Fifty years on from Australia’s first glimpse of 'Hair', the radical and rebellious counter-culture musical has returned to the stage.
The reflective piece based in the heart of the '60s hippie movement will once again ask audiences to think about the way in which we view today’s societal problems and needs.
Originally produced by the late Harry M. Miller, 'Hair' was a popular production consistently selling out Sydney’s Metro Theatre to audiences who were eager to see ‘something new’ which combined traditional Broadway elements with the excitement that was felt on the streets during the anti-war protests of the '60s.
Today, the production aims to tackle much of the same issues as the original from a more contemporary look at politics. It stars Paulini and Hugh Sheridan.
“'Hair' is essentially about the Vietnam War originally when it was written and the protesting of young American people going overseas and coming back dead and the country being involved in a war which was completely undeclared on another country,” Director of the brand-new, revamped production of the classic, Cameron Menzies says.
“So I mean that’s the origins of the piece and that’s still what the piece is about. Now looking at that type of piece in 2019 is very different but also sadly at the same time very much the same. A lot of the politics are about different events and different things today, but we still have similar issues like environment and war and all those ongoing issues in the world, so in terms of the context of the piece it really is still very relevant. It’s still all set in the '60s and it’s still all relevant to the Vietnam War, but I feel like we have to put it through a slightly different filter for a 2019 audience and I think that will be the difference between the original production and the production coming this year.”
The Vietnam War was widely known for its guerilla warfare tactics and huge casualty count from both allied and enemy sides, but the growing commonality of television in the living rooms of working-class families changed the way the world would view war forever.
“It had such a massive impact in America at the time because it was one of the first wars to constantly be in people’s living rooms.
“It was one of the first televised wars, people would be sitting down for dinner and the Vietnam War would be on in their lounge room which changed war a lot in society and it became a lot harder for governments to hide what was actually happening, or to clean up what the public was seeing. So it sort of started this anti-war movement in America which is what 'Hair' is the reflection of.”
The musical itself follows the story of the 'tribe', a group of long-haired hippies living a bohemian lifestyle in rejection of conscription into the Vietnam War.
“The design of the piece has a very sort of '60s hippie silhouette to it but it has a slight modern edge as well, it will still effectively look like a 1960s hippie movement because I think it has to. At times, the set will look very organic and at other times it will look quite industrial and metal. Towards the end where protest is coming more to the forefront of the story, the set becomes sort of aggressive and slightly more metallic.”
The music of the production also plays a hefty part in the accurate reflection of the '60s culture with many of the original production's songs going on to become anthems of the anti-Vietnam War Peace Movement.
“In terms of the music we have an onstage band, so the audience will see them playing as well and they will be slightly integrated through the storytelling as the night progresses.
“There were some arrangements done back in the early 2000s which we’ll be using for the production, but the band is also incorporated into the set, so they will appear almost like other characters in the piece.”
Hair Tour Dates
25-29 September – Illawarra Performing Arts Centre3-6 October – Sydney Opera House
11-12 October – Home Of The Arts Gold Coast
