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Browne, Sarah University of Winchester ‘Hair: The Performance of Rebellion in American Musical Theatre of the 1960s’ Sarah Elisabeth Browne ORCID: 0000-0003-2002-9794 Doctor of Philosophy December 2017 This Thesis has been completed as a requirement for a postgraduate research degree of the University of Winchester DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT STATEMENT Declaration: No portion of the work referred to in the Thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. I confirm that this Thesis is entirely my own work. Copyright: Copyright © YEAR Sarah Elisabeth Browne ORCID: 0000-0003-2002-9794 This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acKnowledgement. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the author. Details may be obtained from the RKE Centre, University of Winchester. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writing) of the author. No profit may be made from selling, copying or licensing the author’s worK with further agreement. Intellectual Property Statement I confirm that the work in this thesis is the property of Sarah Elisabeth Browne. The images used in this thesis are in the public domain. Copyright license has not been obtained for musical excerpts and these, along with the images, will be removed after examination and prior to publication. These will be replaced with source information to allow the reader to find the original material. 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr John Pymm, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Wolverhampton for his professional support and sponsoring my studies. Equally, my thanks go to the staff in the department of music for supporting me in my managerial duties, with special thanks to Dr Paul Johnson and Dr Richard Glover for their collegiate support and sage advice in the final stages. I place on record my sincere gratitude to Professor Millie Taylor, Dr Marilena Zaroulia and Dr Marianne Sharpe for their support, guidance and mentorship throughout the course of my studies. My deepest thanks to Galt MacDermot and his family; his son, Vince, and daughter-in-law, MaryAnne for their patience and kind words of advice. Special thanks should go to all the music and musical theatre students I have had the pleasure of teaching during the past 24 years of my career: thank you for your thought-provoking discussions, you always inspire me to seek new ways to approach musical theatre. Gratitude is also extended to those who continued to encourage me along the way; I am indebted to Gillian Morris, Mary Langford and Malcolm Proctor. To my father for fostering my love of music from the sixties which is where this all began. Most importantly, my eternal thanks to my partner, Shaun Carvill. For stimulating debate, for endless hours of listening to my thoughts and written words (and finishing the washing-up), I thank you. This thesis would not exist without your patience, encouragement and support. Finally, I dedicate this work to the late Maureen Ann Browne. My mother, my guide, and my friend: you are missed. 2 UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER ABSTRACT Hair: The Performance of Rebellion in American Musical Theatre of the 1960s Sarah Elisabeth Browne ORCID: 0000-0003-2002-9794 Doctor of Philosophy December, 2017 Abstract This thesis considers the musical, Hair as a seminal moment in musical theatre history. In examining this musical’s social and historical context, the study explores the ways in which Hair raises cultural consciousness through its approach to representing marginalised identities on-stage. The analysis presented illustrates how Hair considered America’s Others and in doing so, asserts that both race and gender are not fixed and are instead fluid, created in-process and in response to cultural influences. Exploring the intersections of race, gender, age, and popular culture, this thesis utilises an approach grounded in critical musicology to illustrate the manner in which Hair can be considered as a form of rebellion, or resistance enacted against the established traditions of the Broadway stage. The thesis argues that Hair is the product of a postmodern age and, in considering how the theatrical ‘text’ is re-imagined beyond its original production, further asserts that Hair has resonances that, in themselves take on new meanings in altered contexts. Concluding that the ways in which it both reflects and informs the fragmented society from which it evolves, and contributes to the development of musical theatre, this thesis ultimately proposes that Hair can be considered as utopian as a result of occupying a liminal space in the history of musical theatre and placing those on the margins at the centre of its narrative. This work explores the varied and multiple ways in which Hair speaks to the urgency – and possibility – of social change. Keywords: Musical theatre, Hair, identity, race, gender, popular music, resistance, rebellion, utopia, counter culture 3 LIST OF CONTENTS Page Number Declaration and Copyright Statement 1 Acknowledgements 2 Abstract 3 List of Contents 4 List of Figures 5 Introduction 6 Chapter 1: Hair and National Identity 55 Chapter 2: Hair and Race 83 Chapter 3: Hair and Gender 132 Chapter 4: Hair and Rebellion 187 Chapter 5: Hair and Utopia 218 Conclusion 250 Bibliography 259 Appendices 278 4 List of Figures Chapter One Figure 1.1: List of musical numbers and their functions in Hair 69-70 5 Introduction The main objective of my thesis will be to explore the performance of rebellion in American musical theatre of the 1960s, with specific reference to the musical, Hair, which premiered at the Public Theatre on October 17th, 1967. In doing so, I will argue that Hair presents a seminal moment in musical theatre history. My thesis will propose that musicological, structural and dramatic aspects of this musical indicate a shift in the way in which musical theatre is both written and received. Through exploring and interrogating how marginal identities are represented on stage, I will consider how Hair reflects American popular culture of the sixties and captures the beliefs and aspirations of the counter-cultural movement of the decade; in short, I read Hair as both shaping and being a product of the cultural moment of its production. In turn, such a reading will highlight how the creation and reception of musical theatre has shifted, marking a point of rebellion and evolution for both the genre and the larger cultural context. This thesis represents an original contribution to the field of musical theatre studies in that it offers an extended and detailed analysis of Hair which utilises musicology, cultural studies, and performance studies to illuminate how this musical can be considered to be a seminal moment in the history of the genre. In the thesis, I explore the ways in which rebellion can be considered to be performative. It is therefore necessary to outline and define what is understood by the term ‘rebellion’ and consider the performative dynamics of resistance. My observations will be underpinned by an investigation of the peculiarities of the resistance displayed (and performed) in the United States during the sixties. Historically, this decade is defined by the rise of the youth culture and the emergence of new social attitudes that were considered to be ‘counter’ to the dominant, parental culture. Historians of the sixties such as Marwick, Roszak, and Kimball recognise that the counter-culture was formed of minority groups, but often note that the political concerns of the Civil Rights movements of this decade were too great to be considered in conjunction with the political projects of the young minority. However, it is clear that regardless of the definitions provided by 6 historians, the sixties marked a period in American history when marginal voices in America were straining to be heard; such voices were ‘counter’ to the hegemony of the ‘American Dream’ which had been re-iterated and promoted through the on-stage practices of musical theatre. My thesis will propose that, in breaking away from the traditions of the American musical stage, Hair, marks a rebellion in its creative process, its narrative structure and its content. Scrutinising this act of rebellion, in addition to the performance of rebellion presented on stage will lead to a consideration of the ways in which Hair raises cultural consciousness. As my thesis progresses, I will be attempting to argue that rebellion is a vital act in the process of re-creation. Hair presents moments which suggest ways in which America can recreate itself; such moments allow for a glimpse of a better world where equality in terms of race and gender has been achieved. Current scholarship in musical theatre indicates that there is a significant gap in analysis of the decade of 1957 to 1967. This is perhaps largely due to the release of West Side Story in 1957; the musical prompted scholars and academics to consider its impact on the genre of musical theatre1 and much of the work released during the early sixties is often, somewhat unfairly, compared to West Side Story. Like Oklahoma! fourteen years before it, West Side Story became the benchmark for the integrated musical against which all subsequent musicals were measured. Margaret Knapp’s 1978 article entitled Integration of Elements as a Viable Standard for Judging Musical Theatre states that in an integrated musical, the book takes central place, with music and dance being integrated into the book in a way that ‘enhanced the dramatic values of a scene’ (113).
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