In 1967 Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical officially opened the Public Theatre's longtime home on Lafayette Street in Manhattan before moving to Broadway in 1968. This summer, the Public restaged the groundbreaking musical as part of its landmark Shakespeare in the Park program, with Jonathan Groff—he starred as Melchior Gabor in the Tony Award-winning Spring Awakening—in the role of Claude. It stands to reason that a play called Hair would require an exclusive haircare partner, and that honor went to Bumble and bumble. As part of the deal, costume designer Michael McDonald had access to the haircare giant's services and products. "The '60s hippie hair never had it so good," McDonald says.
 Marianne Dougherty |
Guests at an opening-night after-party went home with custom-designed "Bumble Loves Hair" gift bags filled with a selection of Bumble and bumble products. "We all know Bumble and bumble loves hair. Now we've made it official," said Peter Lichtenthal, president of Bumble and bumble. "The musical's celebration of individuality and nonconformity reinforces Bumble's own philosophy toward the craft of hairdressing. The collaboration is yet another step Bumble is taking to further our reputation among industry insiders and consumers alike as the go-to source for professional-quality products, hair talent and creativity."
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I was lucky enough to catch a performance with our senior editor, Lori Morris. I had never seen the play—it's far superior to the movie, by the way—but I'd worn a groove into the sound track when I was in college and knew the words to every song. Lori, on the other hand, wasn't even born when boys were being drafted and sent to Vietnam. Still, the play resonated with both of us. Its issues—an unpopular war, racism, pollution, gender—are as relevant today as they were in 1968. Somehow I thought we'd have resolved some of them by now. —Marianne Dougherty, editor in chief, [email protected]