NBC’s Next Live Musical Is a Classic
Hot on the heels of the success of NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert, the network has announced that they’re taking on another classic musical next year: Hair.
According to Variety, Hair Live is scheduled to air in spring 2019. The show originally made its off-Broadway debut in 1967 before opening the next year on Broadway, where it ran for 1,750 performances. In the time since, there have been multiple revivals, including a feature-film adaptation in the 1970s and a Tony-winning run in 2009.
“When we both, individually, saw Hair on Broadway, we were knocked out by how musical theater could be stretched into something so daring, immersive, and audacious,” executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said in a joint statement, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“Its recent Broadway revival showed how timeless the show is and that it’s relevant to any era. Hair is filled with heartfelt emotion, joy, and thrilling music, and it really will be the new dawning of the Age of Aquarius,” they added, referencing one of the musical’s songs, which became a number-one hit alongside other Hair tunes including “Let the Sun Shine In” and “Good Morning Starshine.”
The producers have yet to announce any casting news for Hair Live, but there will be plenty of roles to fill. The musical tells the story of a group of politically active friends living in New York during the Vietnam War and the rise of hippie counterculture. It features free love, drugs, and — famously — onstage nudity.
Who do you think should star in Hair Live? Let us know @BritandCo!
(photo via Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Tony Awards)
