Gavin Creel (Cast Signed) "HAIR" Will Swenson 2009 Broadway Souvenir Program

Description

This is a rare autographed souvenir program from the
Broadway revival of the groundbreaking GEROME RAGNI, JAMES RADO and GALT MacDERMOT American Tribal Love-Rock Musical "HAIR" at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York City. (The revival opened March 31st, 2009 and ran for 519 performances.) ..... Winner of the 2009 Tony Award for "Best Revival of a Musical", the show starred WILL SWENSON as "Berger" and GAVIN CREEL as "Claude" and featured SASHA ALLEN, ALLISON CASE, CAISSIE LEVY, DARIUS NICHOLS, BRYCE RYNESS, KACIE SHEIK, ATO BLANKSON-WOOD, STEEL BURKHARDT, JACKIE BURNS, BRIANA CARLSON-GOODMAN, LAUREN ELDER, ALLISON GUINN, CHASTEN HARMON, ANTHONY HOLLOCK, JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON, KAITLIN KIYAN, ANDREW KOBER, JOSH LAMON, MEGAN LAWRENCE, NICOLE LEWIS, RYAN LINK, JOHN MORURO, BRANDON PEARSON, MEGAN REINKING, PARIS REMILLARD, MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT, SAYCON SENGBLOH, MAYA SHARPE, THEO STOCKMAN and TOMMAR WILSON ..... Note: The front cover was signed by cast members WILL SWENSON, GAVIN CREEL, SASHA ALLEN, ALLISON CASE, DARIUS NICHOLS, KACIE SHEIK, LAUREN ELDER, ALLISON GUINN, KAITLIN KIYAN and three others. The program will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity ..... Historical note: "HAIR" is a rock musical which was the product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960's. Several of its songs became anthems of the anti–Vietnam War peace movement. The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality, its irreverence for the American flag, and its nude scene caused much controversy and as a result initially made it difficult to find a home in a Broadway theatre. The show broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of the "rock musical" and utilizing a racially-integrated cast.
Hair
was conceived by actors JAMES RADO and GEROME RAGNI (both members of the Original Cast). The two actors met in 1964, when they acted together in the Off-Broadway play
Hang Down Your Head and Die
, and they began writing
Hair
together in early 1965. The main characters of Claude and Berger were autobiographical, Rado's "Claude" being the pensive romantic and Ragni's "Berger" the extrovert. Their close relationship, sometimes volatile, is symbolized in the show by the well known ballad "Easy to be Hard". In addition to the two authors, the Original Broadway Cast included a young DIANE KEATON and MELBA MOORE. Other prominent actors and singers who have appeared in productions throughout the U.S. and abroad include JILL O'HARA, TIM CURRY, MEAT LOAF, ELAINE PAIGE, JOE MANTEGNA, PAUL JABARA, BEN VEREEN, KEITH CARRADINE, TED NEELEY, JOBRIATH, JENNIFER WARREN, DAVID PATRICK KELLY, PHILIP MICHAEL THOMAS, DONNA SUMMER, RICHARD O'BRIEN ("The Rocky Horror Show"), ANDRE DeSHIELDS, PAUL NICHOLAS, SHARON REDD and REG LIVERMORE. (Reprinted in part from Wikipedia.) ..... CREDITS: Music by GALT MacDERMOT ("Hair", "Two Gentlemen of Verona", "Dude", "Via Galactica", "The Human Comedy"); Book and Lyrics by GEROME RAGNI and JAMES RADO; Sets designed by SCOTT PASK; Costumes designed by MICHAEL McDONALD; Choreographed by KAROLE ARMITAGE; Directed by DIANE PAULUS; Produced by THE PUBLIC THEATRE, JEFFREY RICHARDS, JERRY FRANKEL, GARY GOODARD ENTERTAINMENT, KATHLEEN K. JOHNSON, NEDERLANDER PRODUCTIONS, INC., FRAN KIRMSER PRODUCTIONS, JED BERNSTEIN, MARC FRANKEL, BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA, WENCARLAR PRODUCTIONS, JK PRODUCTIONS, ANDY SANDBERG, JAM THEATRICALS, THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY, NORTON HERRICK, JUJAMCYN THEATERS and JOEY PARNES by special arrangement with ELIZABETH IRELAND McCANN
..... DETAILS: The oversized 24 page program measures 9" X 12" inches and includes promotional and historical text and page after page of full color production photos. Includes a six panel bi-fold insert with
full production credits, individual photos of each of the cast members and bios of each actor and member of the creative team. Also includes "A Be-In - Love-In - Flower Power" flyer
..... CONDITION: With the exception of minor edge wear, this rare program is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.