HAIR to Play Al Hirschfeld Theatre; Previews Begin February 13

The New York Times is reporting that HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical which played this summer to sold out houses at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park will play Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theater (currently home to A TALE OF TWO CITIES). Previews begin on February 13, 2009 with the official opening set for March 5, 2009. 

At this time there is no word on who from the previous cast will transfer to the new production which will be co-produced by Elizabeth I. McCann and the Public Theater.

Directed by Diane Paulus with book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, this critically acclaimed revival of the classic 1967 musical extended three times during its Shakespeare in the Park run and closed on Sunday, September 14.

HAIR was the show that, in 1967, officially opened The Public Theater's long-time home on Lafayette Street.  HAIR has the distinction of being the first off-Broadway musical to transfer to Broadway.  It moved to Broadway on April 29, 1968 and ran for 1,873 performances.

The cast for HAIR in the park featured Ato Blankson-Wood (Tribe), Steel Burkhardt (Tribe), Jackie Burns (Black Boys Trio/Tribe), Allison Case (Crissy), Lauren Elder (Tribe), Allison Guinn (Tribe), Christopher J. Hanke (Claude), Anthony Hollock (Tribe), Kaitlin Kiyan (Tribe), Andrew Kober (Father/Margaret Mead),  Megan Lawrence (Mother), Nicole Lewis (White Boys Trio / Tribe), Caren Lyn Manuel (Sheila), Patina Renea Miller (Dionne), John Moauro (Tribe), Darius Nichols (Hud), Brandon Pearson (Tribe), Megan Reinking (Black Boys Trio / Tribe), Paris Remillard (Tribe), Bryce Ryness (Woof), Saycon Sengbloh (White Boys Trio / Tribe), Maya Sharpe (Tribe), Kacie Sheik (Jeanie), Theo Stockman (Tribe), Will Swenson (Berger), and Tommar Wilson (Tribe).

HAIR features scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Michael McDonald, lighting design by Michael Chybowski, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, and choreography by Karole Armitage.

Diane Paulus (Director) is the creator and director of The Donkey Show, which ran for six years off-Broadway and toured internationally. Her theater credits include Turandot: Rumble for the Ring (Bay Street Theatre); The Golden Mickeys (Disney Creative Entertainment); Best of Both Worlds (Music-Theatre Group and The Women's Project); The Karaoke Show (Jordan Roth Productions); the Obie Award-winning Pulitzer Prize finalist Running Man; Swimming With Watermelons (Project 400); Brutal Imagination; the Obie-winning Eli's Comin. Opera credits include Le Nozze Di Figaro, Turn of the Screw, Cosi Fan Tutte, Il Ritorno D'ulisse In Patria, L'Incoronazione di Poppea, and Orfeo (all Chicago Opera Theater; Orfeo was also presented at BAM). Recipient: Peter Ivers Visiting Artist Fellowship (Harvard); Directing Fellowship (the Drama League).

THE PUBLIC THEATER (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director) was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 as the Shakespeare Workshop and is now one of the nation's preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals, productions of Shakespeare, and other classics at its headquarters on Lafayette Street and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.  The Public's mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day on stage and through its extensive outreach and education programs. Each year, over 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at six downtown stages, including Joe's Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public has won 40 Tony Awards, 145 Obies, 39 Drama Desk Awards, 24 Lucille Lortel Awards and 4 Pulitzer Prizes.

Photo by Michal Daniel