Remembering James Rado: The flagbearer of 60s sexual revolution, hippie culture and anti-consumerism

Long before it was socially acceptable to be woke and have your pronouns on public display in Twitter and Instagram bios, there was a time when being queer and expressing your identity, even covertly, could get you crucified. In the 1960s, when the public discourse around homosexuality was limited, if not practically non-existent, and being gay could get you, well, in a lot of trouble - a broadway musical called ‘Hair’ caused a storm and shook up the Theatre District in New York. The Gen-Z or even the millennials who consume TikTok, Reels and other short-form content wouldn’t be familiar with James Rado and his politics. However, their ability to express their sexuality and opinions freely, sans fear, comes because Rado dared to stand against the conservatives in the 60s. Rado’s rock musical ‘Hair’, which dared to show same-sex kiss on stage - a first for Broadway, was met with severe backlash - similar to what the Gen Z might see as ‘cancel culture’. It made the Conservatives uncomfortable. It had an affect on them similar to the 80s Satanic Panic and 00s Gay Marriage hysteria. Despite the backlash, ‘Hair’ got overwhelmingly positive reviews from the critics upon its Broadway premiere. Most of them appreciated it for being ‘fresh’ and called it ‘unassuming, even in its pretensions’.

What particularly made ‘Hair’ groundbreaking was that it managed to introduce ideas which were inherently subversive and critiqued homophobia and conservative ideology of the 60s. Rado’s musical championed self-expression in a way that was never seen on Broadway before. The musical was laced with profanity, depiction of use of illegal drugs and also featured full-frontal nudity which is frankly bold and groundbreaking given the times it was written in. If that wasn’t subversive enough, the musical also had an anti-Vietnam war narrative and was the flagbearer of the peace movement. Claude, the protagonist of the musical rebelled against the state-mandated enlistment into the military (colloquially called ‘the draft’) and his friends, instead of fighting in the war, fought the war itself. ‘Hair’, in addition to championing self-expression with its depiction of nudity and profanity also became a groundbreaking depiction of how liberating sexual freedom can be. It also sparked a conversation about smoking pot and consumption of drugs which became a reference point for those who in the late 00s and early 10s demanded the legalization of marijuana in the US. The musical also put the spotlight on the Hippie culture which was inherently anti-establishment and was subsequently emulated in television, film, art and fashion. The popular misconceptions around Hippie culture, particularly the ones about the consumption of illegal drugs and problematic lifestyles, were questioned by Rado’s musical which showed Claud and his Hippie friends as true patriots who respected the ethos of America and stood against the establishment and Vietnam war. Rado wasn’t afraid to show Hippies as anti-consumerists who stood against the continuous buying and selling of material possessions. His musical also had themes of existentialism. In one of the songs, Claude poignantly sings, “Why do I live, why do I die, tell me where do I go, tell me why.” ‘Hair’ was particularly progressive not just for its depiction of homosexuality and nudity but also because of the way it tackled racial discrimination and sexism. Rado, arguably, knew the importance of representation long before it became a mainstream cultural debate. One-third of the cast of ‘Hair’ consisted of African Americans. What was particularly applause-worthy was that the Black characters in the musical are treated as equal to their White counterparts and none of them were portrayed as slaves and servants. The woman characters in the musical enjoyed the same freedom and status as the male characters did. Rado died Tuesday night in New York City of cardiorespiratory arrest, according to friend and publicist Merle Frimark. The legacy of Rado’s ‘Hair’, needless to say, is unmatched and unparalleled. It made possible other rock musicals like “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Rent.” Like “Hamilton,” it was one of only a handful of Broadway shows in the past few decades to find its songs on the pop charts. Rado was a trailblazer who paved the way for Broadway musical directors and writers that followed. Rado ran so those who followed him could walk. Broadway writers ought to appreciate Rado’s legacy and even celebrate it for it was him who earned them the right to speak their minds. Rest in power, Rado. Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News,  India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.