be anyone better than her !!!
I am so glad you said this. I have an acquaintance that was in the OBC 1960's, and yes this looks visually and in the acting to be like a dramatization of what 2009 thought 1969 looked like. Not as authentic. Also vocally, and this happened also with Rent from its opening to closing productions, the vocals and the mix are not as gritty or raw. It sounds overproduced, more in line with pop music today vs. pop music in the eras when these two shows originally were produced. The casts of both productions of Hair are/were talented no doubt, and Rado and McDermot were still at hand for the 2009 production. But I still prefer the original with Moore, Keaton, Rado, Ragni, and all the amazing actors that moved through that OBC cast.
Inspired by your insight enough to comment 💯. The 68 cast didn’t need all the excessive movement. The emotion and reality was completely part of their beings.
I saw Hair on stage in 2010, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The final number, "Let The Sunshine In" ended up with the whole audience on stage, with the whole cast and the musicians, everybody singing the song a capella. A great moment that gives me goosebumps until today. ❤
I still want the hippies to win. I feel these songs deeply. When they were written, the USA was involved in a futile and deadly war in Vietnam, cutting down young people for a lost cause. The young protested continually, but the administrations did not change their policies on the war. The young people wanting peace - protesters, were actually shot. And the war escalated. I guess "Hair" is a protest film and a cry for sanity from a younger generation. It certainly produced some great music.
I went recently to Washington DC and it’s a pretty interesting city yet sad. These war memorials are a shame because of all the people involved, not to mention the innocents killed abroad. When I got to the White House I saw some people protesting against war in Palestine. It’s a little glimpse of hope. Keep protesting about the military system!
Thank you for posting this! I watched this show when it first aired in 2009, and it's easily one of my favorite musical performances and moments from the Late Show. Thank you, Dave, for spotlighting Broadway shows on the Late Show! The great Bernard Purdie is on drums here. I played the drums for my high school's production of "Hair" in the spring of my senior year. Treasured memories!
I saw a revival at the Queens Theater in the round in the late 70s. I was a young teen. I was so excited when they called me up I was trembling with joy! ✨️🌸
I can smell the incense burning! My pre-teen years were in the 70's and I had an aunt who was the epitome of the 60's and 70's flower-child and her home always smelled like incense, weed, cigarettes man-balls and stale alcohol.
I just saw this show at a local community theater tonight and that finale is like being at a be-in and church service all at the same time. It was awesome! The cast came out into the audience and everyone was standing and jamming to "let the sun shine". It was a truly memorable experience.
It's like a DeLorean back to 1969. When you get older, you miss your "hair". Maybe I'll rewrite the script into a geezer version called "Dome" to (somehow) glorify lack of hair the same way.
We've come a distance since Hairs first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, all those years ago. A different world, the performers (back then) looked like a weird Manson hippy cult. The men were uglier and more prominent, the black performers were treated like extras and the act of breaking out into the audience had a real edge, as if it were an act of rebellion, leaving the host dazed and confused with poppies in his hands. The performance on Letterman was glorious and beautiful in comparison.
Ed was pretty confused about how the network allowed them the run of the theatre, but decided to enjoy himself since they weren’t damaging anything and were including him by giving him that lei.
@@JonathanMcKeyI’ve watched the Ed Sullivan performance in question, and I think I find myself agreeing with you-though I hope I’m not completely misunderstanding you, as I think there’s a typographic error with the word “lei” at the end by which I’m a little perplexed. I found Ed Sullivan to have been somewhat surprised by the cast’s engagement with the audience, but pleasantly so. While there’s certainly some question of a generational divide at play, I do strongly suspect he had some respect for the quality of the musical composition. I’m always impressed by Ed Sullivan’s ease and comfort in presenting contemporary popular culture. It reflects very well on him, and it was certainly not a given for someone in his position, nor for someone his age.
@@jocelynhamilton7624 I watched it back and made a mistake, I saw flowers and them putting a necklace on him, and didn't pay well enough attention. It's a peace necklace that they put on, and handed him flowers.
Unpopular opinion: Broadway needs more revivals. The new generation of musicals doesn’t appeal as much as the old ones. They want to appeal to younger generations, but they prefer pop singers’ concerts. Make Broadway for the old generations. Imagine being able to see Hair, Hairspray, A Chorus Line, 42nd street, Mamma Mia, Les Mis, Mary Poppins and others on a single trip to New York.
It lacks the spiritual dimension und uniqueness of the original. This is a soulless narcissistic copy. There are things that should remain untouched and not be spoiled and ruined. It has fallen out of its time. Now is end time and not Aquarius!
James Rado (January 23, 1932-June 21, 2022). He, along with the late Gerome Ragni, was the brains behind HAIR!. He passed away at the age of 90. Rado originated the role of Claude on Broadway, performing opposite Gerome Ragni as Berger. Mr. Rado was the last surviving member of the HAIR! creators. Mr. Rado and Mr. Ragni were working on a sequel to "Hair!" in 1992. Unfortunately, Mr. Ragni passed away from cancer. Mr. Rado finally wrote a sequel to HAIR! called Billy Earth, written in 2006 with his brother Ted. Billy Earth couldn't find solid backing, so, if I recall correctly, he assembled the 2009 HAIR! revival.
Not only recreating performance from the Ed Sullivan show including going into the audience during let the sunshine in. The very moments that Hal Gurney envisioned when talking Dave into doing the show from the Ed Sullivan Theater.
I had the immense privelege of appearing in a production of HAIR many years ago on a European tour. Most amazing 3 months of my life. It was every bit as much fun as it looks
@@64andyjh then I probably saw you when I was 6 years old. One of the best musicals I ever saw, I was absolutely stunned then! My parents celebrated it so much!
whenever stage performers are singing with accentuated mouth movements, it always reminds me of when I was a kid, being forced to sing in some class musical performance, and my parents telling me "you need to move your mouth more" even though I thought I was. So, I'm talking about the woman on the left at 2:25, because I suppose that's what my parents wanted to see in me LOL
I saw HAIR in New York in 1971 , it is one of my fondest memories. I was awestruck ...it was amazing !! Wish I could go back in time and see it all over again.
A few years ago we forgot and recently we were reminded how fragile peace is. In one of the first pieces of human literature, Homer summerised the dynamics of conflict in a single phrase: Aὐτὸς γὰρ ἐφέλκεται ἄνδρα σίδηρος (Odyssey XIX.13) For iron (the weapon) by itself tempts a man to use it.
If you don't own a home. plant potatoes along hiking trails. Most people don't know what potato plants look like so you will have the advantage of picking a nuritional dense food that will peivide saety and make you feel full.
This is awesome but I came because I misread a comment on the Ed Sullivan clip. I thought this was going to be the Original Cast Reunion Performance. Oh well...lol....Let The Sunshine In anyhow! 😂
