On This Day, April 29, 1968, the groundbreaking rock musical Hair made its Broadway debut at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City. This iconoclastic “American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” took the Great White Way by storm with its boldly unconventional style and counter-cultural themes.
Hair rejected the traditional format of Broadway shows, instead fusing rock music, lyrics celebrating 1960s youth movements, and controversial subject matter like racism, environmentalism, sexual freedom and especially opposition to the Vietnam War draft.
From its memorable opening banner “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius” to scenes depicting nudity and drug use, Hair defied conventions while capturing the rebellious spirit of the decade’s social revolutions.
The musical’s rock anthems like “Let the Sunshine In,” “Good Morning Starshine” and “Hair” resonated powerfully with the younger generation questioning authority. Its integrated casting was also groundbreaking for Broadway at the time.
Originally conceived and performed by actor/writers exploring experimental theatre, Hair’s overwhelming success launched an unexpected Broadway run lasting over four years until 1972. It revitalized the musical genre while serving as a pivotal emotional outlet for Vietnam War era counterculture.
The premiere of Hair on April 29, 1968 marked Broadway’s embrace of provocative material reflecting Americans’ changing social consciousness. Its messages promoting peace, love and freedom over the restrictive status quo made it an indelible cultural milestone.
