[Mb-hair] Re: A Message from Michael Butler

[Walter Michael Harris]

Michael,

Your "tent tour" plan for HAIR was inspired, timely and visionary. 
 Having come to know you much better in the last three years than in the 
last thirty, I feel your frustration and share your heartbreak.

Well all share the feeling that if there was ever a time for HAIR it's 
now, with the country run by lunatics and the world in disarray.  It's a 
complete mystery to me why Jim and/or Galt would take such a stance with 
you, the founder of their feast.  I feel bad when I consider how much of 
your heart, time and effort has gone into the planning and re-planning 
of this project over the last ten years, and how much money and 
opportunity has been lost.

But life has taught me there is more to the seen than to the unseen. 
 Perhaps the derailment of this tour could be a blessing in disguise for 
you in ways we can't know.  When I lost my leg, not long after leaving 
HAIR in 1969, I felt my life had taken a major turn for the worse.  It 
wasn't until years later that I understood how the twists and turns of 
serendipidy, positive and seemingly negative, that attended this 
negative and debilitating experience, ultimately led me to Patty (my 
wife), her kids, and the life I enjoy now.

Were it not for the events that followed in the wake of losing my leg, I 
don't believe I would be in this happiest of circumstances.

Not a perfect analogy - I know.  But take comfort from the thousands of 
millions souls that HAIR inspired - and lives transformed - because of 
your initiative all those years ago and since.  I'm one of them, and 
forever grateful to you.

You know very well that when you're trying to do something, and one 
obstacle after another gets in the way and it feels like you're swimming 
upstream, it's time to cut your losses and set your sights on a new 
direction.  Not to go biblical on you, but as the book says, shake the 
dust off of your feet.  Don't let this shake your knightly spirit.

Yours in rising above,

WMH

***


Hair at Michael Butler Online wrote:

>
>
> REPORT ON HAIR
>
> I have been asked often why I am not producing Hair at this time. The 
> message of Hair is so appropriate during the current political season 
> that many wonder why it is not touring. I finally agreed to explain, 
> to clarify the reasons why the Liberty Tour of Hair was canceled.
>
> The simple answer; I was turned down by the authors.
>
> For more than seven years this tour was in preparation. I put other 
> projects on the back burner, to their and my detriment. The authors 
> delayed choosing a Director. I worked with engineers and financial 
> consultants to create the Festival concept which had been approved by 
> the authors (this concept was a traveling theatre surrounded by a 
> theme park of Haight Ashbury & Greenwich Village).
>
> Then, after a great deal of time and resources had been put into this 
> concept, the authors changed their minds and killed the Festival plan. 
> This forced us to seek out a standard tour at a time when the road had 
> more product than any time in memory. A major booking company tried to 
> mount a tour for us but had to withdraw. However, our GM was able to 
> put a beginning tour together. Finally the authors finalized a 
> Director and for the second time we started auditions, casting for a 
> tour to start in Boston the 20th of January. We requested a few weeks 
> delay to complete our financing. We secured financing before the 
> requested date but still they turned me down. None of us, nor others 
> who have asked, have been able to get an explanation for this 
> decision. From a rational point of view it is difficult to understand.
>
> For me the damage has been difficult to accept. Artistically I was 
> offended by Rado’s constant tinkering with the book and changing 
> lyrics. MacDermot was so disinterested that he did not attend 
> auditions. Financially this was very bad, hundreds of thousands went 
> to the Festival planning and over five years of overhead with advances 
> being paid the authors. However the worst problem has been the mental, 
> emotional, and even spiritual fallout.
>
> You probably will recollect that back in 1967 every producer turned 
> Hair down, including initially Joe Papp. I did Hair because I loved 
> it, but more importantly because I considered it a very important 
> statement at a time of great divisions in America. Now we are faced 
> with a time far more perilous in our history. It is a time when the 
> message of Hair is so needed. Thus, due to the authors decision, an 
> important platform of dissent is being kept from the public. I had 
> worked out a plan with Global Youth for registration of young voters 
> at performances on the Liberty Tour.
>
> Now Hair is reportedly being brought out by a commercial producing 
> entity in 2005. For me and many others the horse will have left the 
> barn. Notwithstanding that I have spent decades giving Hair priority 
> and with others would be considered a parent of Hair, the authors have 
> the legal right to do what they have done. I have only myself to blame 
> for being so naive as to believe that Peace and Love was everyone's 
> message.
>
>
> Michael Butler
> 12 August 2004
>
>
>