B4, BROADWAY ("Hair")

     This week saw a a completed unexpected an unguided look at Broadway. After a quick visit to angel-stagedoor.blogspot.com, I realized I wouldn't be learning much about Broadway without either learning Spanish, or seeking another source. As my assignment was to comment on my favorite shows, I felt that an outside source may be of more benefit than finding a translator. While scrolling down the page on blogspot, I saw a heading, that seemed somewhat recognizable and warranted further exploration.

     "The Sixties (Let the Sunshine In)." From what little I could gather from the speckled in bits of English, this was an article about "Hair". From my limited scope, I often forget that American Productions are often translated and performed around the world. "Si anadimos a ello su exitoso estreno en Londres y la realizacion de la pelicula de Milos Forman en 1979 -y todas las representaciones que se han sucedido en multiples lugares del planeta- Podemos afirmar que Hair, mas que un fenomeno teatral o musical, fue un fenomeno social estrechamente unido al momento en que se creo y a lo que estaba ocurriendo en el mundo en aquellos anos." While I have a limited understanding of Spanish (owing to 2 years of Spanish Class and growing up in Los Angeles), I believe this excerpt from the blogspot page is saying that "Hair" was translated into multiple languages and performed around the planet.

     Music has often been described as the universal language. Of course, many of the musical terms that musicians respond to from sheet music come from the Italian language. Words such as "Andante", "Vivace", "Fortissimo", and "Accelerando". Although, the text for a singer still holds the same communicative barriers inherent in understanding foreign language, the emotions of the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic content are quite perceivable and need no further translation or explanation. This becomes a valuable resource when conveying a story line that communicates a specific culture. The study of cultures has long since recognized components of music, food, art, religion, clothing, and such as defining features. Perhaps translating the text and keeping the musical context of the story, allows productions such as "Hair" to transcend barriers and allow people of other cultures a more authentic look at the 1960's hippie counter-culture movement.

     According to broadwaymusicalhome.com, "Hair" is "the first rock musical to hit the Great White Way - the product of hippie counter-culture and the sexual revolution of the 1960s". Opening night for the Broadway Premiere was on April 29th, 1968. It wasn't until over 10 years later that the production was translated and performed around the world in different languages. Given this type of timeframe, I imagine audiences feeling as though they had opened some sort of time capsule. Perhaps this kind of glimpse into an American counter-culture gave them insight into the roots of the 1970s America they would have been reading about in the newspaper and watching on television.

     The ability for music to transcend cultural and language barriers is nothing less than astounding. The ability to translate text, and bring productions to other cultures around the world is no small thing either. I personally find it very cool that we can experience art and music from people and from a time that we have to other connection to. It's a way of connecting people where there would otherwise be no connection. Music is a gift, and we are fortunate to experience and share it with our fellow man.


Works Cited:

angel-stagedoor.blogspot.com/
www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/hair.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ0R3-JFpmU