At almost sixty years of his debut, the director Simone Nardini brings to the scene “Hair”, the musical that praises peace and that seems to have never been more current
At the Museum of American History Whitney Museum in New York hesitates a painting depicting a comb and locks. Just that picture seems to have been inspired by the title of A musical that would become a planetary symbol against the war in Vietnam. The story of a group of hippies that in the heart of the Central Park rebels against the war, praising freedom to three hundred and sixty degrees and which has seen among its theatrical protagonists a very young Diane Keaton and in Italy of the same new Loredana Bertè and Renato Zero.
Almost sixty years after his debut, “Hair” Of Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot, has never been so current, in a historical period where conflicts seem to be the master.
In 2019, on the occasion of his fiftieth anniversary, a new Italian version was born produced by MTS Entertainment and directed by Simone Nardini, however stoppated by Covid. But the period of wars and discrimination we are experiencing, could not go unnoticed by theatrical sensitivity, and also thanks to the collaboration of the Carcano Theater, since November Hair The Tribal Love – Rock Musical will moor on Italian theatrical scenes in a completely renewed version, with music and dialogues entirely in Italian, always under the guidance of Simone Nardini, What a cure direction, scenes and customs.
Simone, when he made his debut at the theater, the musical collected several complaints for obscene acts in public place. Will you be faithful to the original bringing the full nude?
“Absolutely yes, because the world has not changed, and not only for the wars. The low lights in the nude scene have been introduced since the mid -eighties, first was full light, as we will return to do. The will of the authors, in fact, is to try to return the strength that the show was almost sixty years ago, trying to avoid the complaints! The nude has a double meaning within the show. The first symbolizes the beauty of being. The same and there is nothing to be ashamed to be oneself.
Have you had difficulty finding actors willing to interpret the nude scene?
“By absurd I have had more difficulties now, in 2025, than in 2019. Because reality is scary. Young people are used to seeing and (some) to do everything through social media. But the social network still remains a screen that filters you, for which the right importance is not given to actions. It is as if the screen of the mobile phone can protect in some way from true life, as if it were a protection that does not make reality real. difficult.
The historical period could not be more coherent and appropriate
“I go back to the office with Hair, because the current moment requires it, the context seems almost centered today than its time of drafting and representation. An ideal manifesto of young people who sing their desire for peace and freedom. Hair wants to be a moment of social reflection. With the need to find the original simplicity, both in the form and in the visual aspect. The show deals in fact important themes: the sexual freedom that the protagonists express with a sincereness that social conventions and the use of drugs, which give only an illusory escape from reality, a blunder that transforms into slavery. “
To learn more about these themes, meetings with you will be organized, with the cast, accompanied by historians, scholars, sociologists and psychologists in Milan and in the other stages of the tour
“The theater must be entertainment, especially if we are talking about musical. But it is also a moment of aggregation and social and cultural reflection. At a time like this, more than ever, it seemed to me right to combine parallel activities. The young spectators will be able, for example, to meet a psychologist to talk about drugs, because the show praises the freedom of drugs, but in reality this emancipation deny you freedom at the moment. Then the possibility before the show to speak of war, because the boys must understand that the conflict is not only what is happening today in Gaza or Ukraine.
Departure November 22 at the Manzoni Theater in Monza. New Italian cast, live band directed by Eleonora Beddini, engaging choreography curated by Eleonora Mosca; Everything to finally celebrate “The era of the aquarium”, in an immersive reality where, at least at the theater, you can sing “When the Moon is in the Seventh House and the Jupiter Aligs With Mars, then the Peace Will Guide the Planets”. “When the moon enters the seventh house and Jupiter will align with Mars, peace will guide the planets.”
