NBC Cancels ‘Hair’ Live Musical

The live musical fad might be on life support following last month’s disastrous Rent: Live on FOX and NBC‘s decision to cancel Hair earlier this week.

Earlier this week on Monday, NBC cancelled Hair, which was scheduled to air on Sunday, May 19. No stars were cast, but sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Hailee Steinfeld was being “courted” for the project.

“Live musicals are a part of this network’s DNA and we are committed to continuing that tradition with the right show at the right time,” NBC Entertainment co-chairmen Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks said. “Since these shows are such enormous undertakings, we need titles that have a wide appeal and we’re in the process of acquiring the rights to a couple of new shows that we’re really excited about.”

While FOX’s Rent: Live failed to attract viewers and was hurt by a behind-the-scenes injury, one real reason for its cancellation was the schedule. May 19 is the same night ABC is airing the American Idol season finale and HBO is airing the Game of Thrones series finale. THR‘s sources said NBC thought about rescheduling it, but ultimately decided Hair was not the kind of project for the network.

Hair was first staged on Broadway in 1968, then turned into a film in 1979 and was revived in 2009. Although a musical staple today, the musical was controversial in its time for tackling the anti-Vietnam War movement and sexuality, and including profanity. The musical is also famous for a nude scene at the end, which lead many to wonder how NBC would handle it.

“We haven’t crossed that bridge yet, but I can probably guarantee that there’s not going to be much nudity,” former NBC Entertainment president Bob Greenblatt told The Hollywood Reporter in January. “If you’ve ever seen the show, there’s not that much nudity. It’s less than a minute, in the dark, which was controversial 50 years ago — but it’s almost unnecessary. You’re not going to see nudity … well, maybe a little.”

Hair was going to be produced by Neil Meron and the late Craig Zadan, who have overseen NBC’s other live productions. It was NBC’s replacement for Bye, Bye Birdie, which has been difficult to stage thanks to Jennifer Lopez’s always-packed schedule. NBC is also still developing a live performance of A Few Good Men.

The peacock network launched the current wave of live musical productions with 2013’s The Sound of Music Live! starring Carrie Underwood to create something buzzworthy that audiences would have to watch live. FOX and ABC later followed suit with their own live or taped musical productions.

There are signs that audiences are tiring of it though. FOX’s Rent: Live drew the lowest viewership yet for a modern live musical production, drawing just 3.42 million viewers on Jan. 27. In addition, FOX had to air the taped dress rehearsal from the night before, after Brennin Hunt broke his foot at the end of rehearsals, losing the live aspect. Only the last 15 minutes, when members of the original Rent cast joined the new cast, were live.

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