- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1992-027", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21791", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1952-1984", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1952/1984"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Gerome Ragni papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"13 linear feet (14 boxes )"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.</span><div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center</span> <span class=\"addressline\">40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Gerome Ragni (1935-1991) was a stage actor and musical theater lyricist and librettist active from the 1950s through the 1980s, who achieved renown as one of the authors and original stars of the musical, Hair (1968). Born Jerome Bernard Ragni in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he attended suburban Scott Township High School, where he appeared in various school productions. In 1954, Ragni made his professional stage debut in a Washington D.C. production, Shadow and Substance. His acting career was put on hold when Ragni enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1955. Following his years in the Air Force, Ragni moved to New York and found work in the rapidly growing Off-Broadway theater community. In 1964, he met fellow actor James Rado, who would become a major figure in Ragni's personal and professional life. In 1965, Ragni and Rado began writing a rock musical that would depict contemporary life in New York's East Village, the hippie movement, the anti-Vietnam war protests, and the generation gap, symbolized in a central metaphor of long hair. In early 1967 they teamed up with Canadian composer, Galt MacDermot, who provided the music for their book and lyrics. Ragni and Rado's original intent with Hair was to introduce the uptown Broadway world to that other world downtown and they tried to interest mainstream musical theater producers, such as David Merrick and Hal Prince, but Joseph Papp, head of the Off-Broadway Public Theater, with whom Ragni had worked previously, was the only one interested in the project. Hair opened at the Public Theater on October 29, 1967, with Ragni in one of the lead roles, Berger. The Off-Broadway production was a critical and financial success and produced a cast album. Michael Butler, the heir to a Chicago fortune, decided to finance and produce the transfer of the show to Cheetah, a disco nightclub in the theater district in December of 1967 and eventually to Broadway. Ragni, Rado and McDermot made significant revisions to the show, writing several new songs and a largely new book. This new version of Hair opened on Broadway on April 19, 1968 to enthusiastic reviews and became phenomenally popular with audiences, running for 1,750 performances. A national tour and sit-down productions of the show played in other major US cities, as well as productions in dozens of other countries and in many different languages In 1979, Hair was made into a film directed by Milos Forman. Its hit songs, such as \"Aquarius\" and \"Let the Sun Shine In\" have been covered by many singers. After their success with Hair, Ragni and Rado played themselves in Lions Love (1969), a film by Agnes Varda about Hollywood celebrity. Ragni's next Broadway musical, another collaboration with Galt MacDermot, Dude (1973), was not successful critically or commercially. In the 1980s, the Hair trio of Ragni, Rado, and MacDermot reunited for another musical, YMCA (also titled Sun) which was not produced. The Gerome Ragni papers consist mainly of professional files pertaining to theater and film projects written by Gerome Ragni, or in which he appeared as an actor. There are items from productions Ragni acted in during school and later in New York, such as Hamlet (1964), Hang Down Your Head and Die (1964), The Knack (1964) and Viet Rock (1966) but the majority of the material in this collection pertains to the original Broadway production of Hair (1968). There is also some material on subsequent projects with which Ragni was involved, including the show, Dude (1973), and the film, Lions Love (1969). This collection also contains personal items, including correspondence with Ragni's family and friends and documents on his Air Force service. The strength of this collection is its extensive coverage of the many productions Hair in the United States and internationally, represented here with photographs, programs, posters and press materials. The collection includes material as early as 1952, when Ragni was in high school and as late as 1984."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"Materials in English"}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gerome Ragni papers, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Ragni, Gerome", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gerome Ragni was born Jerome Bernard Ragni in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1935. He attended Scott Township High School, in the suburbs of Pittsburgh in the early 50s and appeared in various school productions there. In 1954, Ragni made his professional stage debut in a Washington D. C. production, Shadow and Substance. His acting career was put on hold when Ragni enlisted in the United States Air Force on Jan 31, 1955. Later that year he took a special course in medical administration. He received his honorable discharge, with the rank of Airman Third Class on January 30, 1963, though he had been relieved from active service in 1958.</p> <p>Following his years in the Air Force, Ragni moved to New York and found work in the rapidly growing Off-Broadway theater community. He appeared in such productions as a revival of Jean Anouilh's Legend of Lovers (1959), Joe Papp's Shakespeare in the Park: Belvedere Lake production of Julius Caesar (1959), War (1963) and Viet Rock (1966). In 1964 he met fellow actor James Rado, who would become a major figure in Ragni's personal and professional life and they both appeared in The Knack (1964) and Hang Down Your Head and Die (1964). In 1964, Ragni also made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Alexander Cohen's production of Hamlet, which starred Richard Burton and Ragni subsequently appeared in the filmed version of that production.</p> <p>In 1965 Ragni and Rado began writing a rock musical that would depict contemporary life in New York's East Village, the hippie movement, the anti-Vietnam war protests and the generation gap, symbolized in a central metaphor of long hair. In early 1967 they teamed up with Canadian composer Galt McDermot, who provided the music for their book and lyrics. Ragni and Rado's original intent with Hair was to introduce the uptown Broadway world to that other world downtown and they tried to interest mainstream musical theater producers, such as David Merrick and Hal Prince, but Joe Papp, the head of a prominent downtown theater, was the only one interested in the project. Hair opened Off-Broadway at the Public Theater on October 29, 1967, with Ragni in one of the lead roles, Berger. The Off-Broadway production was a critical and financial success and produced a cast album.</p> <p>Michael Butler, the heir to a Chicago fortune, came to see the show one night and decided to finance and produce its transfer to Cheetah, a disco nightclub in the theater district in December of 1967 and eventually to Broadway. Ragni, Rado and McDermot made significant revisions to the show, writing several new songs and a largely new book. Rado, who had occasionally played the central role, Claude, in the Off-Broadway production, agreed to take it on full time in the Broadway version. Hair opened on Broadway on April 19, 1968. The show received ecstatic reviews, and was especially championed by Clive Barnes of The New York Times. The production was also phenomenally popular with audiences, running for 1, 750 performances.</p> <p>A national tour and sit-down productions of the show played in other major U. S. cities, including the Los Angeles production, in which Ragni and Rado again played Berger and Claude. The show has also been performed in dozens of other countries and in many different languages. In 1979 Hair was made into a film directed by Milos Forman. Its hit songs, such as \"Aquarius\" and \"Let the Sun Shine In\" have been covered by many singers.</p> <p>After their success with Hair, Ragni and Rado played themselves in Lions Love (1969), a film by Agnes Varda about Hollywood celebrity. Ragni's next Broadway musical, another collaboration with Galt McDermot, Dude (1973), was not successful critically or commercially. In the 1980s, the Hair trio of Ragni, Rado and McDermot reunited for another musical, YMCA (also titled Sun) which was not produced.</p> <p>On May 18, 1963, Ragni was married to his wife, Stephanie. The marriage produced one child, a son Erick, but the couple divorced in the 1970s. Gerome Ragni died of cancer on July 10, 1991.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>This collection consists mainly of professional files pertaining to theater and film projects written by Gerome Ragni, or in which he appeared as an actor. There are items from productions Ragni acted in during school and later in New York, such as Hamlet (1964), Hang Down Your Head and Die (1964), The Knack (1964) and Viet Rock (1966) but the majority of the material in this collection pertains to the original Broadway production of Hair (1968). There is also some material on subsequent projects Ragni was involved with such as Dude (1973) and the film Lions Love (1969). This collection also contains personal items, including correspondence with Ragni's family and friends and documents on his Air Force service. The strength of this collection is its extensive coverage of the many productions of Hair in the U. S. and internationally, represented here with photographs, programs, posters and press materials. The collection includes material as early as 1952, when Ragni was in high school and as late as 1984.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Gerome Ragni papers are arranged in nine series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1133947'>Series I: Personal Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1955-1984</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains various personal items of Ragni's and his sister Irene's. The bulk of this material is Ragni's personal correspondence, with his sister and with James Rado, Earl Scott and other friends. This series also includes official documentation of Ragni's military service.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1133969'>Series II: Scripts</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1972-1979</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains scripts for two shows written by Ragni, Hair and Dude, in various stages of their revision process.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1133978'>Series III: Production Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1967-1979</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains production files pertaining to Hair, with certain items on Dude and Lions Love. The materials in this series include audition notes, background information, correspondence, directories, invitations, schedules, song lists, ticket stubs and Ragni's Tony award nomination.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1134037'>Series IV: Scores</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1967-1970</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains published vocal selections to Hair and its spin-off album, DisinHAIRited as well as piano/vocal versions of various songs from the show.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1134053'>Series V: Publicity Materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1959-1979</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains publicity materials pertaining to various theater and film productions which were written by Gerome Ragni, or in which he appeared, especially Hair. This material includes press clippings, magazines, advertisements and various promotional items, such as buttons, flyers and stickers.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1134153'>Series VI: Programs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1972-1977</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains programs for Ragni's productions. Most of these programs are for Hair, including many programs for the numerous regional and international productions. There are also programs for various other Broadway and Off-Broadway Ragni shows.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1134207'>Series VII: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1962-1970</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains photographs of Ragni productions, most of which are from Hair, covering the original Broadway production and the many subsequent productions, and a few photos of other Ragni shows. There are also some personal photos of Ragni, his friends and family.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1134246'>Series VIII: Posters</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1964-1973</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains many posters for Hair, including posters from international productions, as well as posters for other Ragni productions, Dude, Hamlet, Lions Love and Viet Rock.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21791#c1134271'>Series IX: Oversized Items</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>undated</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains oversized items, such as a several drawings and the cover and various pages from Irene Ragni's scrapbook on Hair.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>Arranged in series: I. Personal files, 1955-1984; II. Publicity materials, 1959-1979: III. Programs, 1972-1977; IV. Photographs, 1962-1970; V. Scripts, 1972-1979; VI. Scores, 1967-1970; VII. Production files, 1967-1979; VIII. Posters, 1964-1973; IX. Oversized items</p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Gerome Ragni Papers were donated to the Billy Rose Theatre Division in 1992 by Irene Ragni.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"type"=>"processing", "value"=>"<p>Processed by Diana Bertolini, January 2007; Processed and encoded through a gift from Robert W. Wilson.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1952
- keydate
-
1952
- date_end
-
1984
- date_inclusive_start
-
1952
- date_inclusive_end
-
1984