Ted Neeley Theater Page

I moved from L.A. to Vegas as a teen, just as my recording career was stagnate. I was on the radio, yes, and opening act for concerts, but Vegas was a road to no-where in those days. In High School i kept busy doing concerts with bands, and opened for Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf, Cream, Santana, among so many others. I was never star struck, It was just another gig, I was used to it, and singing had been my life, all my life. But I still felt Vegas was a small pond.

When my group {Free Circus} disbanded because of Viet Nam, our keyboardist was drafted, and we just did not see replacing him. So, I decided I should go back to L.A.

Got an agent, Bill Loeb, and was booked into the Bel Air Motel. the first thing he got me was an audition for the musical of the decade,,HAIR,,,I had never seen it, but knew it was big.I looked young, at barely 18, I was small, 105 lbs and 5ft 5in tall. I didn,t wear make-up, and had long straight hair. I looked the part. I decided to sing ” Someday Soon”, by Judy Collins. Then they asked me to do a time step, Thank God for those tap lessons, Thanks mom. Then I had to freestyle. Piece of cake.

I remember Teddy Neeley because he was so nice. As I walked past him to leave, he stopped me, and asked”How do you feel about nudity?:I was taken aback, but answered, I am not ashamed of my body.,,WHAT DID I SAY? Where did that come from??Who am I? I did,nt get a call back right away, but did, about a week later.A second audition! I had a parting of ways with my agent, typical Hollywood story. Now ,,I needed a job. I frequented this market in Hollywood, the same on where Charles Manson tried to pick me up. Yes, that one,, another blog, this time a little girl, Heather Bloom took a liking to me, her mother needed a nanny. Bingo, I had a home and a job.
Less than a month later,after the 2nd audition, I got the call, I was hired. I WAS HIRED.

I gave notice and joined Actors Equity, and started my journey of learning the very difficult script. All the songs were so crazy and nothing had any structure to help you memorize it.

I started watching the show every night, and began to piece it together. Then the staging, and harmony, Whew, it was not easy. But when I did the first night, what a thrill, how exciting, it was magical. This show was a movement, a piece of history..

I discovered the tribe as we called the cast, was close and spent time together on our night off and was welcome at our producers home anytime. That was Michael Butler, a very well off Polo playing playboy, who had a big house in the Hollywood Hills. We spent a lot of time there, swimming and hanging out. Michael, to this day is a great guy, and sweet man, friend to the earth and ecology activist.. He is as handsome today as ever!!

We also would go to Santa Barbara to watch Michael play Polo and cheer him on. Then go to the nude beach and burn our bums off!! I am proud to say I am still friends with my Hair buddies, either on facebook, or the ones who live in L.A. that I see often.

I met a man who managed North Beach Leather on the Sunset strip, Tony Good, we fell hard at first sight, and got a pad together. We lasted 3 years. I often wonder where he is. He was from the Bay area. Sly of the Family stone was a client and the secretary to Hugh Hefner, so we would go to the mansion parties, and Sly,s house on occasion. Tony was 17 years my elder, but to me, we were the same.

When the show closed, a lot of people went on to tour, or went to Jesus Christ Superstar. I went to Fort Wayne Ind, and joined Sonny Charles as a backup singer/dancer.What a great gig,, My life had a great start, and I,m proud to say that it all fell into place. Let The Sunshine, 1970,s here we come.

Last week, I received a most exciting invitation to come to Los Angeles and be a part of the red carpet grand opening of HAIR at the historic Pantages Theatre. This would be a chance to not only see the new version of the show I was a part of in the 60's and 70's but to reconnect with old friends and tribe members.

The Pantages had a brilliant idea to make the original cast part of the excitement of its grand opening, and many as of us, did make it. Our beloved producer, Michael Butler, arrived with Ben Vereen, which made it even more special. After all the screams and hugs outside while the papparazzi were
setting up, we gathered for some group shots.

Other celebs who made the opening were Jason Alexander, Lorenzo Lamas, John Savage, Marty Ingels and wife Shirley Jones, Melissa Manchester and many others.

I had been skeptical about seeing the show ever since it returned to Broadway and London. I felt too close to it
and was afraid of change. But, here I was and there was no turning back.

The first big change, it was so colorful! We were supposed to be street people but here they were, rather clean and in this surrealistic setting. Then I noticed it wasn’t easy to recognize the cast leads. Berger was not crazy and Sheila was just another cast member until I realized she was Sheila! The same problem with Hud, his character was bigger, broader in the original production. Think “Ben Vereen!!!

The Age Of Aquarius: RevisitedSteel Burkhardt, the actor who plays Berger, did what he was directed to do. I believe the the director was trying to make this her own. Diane Paulus is the director of this production. When we did the show it had more choreography also. These tribe members seemed to jump up and down a lot.

However, the important elements of the script were kept alive. the war, and all the important statements we tried to make were there. just in color!! the script was cut and the tempos were rushed. It most was apparent when Claude sings “Where Do I Go” A very emotional song, I used to cry eight times a week, but I did not shed a tear Thursday night. the cast failed to move me.

I would still tell you to see it, Gerry Ragni and Jim Rado‘s dream lives on in this show and it must be told, no matter how many different ways. I was Chrissy, I was Jeannie and I was a tribe member.

I witnessed brilliance in Teddy Neeley, Jerry Combs, Red Shephard, Tata Vega, Delores Hall, Ben Vereen, and all the others great talent in the Age of Aquarius. I am so lucky to have been part of history and now 40 years later to watch a new generation of actors live the dream. Don’t miss this important work of art, it still matters, now, more than ever.

http://jessicamarciel.com/las-vegas-vocal-training/2011/01/31/red-carpet-night/

Posted by Jessica on Monday, January 31, 2011 at 4:09 pm

My Red Carpet Night: Who is that?

My Red Carpet Night: Who is that?When fellow HAIR alumni actor Ben Lautman wrote me to get my butt to L. A. for the opening of HAIR at the Pantages Theatre, I had one day to get a flight and figure out what to wear for the Red Carpet moment.

I decided my purple garb that I wore to the Woodstock Reunion would do just fine, except for black leggings and boots, because it was freezing. I arrived in L.A. just hours before the event. I was thrilled to see people I had not seen in many years, Kay Cole, Linda Faust Press, Reinie Press, and a few others that I had not seen in 30 years or more!

We were all told to get to the theatre extra early for our Pics, before the “big” stars arrived. We stood on the carpet and the Paparazzi clicked away, and I clicked away at them. Then we all took our own personal pics, while the stars were arriving. A few stars I knew like, Marty Ingels,Shirley Jones, Robert Forester, Donna D’errico, Jason Alexander, Melissa Manchester, Charlotte Ross (NYPD BLUE) and then that guy from BORAT? What was his name, had to look it up, Ken Davitian! Also, Charlotte Rae, Michael Butler, our dear producer, and Ben Vereen. Alison Anglin from “Little House on the Prairie”, and many other younger actors I still had to look up! A great surprise was John Savage not for his work in the film “HAIR” but I loved him from the “Deerhunter.”

When we found our seats, it was all surreal, I hadn’t seen the show since we closed in 1971. Watching the actors portray “us” was so strange. Now that is is over, I feel as if it was a dream, and I barely remember anything. I think it went too fast, they cut a lot out. It was way too colorful, I don’t remember all that color at our set. After all, we were street people, and so the original play was darker. Because of the draft in the 60's, the actors couldn’t feel the life or death situation of going to war. When everyone was going up onstage to sing “Let the Sunshine In” I couldn’t move, I was frozen knowng that it would soon be over, and I may never see the play again.

A bunch of us went to “Jerry’s Deli” in Hollywood and ate and talked about the old days. David “Papi” Hunt even brought his scrapbook to the deli, and we all looked at old photo’s.

Being in this L A production of HAIR really changed my life, I made lifelong friends, and experienced things many people never did. I even MISSED the nude scene that night, because I was watching “Claude” sing “Where do I go”. That is how insignificent the nude scene was! It was such a blown out of proportion blown up scene in the 60's. This may be the only Red Carpet I ever walk, but I am so happy it was for HAIR and not another production that wouldn’t have the history or meaning that this show has for me. Thank you Teddy Neeley, and Kay Cole, for choosing me at my audition. Thank you , every tribe member I ever worked with, and my dear friends like John Herzog, Tadge Galleran, and David Hunt, who have become very special friends over the years.

Let the Sunshine… forever

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training


Thank you Ann Stickford (thumperdances2@sbcglobal.net) - this is part of a review that appeared in "After Dark". The issue date is cut off, but It looks like 1/74.


(Ted's bio close up)

Available on Blu Ray and DVD