Hair: Let the Sun Shine In

In their persuasive documentary Hair: Let the Sun Shine In, Pola Rapaport and Wolfgang Held present the famed musical as more than just a popular stage production that spawned a soundtrack and a movie. As Ben Vereen states, “Hair is not a show, it's a movement.” With its storyline revolving around the military draft, racial injustice, free love, drugs, and other topical concerns, Hair offered a no-holds-barred portrait of the late 1960s. Creator Jim Rado (who played the role of Claude) and Stephanie Ragni, widow of co-creator Gerome Ragni, briefly talk about the production's origins, while other interviewees discuss the musical's significance and their connection to the material. Czechoslovakian director Milos Forman, who would later direct the big screen adaptation, admits he didn't understand much of the English dialogue initially, but “loved the tunes.” In addition to archival footage of both Hair and the era (Vietnam, Kent State, etc.), the documentary also features excerpts from Rado's casting sessions for a 2007 revival. Other interviewees include U.S. producer Michael Butler, international producer Bertrand Castelli, composer Galt MacDermot, and performers Keith Carradine, Melba Moore, and Tim Curry. While Hair: Let the Sun Shine In is a celebration of this countercultural classic, the film doesn't shy away from the dark side of the production's history, such as the lives lost to drug addiction and AIDS, and a suspicious hotel fire (Hair received threats from a variety of organizations, from the Weathermen to the John Birch Society). DVD extras include casting workshop footage and extended interviews with Rado, Forman, and Vereen. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)