HAIR: LET THE SUN SHINE IN
Pola Rapaport
Blinding Light Films
Music and Theater Documentary
USA/France, 2008, 55 min.
Sponsored by the Salem College Center for Women Writers

Thur., May 21, 7 PM, at Carswell Hall, Wake Forest University

Synopsis from the Filmmaker:

The genesis, life and renaissance of "Hair," the most revolutionary musical of its time: a poetic and explosive condensation of the spirit of the 60's. A young troupe makes the social and political meaning of the musical more relevant than ever, setting it against the backdrop of the Iraq War.

By 1972, "Hair" had been performed in more than twenty productions around the world, and had been seen by 30 million people. Since then, it has had a profound influence socially and politically.

Featuring actors Keith Carradine, Melba Moore, Ben Vereen; directors Milos Forman and Tom O'Horgan; producer Michael Butler and authors Jim Rado and Gait MacDermot.

Interviews from the original cast, directors and choreographers lend levity to a piece of pop culture that has inspired and become an iconic beacon of protest. The film makes the viewer more aware of the difficulties of staging radical theater! art in the context of the times, while illustrating the possibilities and consequences of challenging the mainstream. -TS