Hair

Kokandy's Hair may be missing the sense of daring and immediacy that has defined their other recent critical successes, but it can still be a good time for those in search of familiar earworms sung beautifully.

Lastly, speaking of generations, this show lands differently in 2026. Hair is a celebration of peace, love, and joy associated with the youth culture of the Boomer generation. When the show was first produced, it was easy to go along with the idealism and righteousness that the story celebrates. However, with time and reflection, the question that kept nagging me as an audience member was when and why did this generation change their priorities?

“Politics have no place in theatre,” says a person who has no idea that some of the first-ever plays from Ancient Greece were political. From Antigone by Sophocles to Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, there has been no shortage of bold theatre spreading a message.

Zach Theater announced the full cast and creative team for the Tony Award-winning musical COME FROM AWAY, directed by Associate Artistic Director Cassie Abate at The Topfer at Zach in Austin, TX.

This Fourth of July, Pure Life Theatre, the City of Raleigh, and Seed Art Share will be presenting the 1968 groundbreaking rock musical, HAIR, in concert at Fred Fletcher Park. I recently got in touch with two of the people involved: Dylan Bailey, who's on the board of directors for Seed Art Share as president, and Wade Newhouse, who happens to be the director of this event. We discussed a lot of this and more.

Friendship is nearly always a side element in musicals. From the comic sidekick of the leading character to the backup pals who provide background vocals, friends are part of the fabric of many shows—but rarely are they the main event. 

Dancers Over 40 will present a celebration of GEORGE M! at 54 Below, directed by Broadway's Lawrence Leritz, featuring original cast members performing George M. Cohan songs from the 1968 Broadway musical.

The full cast has been revealed for the strictly limited run of Peter Quilter’s End of the Rainbow, at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. The cast features Jinkx Monsoon as Judy Garland.

The Mountaintop will be presented at The Warehouse Theatre this spring. The production brings Katori Hall’s acclaimed drama to the stage, reimagining the final night of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life.

UTA will present HAIR from April 2-12, exploring themes of protest and youth activism during the Vietnam War. The production features a collaborative team of students and faculty.

The Public Theater has announced initial casting for the Free Shakespeare in the Park production of ROMEO & JULIET at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

National Black Theatre will host its inaugural Spring Luncheon on March 16, 2026, honoring director Whitney White and producer Robyn Coles. The Harlem-based institution is celebrating Black women’s contributions to theatre while advancing its $100 million capital campaign.

In an exclusive clip from Soapy, Jonelle Allen is looking back at the fateful night when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Watch the clip, where she recalls learning the news during the intermission of George M! on Broadway.

What did our critic think of HAIR at Palm Canyon Theatre?

For the past two seasons, 14 or 15 new musicals have opened on Broadway. Even in the challenging first two seasons coming out of the pandemic, Broadway saw 8 or 9 new musicals opening. And in the last four full seasons prior to the pandemic, Broadway saw an average of 11 new musicals per season. What gives?

During and prior to the Golden Age of Broadway, songs regularly premiered on stage and then charted, spending time on the radio and becoming popular worldwide. In the 1960s, Broadway songs and popular music diverged, and work from musicals was no longer synonymous with chart hits. There have certainly been a good share of exceptions since that decade, as Broadway has evolved to mirror popular, current music genres. Several of the songs that have broken through to the Billboard charts can be heard on Broadway! 

The iconic rock musical Hair is back in a bold new Brazilian production directed by Charles Möeller and Claudio Botelho. Opening at São Paulo’s BTG Pactual Hall, the show celebrates the spirit of the 1960s counterculture — peace, love, and rebellion — through powerful anthems like Aquarius and Let the Sunshine In. With a cast of 30 led by Rodrigo Simas and Eduardo Borelli, this vibrant staging fuses rock, poetry, and raw emotion to explore freedom, identity, and protest in a turbulent era. Nearly six decades after its debut, Hair still pulses with youthful defiance and idealism, inviting audiences to sing, reflect, and feel the rhythm of a revolution that never truly ended.

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is October 27, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed over the weekend.

Diane Keaton made her Broadway debut in the original Broadway production of Hair at the age of 22. The landmark musical started out at the Public Theater off-Broadway in 1967 before transferring to the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway in 1968. Keaton joined the cast for the Broadway run, originating her track in the show.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report the passing of acclaimed actor Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning star of stage and screen. Keaton's death was first reported on Saturday, October 11.

The historic Vagabond Players-the nation's oldest continuously operating little theater-will kick off its milestone 110th Season with HAIR, the groundbreaking 'American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Learn more!

Arts Mission Oak Cliff will present its production of the groundbreaking rock musical HAIR at Arts Mission Oak Cliff. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets here!

Theatre By The Sea wrapped up its 92nd season with the hip-swaying, leg-lunging Elvis bio-musical Heartbreak Hotel that had the near sell-out crowd dancing and strutting down their own memory lane of the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley.

It’s no coincidence that Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite opens Hillbarn’s historic 85th season, for it was 85 years ago that the comedy opened on Broadway. Since 1968, Hillbarn and Simon have created an artistic bond, being the most produced playwright in their history.

'Hair' the musical begins its run at Arts Bonita in July, and is set to run for two weekends. 'Hair' is a rock musical that debuted on Broadway in 1968 after a year of off-Broadway runs. Learn more!