ABSTRACT
This chapter makes connections between national identity and musical theatre by proposing associations between nation and narration. It situates Hair in its cultural and historical moment by surveying the landscape of the Broadway musical in the sixties, alongside the advent of Off-Off-Broadway techniques, placing both in the historical context of the decade. Fundamentally arguing that Hair represents a rejection of established Broadway traditions, this chapter explores both the structure of the musical and its musical language to assert its position as a ‘fragmented’ musical. In exploring how Hair was initially received, the chapter reaches the ultimate conclusion that this musical represented a break with established traditions, reflecting therefore similar attitudes which were prevalent in society.
