0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge
0:09
After a smash hit run this past summer in Central Park's Delacourt Theater, the 60s
0:15
rock musical Hair is back on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theater, and we're here to celebrate with the cast on opening night
0:30
Throw it, show it long as God can throw in my head
0:52
Forty years later, we're in another effect. More so, though. I would say more so
1:00
for you with moving it from the park to Broadway? Well, keeping the contact with the audience
1:05
not saying now we're on Broadway and we're on a stage and we're in a theater and it's got to be the way Broadway is
1:11
Actually, doing it on Broadway gave us a lot to rebel against. You know, we're going to come out in the theater
1:16
we're going to climb those upholstered chairs, we're going to touch you and we're going to, you know
1:20
make contact with the audience. And that was what mattered, was that communion
1:25
that love fest with the audience. It an electric food It an electric food It an electric food It started at the public in the fall of 1967 Nobody could believe Joe Pap was producing this scruffy downtown musical
2:03
And 42 years later, here we are back on Broadway. Because the piece, which at one time was an incredibly contemporary risk
2:11
has become a classic. And it's a classic that's associated with all of the values of the public theater
2:16
You know, it feels like a lot of pressure sometimes, but such a beautiful and powerful song
2:21
and just knowing that I have the audience right there and you know is this the first thing that they're hearing
2:28
It's so empowering and I feel so blessed to get to do that every night
2:32
When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars
2:43
then peace will climb the planet and love will still This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, the age of Aquarians
3:02
Aquarius, Aquarius. Aquarius
3:12
We wanted to bring it back and we thought it, we knew eventually, we had a feeling that eventually it would come back
3:17
and we worked on the text of some of the The lyrics, a couple new songs
3:24
We worked on expanding or making you as strong as possible. And I feel we worked with a director who understood that process and cooperated with us
3:34
and went along helping us with that process. And it was a great result
3:39
Me and Lucifer. Lucifer and me
3:51
Just like the angel that fell banished forever to hell today have I been expelled from high school heaven Elevada going down going down going down everybody going down going down
4:05
Our director was smart, and she set the show at a theater
4:13
as if the hippies had taken over the theater instead of trying to say we're in the park because that makes a separation between the audience and the actors
4:20
We're all in the theater. We're all experiencing the same moment at the same time
4:25
There's lots of audience interaction. I think we ramped that up a little bit. So there's much more of the fourth wall being broken
4:32
The cast is in the audience a lot, messing with people and having fun and talking to them and dancing with them and whatnot
4:39
So it's working really well so far. There's so much to love about Sheila
4:43
I really connect to her so much, probably more so than any other role I've ever played
4:47
I love her passion and her fire, but her vulnerability. and her very strong sense of self
4:53
and her determination to end the war and her belief that one person can change the world
4:58
one person doing the right thing can change the world. I think she's a fascinating character and I feel very lucky to be playing her
5:04
Especially people who care about strangers who say they care about social injustice
5:20
We care about the bleeding crowd. How about a needing friend
5:29
I need a friend. How can people have no feelings
5:39
How can they ignore their friends? Easy to be hard. Easy to be cold easy to be proud easy to be proud easy to say no
6:14
I'm buzzing like never before. Like the whole yesterday I was saying, I called Will last night and just said I feel like
6:21
I feel like I'm in junior high school. Like I've never done a play before. Like I've never been to New York before
6:25
I don't know. I think the show just sort of generates a newness
6:30
I love it. I'm so happy to be here. Moving a paper and fantasy
6:55
Resting for the new toad eyes, With some creep, they're done some lonely tears
7:04
Singing on a space song on a spider web, Sinty, life is around you and with you
7:45
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Ha! Ha
