Gerome Ragni

Gerome Ragni Bernard ( born September 11, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in Canada; † 10 July 1991) was an American actor and painter and one of the founders of the Open Theatre. He became famous especially in the context of the musical Hair.

Life

Ragni came from a rich family of Italian descent. He started painting at age five. In addition to studies at Georgetown University and the Catholic University, he devoted himself to the theater; his first appearance he is said to have had twelve years old. In 1963 he was awarded for his role in War in the staging at the Village South Theatre in New York the Barter Theatre Award for Outstanding Actor. In the same year he married his girlfriend Stephanie, with whom he had a son named Erick.

In 1964, he starred in the Broadway production of Hamlet and in the film version of Warner Brothers. In the same year he appeared on the side of James Rado in Hang Down Your Head at The. On a tour with Rado and the play The Knack first ideas emerged for a musical. Ragni and Rado hired in Chicago for the planned show, the Harper Theatre, but their ideas could not be implemented due to time constraints.

1966 was Ragni crucial to the success of a piece of the Open Theatre, which had emerged from the Living Theatre, at. This inspired him to take back with Rado the idea of a musical and to address the hippie movement. Numerous songs to Hair emerged during this period according to environmental studies in the East Village.

The producer Nat Shapiro mediated contact with the composer Galt McDermot. On October 29, 1967 Ragni played in the premiere of Hair at the Public Theater Berger. This would be his most famous role. The success of the musical in the following years resulted in Ragni to a personal crisis. His marriage broke up, he joined a sect and triggered by user modifications to the concept for Hair more fierce conflict with the other members from the stage.

With his new musical Dude Ragni was unable to repeat the success of Hair.

1977, he had again to work with Rado in Jack Sound and His Dog Star Blowing His Final Trumpet on the Day of Doom, and 1990 Ragni was involved in the environmentally oriented musical Sun ( YMCA ). Even before the completion of the work Ragni died of cancer.