Everything We Know So Far About NBC’s ‘Hair Live!’ Musical
NBC has announced its next live musical spectacular: Hair Live!
The 1960s rock musical “tells the story of a group of politically active hippies living a bohemian life in New York while fighting against and resisting the Vietnam War. Claude, his good friends Berger and Sheila, and their ‘tribe’ are coming of age in the world of the sexual revolution while struggling with their rebellion against the war and their conservative parents and society.
“Claude must decide whether to resist the draft as his friends have done, or succumb to the pressures of conservative America to serve in Vietnam, compromising his principles and beliefs,” according to a press release.
The production will premiere on May 19, 2019, and here are all the details we know so far:
Directors
Diane Paulus — stage direction (worked on revival on Broadway and received a Tony nomination)
Alex Rudzinski — live TV production
Executive producers
Craig Zadan
Neil Meron
Alex Rudzinski
Cast
To be announced
“We have the dream team to bring Hair Live! vividly to life and create another unforgettable night of live television,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment said in a statement.
“I was at the electrifying opening night of Diane Paulus’ Tony-winning revival of Hair 10 years ago and was blown away by how relevant and utterly joyous this show became in her hands. She is one of the most successful directors working in the theatre today, and we’re thrilled she will be collaborating with Alex Rudzinski, the most daring director working in live musical television.”
“This show also has one of the great scores of all time with songs that climbed the charts 50 years ago and have since become iconic hits in our pop culture,” he concluded.
Hair Live! is the follow-up production to NBC’s mega-successful rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, which received 13 Emmy nominations including Outstanding Variety Special. Superstar‘s three lead actors — John Legend (Jesus Christ), Sara Bareilles (Mary Magdalene), and Brandon Victor Dixon (Judas) — all received nominations as well.
Hair originally opened on Broadway in 1968, with music by Galt MacDermot and book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and featuring iconic songs like “Aquarius,” “Good Morning Starshine” and “Hair.”
Also in the works at NBC is a live version of Bye Bye Birdie starring Jennifer Lopez but that project has been moved back several times because of the performer’s hectic schedule.
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