Los Angeles, CA, USA, August 15, 2008 – Amidst the growing anti-war protests and economic uncertainty, I would like to draw attention to works of art from the 1960s that have made an impact in my life. Do you remember the bright signs of the day and the black lights? Remember the rock art of The Fillmore play bills that we all keep? Do you remember the image of Hair the American Tribal Love Rock Musical? All this and more will always remain in my mind as a memory of a time of innocence. Drugs, sex, and rock and roll were a part of life for most baby boomers when we weren’t afraid to get high and attend an anti-war peace protest. I will always remember protesting the Vietnam War in New York and a blurry case of running over the rocks and hills in Central Park when we were chased by the police at a Schaefer Music Festival Concert in Central Park. We can all relive the experiences of going to Led Zeppelin, Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, Black Sabbath and Grand Funk Rail Road concerts… What a great time we had!… Quaaludes, Benzedrine, Tuinals, Seconals. Someone from the Boones Farm? Even though most of us are clean and sober now…it’s still fun to remember those great days.
My memories of the Hippie movement are resonating more today than ever with the revival of Hair the American Tribal Love Rock Musical, free concert at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The message is resonating stronger among the world’s youth and young adults today than perhaps ever before. When recently asked about the resonance and resurgence of this iconic symbol with today’s young adults, legendary producer Michael Butler responded emphatically: “It’s not coming back, it never went away, Hair’s message is more relevant today than ever. “. More than 11 million people have seen the work, approximately a quarter of a billion have heard the music. It’s in dozens of productions around the world as we speak. In fact, a third of all American actors have had some association with Hair. been a force for good for nearly four decades.

The Age of Aquarius times of running as free as a bird was a time in history where we lived in the moment with no care in the world. Hair, the first ever rock opera, opened in 1968 and we all traveled to the city from Long Island and New Jersey to participate in this community offering that gave us a taste of the decade of the flower children, of the that we were all very fond of. part of. It surprised the public by its lyrics and themes, as well as by the nudity on stage. The original script contains a nude scene, but it is not essential to the plot and individual productions may choose to include it or not. The original script also contains some racist language which, again, can be edited in today’s scenario.

As recently reported on “USA Today,” New York-based trend forecasting think tank The Trends Research Institute found something unique in American history, a new generation looking back in time at looking for inspiration…specifically, the 1960s.

“Hair” grew out of a new downtown spirit embraced by the radical and charismatic Joseph Papp, who in the mid-’60s was adding Public Theater to his New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. After a brief run at a nightclub called the Cheetah, Michael Butler, heir to a Chicago newspaper fortune, resumed the show. Tom O’Horgan reassembled and prepared it for Broadway in 1968.

“As I look at my old posters, play posters, and concert flyers that I have collected over the years, I have fond memories of my childhood in the 1960s. As a child, living in Southern California was quite nice. Saving my allowance buying the latest albums, going to concerts… it was all so exciting. One of my happiest memories is seeing the tour production of the musical Hair… and I still have the booklet for it. In the Last few years I have been collecting Hair posters from all over the world, in different languages ​​from different tribes!The best poster in my collection is the reproduction of the original from the 1968 Broadway opening.There is something fascinating about the aura photographed around the actor’s head. I love the colors of this piece of art that promotes brotherly love and world peace”……says Myrle Atchley of Mississippi.

There are a lot of great ’60s pop artists; I love Andy Warhol, John Van Hamersveld, Roy Lichtenstein, and Bob Massy. There is something truly special about the work that Russoli and Rodriquez created for Hair. They were experimenting with the aura technique in photography. When producer Michael Butler approached them with the idea of ​​creating marketing for the new play, he introduced them to Steve Curry, one of the original cast in the upcoming Broadway production of Hair. The play opened on April 29 at The Biltmore Theater in New York and sold out every night and ran for 1,750 performances. I was 16 at West Hempstead High School when my girlfriend’s mom took us to Manhattan to see the show.

Forty years later, I love the art that hangs on my wall. Frame, hang and enjoy as the art takes you through the memories and journey of our lives.

Art imitates life and we are witnesses of how today’s youth let go and make what we lived in the sixties parallel to what is happening in the world today.

Onward with the Hairy revolution.