Cast members who formed the spiritual “tribe” that comprised the Public's 2008 outdoor presentation of Hair as well as the 2009 Broadway revival, reunited for a benefit celebrating the landmark tribal rock musical’s 50th anniversary. The performance took place October 25 as Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall.
Flip through photos of the benefit and party below:
Spring Awakening and Hamilton Tony nominee Jonathan Groff led the benefit cast as Claude, reprising his performance from the Public's Shakespeare in the Park staging. Completing the core trio was Will Swenson as Berger and Frozen-bound Caissie Levy as Sheila. The two co-starred in the 2009 Broadway revival, with Swenson earning a Tony nomination for his performance.
Hair has book and lyrics by the late Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and music by Galt MacDermot. The premiere production was the first indoor show produced by the Public Theater (at the time known as the New York Shakespeare Festival), inaugurating the Public's current Lafayette Street address. Under the direction of Gerald Freeman, Hair premiered at the Public October 17, 1967, and ran for six-weeks, prior to transferring to the Cheetah discotheque, where it ran through January of 1968. It transferred to Broadway's Biltmore Theatre in April 1968.
Hair returned to the Public first in 2007 for a three-night concert version at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, helmed by Diane Paulus. The director staged a full production at the Delacorte the following year, and in 2009, it transferred to Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The show's national tour returned to Broadway for a brief run in 2011.
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