Broadway Breakdown

Episode: HAIR w/ Robbie Rozelle

Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: Robbie Rozelle
Date: February 9, 2023

Episode Overview

In this vibrant and unfiltered episode, host Matt Koplik and returning guest Robbie Rozelle dive deep into the history, culture, and enduring legacy of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. As part of the "Big Move" series—dedicated to musicals that transferred from Off-Broadway to Broadway—they dissect everything from HAIR’s tumultuous development to its impact on musical theater and popular culture. The episode is peppered with passionate critique, personal anecdotes, and plenty of laughs (and four-letter words), making it as irreverent and high-energy as HAIR itself.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Histories with HAIR

• [03:40] Robbie discovered HAIR through cast albums and his musical theater-obsessed dad but encountered it deeply only in high school and later in a college production.
  • “Hair first came into my life as a cast album. My father listened to a lot of, like, 70s rock...”
• [07:06] Matt recounts his mother’s fandom; her unique ways of connecting via its cast recording, and the generational disconnect when watching the revival.
  • “There were three CDs I could play that would get her in a better mood… and the third was the original Broadway cast recording of Hair.”
• [09:16] Discussing audience reactions across generations; those who saw each iteration seemed to favor their own—leading to the recurring theme: "it's not as good as the first time."

2. Summary & Structure of HAIR

• [11:50] Both agree that HAIR is more vibes than plot—a collection of I Am songs, vignettes, and review-like numbers centered on Claude’s draft dilemma.
  • “Hair very much is like the chess of its time in that no two versions are alike… it’s like working for hippies because it’s very much like a revue.”
  • “If there’s one major plot thread, it is Claude... getting drafted and not burning his card and ultimately choosing to go to Vietnam to fight, and he dies at the end.”

3. From Downtown to Broadway: HAIR's Origins & Development

• [15:28] The genesis: Written by James Rado and Jerome Ragni (book/lyrics), with music by Galt McDermott. Inspired by their lives, the counterculture, and news articles about kids expelled for long hair.
• [19:27] HAIR becomes the first musical staged by the Public Theater and Joseph Papp, changing the direction of the Public’s purpose and commercial thinking.
  • “Hair was the first show done at the Public... and it kind of ruined [Papp’s] thinking as an artistic director for the Public afterwards.”
• [27:43] The infamous “Cheetah” discotheque run, a failed commercial experiment before the show's overhaul and Broadway transfer.

4. Transformation for Broadway & Cultural Shockwaves

• [31:55] Michael Butler buys the rights, hires Tom O’Horgan to reimagine it, and the musical is substantially rewritten, refocused on broad appeal but with much of its wild authenticity lost (according to contemporaries).
  • “Butler bought the rights and had three months to overhaul Hair... majority new cast.”
• [33:48] HAIR's competition at the 1969 Tonys: up against 1776, Promises, Promises, and Zorba. Despite popularity and cultural impact, HAIR doesn't win Best Musical.
• [38:42] The Broadway community viewed HAIR with suspicion and occasionally outright derision, as evidenced by laughter during Tony nominations.

5. Inside the Original Production

• [36:40] Wild, messy, and intoxicating atmosphere; frequent real drug use onstage; creative chaos reigned, making it feel both spontaneous and dangerous.
  • “On a show like Hair, you were considered professional if you showed up.” – Melba Moore ([36:40])
• [53:14] Nudity becomes a defining feature—introduced during Broadway previews, never required, and gradually expanded, becoming a major media talking point.

6. Cast Highlights & Later Legends

• [32:48, 60:39] Star replacements and future stars who came through HAIR: Melba Moore, Diane Keaton, Keith Carradine, Meat Loaf, Ben Vereen, Joe Butler, Robin McNamara, and more.
  • “Melba Moore eats that album. My God, Her vocals... She’s doing the heavy lifting.” ([35:49])

7. Musical Evolution, Albums, and Reinterpretation

• [14:45] HAIR as an "almost no skip album"—it spawns endless covers, international recordings, and remains a favorite for Broadway and pop singers (with debatable results).
  • “Hair, I think, was the first Broadway musical to have multiple non-English speaking cast recordings, like, so close to the original album coming out.”
• [57:27] Its music’s international success is compared to Fiddler on the Roof—overcoming its distinctly American context through universal themes and infectious songs.

8. Modern Revivals & Enduring Appeal

• [50:42] Revivals, failed and successful: The 2001 Encores! version (with Idina Menzel) is seen as flat and over-choreographed; the 2009 Diane Paulus-directed revival is celebrated for re-capturing its raw energy within a Broadway frame.
  • “Kathleen Marshall did it. Did the production of Hair at Encores. Way too danced. And, like, doesn’t have any kind of flow. It’s very. Stop. Starty.” ([50:19])
• [67:36] Cultural context shapes the show's effectiveness—each generation views HAIR in relation to its own social climate.
• [101:52] Rent is deemed the closest descendant to HAIR’s sound and spirit, but nothing since has quite captured its blend of counterculture, rock, and theatrical anarchy.

9. Legacy, Influence, and Why HAIR Endures

• [100:17] Hair’s influence: Solidifies the "concept musical" form, pushes the boundaries of acceptable content, and opens doors for rock music on Broadway.
• [103:19] Endures due to the universality and adaptability of its music and structure; because it’s more “vibe” than plot, each new production reinvents it for its time.
  • “Because it is a bit of a blank canvas of storytelling, there’s a lot you can project onto it... When something’s not really giving you specifics, it’s the Bella Swan syndrome... every young woman in America who read it could picture herself…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On generational reactions:
  “Everyone who saw the previous iteration of HAIR is less enthused with the next iteration... everyone’s just always a little bit, ‘it’s not as good as the first time.’” — Matt Koplik ([03:17])
• On the anarchic spirit:
  “On a show like HAIR, you were considered professional if you showed up.” — Melba Moore, quoted by Matt ([36:40])
• On the absence of plot:
  “HAIR very much is like the chess of its time in that no two versions are alike... I also think that it’s like Working for hippies, because it’s very much like a revue.” — Robbie Rozelle ([11:52])
• On cultural impact:
  “Hair kind of ruined [Joseph Papp’s] thinking as an artistic director for the Public afterwards.” — Matt ([18:50])
• On the Broadway album:
  “I’ll always prefer the Melba Moore ‘White Boys’ to anything. And it’s not even the most—the arrangements aren’t even that extraordinary. It’s just the energy of—the authenticity of it.” — Matt ([58:57])
• On the naked scene:
  “Apparently they discussed it once and then it was never talked about again. And then in the first preview, three of them just stood up naked during that number. And a lot of other cast members were like, what, what, what’s happening right now?” — Robbie ([53:46])
• On bringing it back too soon:
  “Every show needs a breather and moment to be missed and then come back with fresh eyes.” — Robbie ([67:04])
• On the show’s survival:
  “That cast album and it having so many hit songs fly out from it really kept it in the zeitgeist... but that cast album being as good as it is is truly what keeps people coming back to it and returning to the well.” — Robbie ([104:32])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:40] Robbie’s personal history with HAIR
• [07:06] Matt’s family connection and multi-generational HAIR love
• [11:50] How to describe the show’s plot (or lack thereof)
• [15:28] HAIR’s origins with Rado, Ragni, and the Public Theater
• [27:43] The Cheetah Discotheque run
• [31:55] Transformation for Broadway; Tom O’Horgan’s role; cast overhaul
• [33:48] 1969 Tony Awards context and competition
• [36:40] Cast experience, creative chaos, and drug use backstage
• [53:14] Origin and expansion of the nude scene
• [57:27] International success and global adaptability
• [50:42 / 67:12] Revivals, including Encores! and the 2009 Paulus revival
• [100:17] What HAIR changed for the American musical
• [103:04] Why HAIR endures today

Final Takeaways and Advice for Future Productions

• Stay raw and messy: “Don’t be too pretty with it. It’s not a pretty story and they are not songs to be sung prettily.” ([94:51])
• Embrace the tribe: The magic comes from the ensemble’s real connections; productions often create almost familial bonds among cast members.
• Remember the context but refresh the vibe: Each successful revival tailors HAIR to the spirit and issues of its moment; don’t fear reimagining.
• Don’t over-choreograph: Movement should feel organic, improvised, not boxed and neat.

Closing

This episode is a raucous, loving tribute to HAIR’s strangeness, profundity, and enduring relevance, balancing fun facts, sharp commentary, and a healthy dose of irreverence. Whether you're a first-timer or a life-long tribe member, you’ll walk away ready to let the sunshine in.

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