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| View Larger Image | Hair: Let the Sunshine In | DVDStarring: Tim Curry, Melba Moore, Ben Vereen, Keith Carradine, Milos Forman
Directed By: Wolfgang Held, Pola Rapaport
Also With: Wolfgang Held (Cinematographer), Galt MacDermot (Composer), Yen Le Van (Editor)
| List Price: | $24.98 | | Price: | $22.49 | | You Save: | $2.49 (10%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | DVD | | Rating: |  | | Run Time: | 55 minutes | | Format: | Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC | | Studio: | Alive Mind | | Number of Discs: | 1 | | Aspect Ratio: | 1.66:1 | | Release Date: | December 09, 2008 | | Sales Rank: | 12,678th |
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FEATURES | - Since its overwhelming success on Broadway forty years ago, HAIR has inspired generations with its messages of love, non-violence and liberation. This definitive and entertaining documentary highlights the continuing relevance of the show and its still radical, transformative power. A wealth of archival footage covers US and international productions and portrays an era, a generation and its polit
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Description
Since its overwhelming success on Broadway forty years ago, HAIR has inspired generations with its messages of love, non-violence and liberation. This definitive and entertaining documentary highlights the continuing relevance of the show and its still-radical, transformative power. A wealth of archival footage covers US and international productions and portrays an era, a generation and its politics. The efforts of author and co-creator Jim Rado to bring HAIR’s vibrant energy and fantastic score to life once again merges with historical interviews and new segments featuring Milos Forman, Keith Carradine, Ben Vereen, Tim Curry, Melba Moore, Tom O’Horgan, Michael Butler and others from the original productions. With the US again mired in a prolonged and unpopular war, HAIR: Let the Sun Shine In documents how a new generation is inspired by its cry for peace, love and change. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 8 reviews)
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Let the Sunshine In by V. Jackson (Lakewood, OH)  4 Stars
September 10, 2009
Great documentary exploring the history of the musical, the creators and the life and times of the 60's.
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fine documentary about Hair--ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL MUSICALS EVER !!! by Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service)  5 Stars
July 31, 2009
This outstanding documentary about the musical Hair held my attention every step of the way! The archival clips are wonderfully spread throughout the film; and we get so much interview footage, both old and new, with cast members and more. We even see members of the current cast of Hair as they practice for the current production of the Broadway show. This documentary has excellent bonus interview footage and overall it's truly a fine documentary for one of the best musicals ever produced.
Ben Vereen, who acted in the original stage play, refers to Hair as a "movement;" and he is very much correct. Hair captured the essence of what so many young Americans thought about the war in Vietnam during the late 1960s. This documentary shows that Hair did not shy away from displaying the lives of these young people as people; they were not merely a "bunch of hippies" to be thoughtlessly discarded by society. The film shows how the musical brought out the hopes of this generation who openly questioned authority and spurned conventions, even doing a nude scene on stage was acceptable and indeed a declaration that the human body is beautiful and nothing to be ashamed of.
As for that archival footage, there's certainly no shortage of it. We see James Rado and Gerome Ragni on The Johnny Carson Show in 1968; and there's some footage of the cast of Hair performing a number on the same TV show as well. Look for a rather young Tim Curry being interviewed and we see Director Milos Forman reflect on his motion picture version of Hair. Hair actors Melba Moore and Keith Carradine also provide good insight and reflections on the original stage play; and it's all fascinating.
In addition, this motion picture makes it clear that, sadly, certain things have not changed. While the young people in the 1960s truly thought they were changing the world as they hoped so much to create a true Utopia; this perfect way of life has yet to be. The war in Vietnam raged on then; and the war in Iraq rages on today. Utopia remains a concept more than anything that, at least for now, could ever truly exist. But wow, how I give those young men and women credit for what they did to take their stand against the war!
All in all, this is probably the best documentary film available on Hair. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves the musical either in its original version, the movie version or the current version running on Broadway as I write this. If you add this to your DVD collection, you won't be disappointed.
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Generous 5-Stars For *VINTAGE* Hair Performances! by Alex Honda (Los Angeles, CA USA) 5 Stars
July 03, 2009
The 55-minute documentary HAIR: LET THE SUNSHINE IN is pretty entertaining and gives the viewer a glimpse into the legendary Broadway show that revolutionized musical theater.
There's some great vintage performances of the original tribe including creators James Rado and Gerome Ragni as they perform in 1968 on "The Smothers Brothers" and "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," and includes footage of the marquees of the various theaters that was showing the musical and newspaper reviews of "Hair" from that time period.
Rado (Claude) talks about the inspiration he and Gerome Ragni (Berger), fellow actor and writer of "Hair," had as they created the story that would not only change Broadway but would become a movement and a snapshot of one of the most turbulent times in America. Director Tom O'Horgan, producer Michael Butler, author Scott Miller Let the Sun Shine In: The Genius of HAIR, producer of the international versions of "Hair" Betrand Castelli, and the brilliant Galt McDermot who put the lyrics to music, all make appearances as does Milos Forman (who did the 1979 movie remake Hair) in the present day.
The film also makes comparisons to that era with today by showing footage from wars and protests from then with now. And there's footage of a new cast--not the one that's on Broadway now in 2009-this doc was made in 2007.
Highlights inlcude:
***Original Cast Members from various tribes remembering "Hair"--Very young Tim Curry (French interview vintage) and Melba Moore, Keith Carradine, Ben Vereen, Mary Lorrie Davis and Jonathon Johnson (interviews done in the present/2007).
***Vintage performances from the original tribes and photos, along with vintage interviews.
***Vintage footage of the real hippies and youth movement of the time.
The EXTRAS are almost an hour, running at 57:24, but they don't really add anything.
***Milos Forman interview discusses Madonna who auditioned for the movie, how Treat Williams got the part of Berger, and Cheryl Barnes performance that blew him away.
***More of Ben Vereen's interview.
***Director Tom O'Horgan directing an acting workshop with a new cast of "Hair" and other workshops with various tribes (i.e. Los Angeles). Although these workshop scenes are interesting to watch it doesn't really add anything other than to let the viewer see how the original cast might have been rehearsed. Again, this is not the cast that's on Broadway now.
I would have liked to see more of the interview with Melba Moore. Moore took over the role of "Sheila" after Diane Keaton went on to another play-- according to Moore's interview in the movie--and this added another dimension to the show since it now dealt with inter-racial couple/trio.
Also, no Donna Summer interview. She was in the Munich production and writes about it in Ordinary Girl: The Journey. Perhaps the documentary's creators, Pola Rapaport and Wolfgang Held, couldn't get Summer but you'd think that she want to be a part of this documentary since she wrote in her book that getting the role in "Hair" and moving to Germany was a life altering experience and one that was so important to her career.
Oh well, maybe with the success of this new revival on Broadway the documentary will be extended. Anyway, it's a pretty decent inside look at the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical HAIR!
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Great Show, Middling Documentary by E. Chris Caggiano (Boston, MA USA)  3 Stars
June 04, 2009
Coinciding with the successful Broadway revival of Hair comes the DVD release of the 2007 documentary Hair: Let the Sun Shine In. The film was created by Wolfgang Held and Pola Rapaport, and it represents an attempt to examine the cultural phenomenon that was Hair in the 1960s as well as the social context that surrounded and gave rise to the show.
Such a powerful and important musical really deserves a better testament than Held and Rapaport provide. The 55-minute film spends about 45 minutes heaping blind and unrestrained praise on the show's creators and producers. Included in the film are interviews with librettist/lyricist James Rado, composer Galt MacDermot, and director Tom O'Horgan, who passed away earlier this year. Rado's writing partner Gerome Ragni died in 1991, before the making of the film. Also on hand are various cast members, including Ben Vereen, Keith Carradine, and Melba Moore.
The film includes a lot of vague hippie speak about creating a new kind of theater and reflecting the zeitgeist and whatnot, but there really isn't any compelling social or critical analysis. To be sure, there's some interesting footage here of the original Broadway cast of Hair, as well as various international productions. And there's some illustrative stock footage of the Vietnam War and the Kent State massacre, which does help bring put the social setting in relief. But Held and Rapaport seem to have mistaken juxtaposition for synthesis. There's really no effort here to provide a coherent thesis.
The most annoying footage involves the cast of some New York production of Hair involving Rado and O'Horgan, but it's really not clear which production this is. The footage features a lot of self-satisfied young performers showing off for the camera, very pleased with themselves to be involved in such a worthy and important show, but not reflecting for a second that they understood anything about the show.
In the last ten minutes, Held and Rapaport throw in some interesting but undeveloped references to drug use during the Broadway run, tensions between Rado and Ragni, and a sad but irrelevant mention of cast members that later died of AIDS. The one truly compelling sequence involved an actor who played Woof on the show's national tour. The show had been receiving bomb threats from various conservative groups. One night, the stage manager came up to the actor during a performance and said that they had to leave. The hotel where their respective families were staying had been fire bombed. Ultimately both men lost their wives, and the actor lost two young daughters, to the blaze. According to the film, the perpetrators were never caught.
Overall, the film is worth a watch, but it's certainly not of lasting quality. Fortunately, the shows that inspired the film is.
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Okay everybody; today we'll be "walking in space".... by N. Knott 5 Stars
March 12, 2009
This is a great behind-the-scenes documentary and a priceless tool for todays young theatre performers on how to tap into older shows energies for better understanding. I saw the original "Hair" and it blew the lid off theatre as I knew it then. Then I was involved in a local production that ran aground due to censorship and bigotry. Then I took in the next generation touring company and was appalled at their total lack of understanding the piece, the era, and the mind-set of we hippies from which the extraordinary plot evolved. With a new production about to open on Broadway and another war raging overseas "Hair" is as relevent as ever and this informative film is to be treasured. Young people take note! My favorite part is actually in the extras when we get to see (and join in if the spirit moves you) Tom O'Horgan workshopping with a young cast. My one complaint is that the televised clips of cast performances should have been shown in their entirety under the "extras" section for their historical value and just for fun. A superb theatre documentary. The only thing that would make me happier is if they'd re-release the original French cast recording and the "DisinHAIRited" album. Both are overdue. Peace.
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SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
| Good HAIR Days: A Personal Journey with the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical HAIR
by Jonathan Johnson (Author)
HAIR—a musical revolution that defined a generation. Seen by over 30 million people in its first 4 years, it became a cultural phenomenon and a worldwide success. It rocked and shocked the world and was the training ground for many of today’s biggest stars. Good HAIR Days, written by original cast member Jonathon Johnson, offers an insider's look into the Broadway musical HAIR. Johnson is joined by original producer Michael Butler and over 25 original cast members who share their...
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| Let the Sun Shine In: The Genius of HAIR
by Scott Miller (Author)
Whether youre a fan wanting to relive the time that extolled peace, love, and understanding - and sex, drugs, and rock n roll! - or a theatre professional needing insightful analysis for a production, read Scott Miller and know the true genius of Hair.
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| Hair
Starring: John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo, Annie Golden, Dorsey Wright
Directed By: Milos Forman
Also With: Jean Talvin (Cinematographer), Lester Persky (Producer), Michael Butler (Producer), Robert Greenhut (Producer), Gerome Ragni (Writer), James Rado (Writer), Michael Weller (Writer)
Brimming with the energy, passion and music that rocked a nation, Hair is an entertaining and powerful tribute to the turbulent spirit of the '60s. Brilliantly recreated by OscarÂ(r)-winning* director Milos Forman and screenwriter Michael Weller (Ragtime), this vibrant screen version of the Broadway phenomenon ranks "among the best film musicals" (The Hollywood Reporter)! Fresh from the farm, Claude Bukowski (John Savage, The Thin Red Line) arrives in New York City for a date with the Army...
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| Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording)
by The New Broadway Cast Recording
HAIR, featuring book and lyrics by the late Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, opened to rave reviews on Broadway March 31, 2009 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Under the direction of Diane Paulus, Hair arrives on Broadway after a run as part of the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park 2008. The cast of the Broadway revival of Hair features Will Swenson as Berger, Tony nominee Gavin Creel as Claude, Sasha Allen as Dionne, Caissie Levy as Sheila, Allison Case as Crissy,...
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| Hair - The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (1968 Original Broadway Cast)
by James Rado, Gerome Ragni
Galt MacDermot (Composer)
"America's First Tribal Love-Rock Musical," went the advertising, and nobody could argue with that. Hair opened on Broadway in 1968 and immediately became a smash, although no one could quite discern what it was about. Something like, "War is bad, drugs are good, racism bites the big one, and nudity is nice." Although all these sentiments are expressed on this album which, like the show, has not dated well, the quality of the music makes it forgiveable. The songs weren't really rock, but they...
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