With rehearsals heating up for HAIR The Musical, excitement is building for the show’s return to Melbourne. More than fifty years after it first shook audiences, this new production promises to capture that same mix of rebellion, freedom, and love that made it a global phenomenon. At the centre of it all is Sydney performer Rosie Meader, stepping into the role of Jeannie. Known for her work as an actor, singer, and writer, Rosie brings both heart and humour to one of musical theatre’s most spirited characters. Brendan Daynes caught up with her during rehearsals to talk about the creative process, the energy of the tribe, and what it means to revive the age of Aquarius for today’s audience.
HAIR is famous for pushing boundaries and speaking up for peace, freedom and love. What do you think those messages mean to audiences in 2025?
Going into the project, I was aware of the music. It is iconic and incredible, and everyone knows these classic songs. I was, of course, also deeply aware of how impactful this musical has been for audiences and how powerful the messages are, and how they continue to resonate in society. Messages of anti-war and a call for equality.
We’re human beings, and we continue to strive to be the best we can. These issues are still very prevalent in society, and the messages in the musical feel more urgent than ever. I really think it’s important to have this production on the stage again and for new audiences and fresh eyes to go back to this time. Watching it in that context and realising how relevant it still is can be very impactful.
This show has such a rich history in Australia, launching some huge names. How does it feel stepping into a legacy show that’s so iconic, yet still rebellious at heart?
Of course there are those initial nerves. The production has such a big reputation. All the amazing actors that have come and played and explored these roles bring up feelings of wanting to be respectful of how they did it, but also wanting to stay true to this character and find my own way in and what this character means to me.
It’s about finding that balance between staying true to what the audience expects and also bringing your own flair, your own creativity and your soul into the role. I was definitely nervous at the beginning, but this beautiful cast and company are so supportive of each other and have allowed us the freedom to explore the best possible way to tell this story.
Being a writer, I always go back to the script. I look at all the clues in the script and build my character and piece around that.
HAIR’s music is legendary. Do you have a favourite number to perform, or one that gives you goosebumps every time?
I don’t think I realised how many there were until I started looking at the score. I think my favourite has got to be the closing number, Let the Sun Shine In. It completely sums up the entire message and ethos of the piece.
It’s a call to arms of people saying, “Let the sun shine in, let it into your heart. Let’s not live in this hate. Let’s not live with negativity and dark clouds. Let’s not fight each other. Let’s let the sun in.”
That motif is repeated. We were counting it the other day. I think we repeat it like 18 times in this epic chorus of 20 voices on stage in beautiful harmonies. It gives me such goosebumps. The way it’s staged makes it such a powerful piece.
The show celebrates self-expression and community. What does “tribe” mean to you, both onstage and within the company during rehearsal?
What’s really exciting about the show is that, as a member of the tribe, you’re on stage the entire time. You’re always in the background, hanging out on stage for the most of the show. It’s all happening in real time and it really is such an ensemble piece.
Getting to experience that and build that together has created a real sense of power, camaraderie and excitement in being part of a big group where we’re all trying to achieve the same thing. That’s been really exciting to explore as the company.
Sometimes we’re on stage watching. If there’s a solo song, I feel like an audience member, I’m just watching this person, being their backbone, egging them on and bringing the support. On the flip side, if you’re doing a solo song, it makes you feel so loved and comfortable. You’ve got your backup group there supporting you.
There’s a raw, ensemble-driven energy in HAIR. How are the cast building that connection and trust behind the scenes?
With this production, I’ve just immediately felt such a genuine connection and love for the cast like I’ve never had before. I think that’s a testament to the show’s themes and its deep, deep, deep sense of humanity.
The script, as we’re all looking through it, is bringing up these conversations that I haven’t had with many people and that’s built this really close connection with everyone, which I think is so profound and so beautiful. That’s what I just adore about musical theatre, everyone has their strengths and that’s the language that you speak best.
Going into the room, learning other people’s languages and getting to experience that and working together to explore that is such a privilege.
With choreography by Sue-Ellen Shook, how has the movement style helped you tap into Jeannie’s world and the show’s 1960s spirit?
Sue-Ellen is an icon. She is so, so incredible. What I really deeply love about her choreography is she plays to everyone’s strengths, and her primary goal is to make us all look and feel really good.
One of my favourite things about watching a musical is thinking, I want to be on that stage with them. That’s the feeling I’m getting when I’m on stage. Of course there’s quite a lot of different styles that we’re exploring, there’s contemporary fluid movement, hippie tribal bodies writhing movement, and we’ve also done a couple of throwbacks to sixties club dancing, which is really fun. It’s a whole mesh of different styles all coming together in this beautiful collection.
There’s some incredible dancers in the team, and there’s been a lot of exploration of lifts as well, using bodies to create beautiful images, which is really the language that is being explored. A connection between bodies and humanity.
It is a massive mesh of different styles, but we’ve got to make sure we stick to that era because otherwise the audience is going to jump out and be like, Hang on. I’ve seen that move somewhere else. For me as a performer, going back through those archives of what they used to dance to in the seventies and how they used to move and making sure I stay authentic to that, keeps it very true to the era we’re performing in.
The score sits in such a unique space, part rock concert, part storytelling. What’s been the biggest challenge vocally or technically during rehearsals?
Jeannie quite often will talk directly to the audience, kind of like a soliloquy. Then, in the next line, she’ll go talk to the other person in the scene.
Switching between the two and making that seem authentic, whilst you’re also letting the audience in on a bit of secret, means that you have to ignore the fact that your scene partner can’t hear you. I love nothing more than having like little secrets with the audience that other people on stage don’t know.
At first, it was a bit of a challenge to make that land and make that authentic and rooted in her character, but it’s incredibly fun now. I’m having a lot of joy in making that connection and having those little secrets with the audience.
You’ve written and performed in your own musicals. Has that creative background changed how you approach collaboration and direction in a production like this?
My great passion is writing shows and working with people and collaborating. That’s been incredibly helpful coming into this process because it is such a collaborative experience.
There’s this Lin-Manuel quote, “The best idea in the room wins.” I’ve taken that into every single writing experience, and it takes the ego out of it. Let’s look at this whole piece and whoever has the best idea in the room wins.
That’s been really helpful in everything I’ve done, but particularly coming into this piece. With this company, there’s been so much exploration and willingness to let the actors find their own groove, find their way into these characters and find both the comedy and the tragedy in the scenes. That’s been freeing and fun to explore.
The original HAIR broke rules about what a musical could be. Have there been any moments in rehearsal where you’ve felt that same fearless energy come alive again?
It was such a Hamilton of the time, wasn’t it? It really pushed the boundaries of what can be seen and what should be seen.
In rehearsal, we had the privilege of having one of the original cast members from Australia come and have a chat with us about her experience, her vision and how she explored this work. She put it so beautifully. This show is all about freedom and expression as a human being, and letting the audience have that. If they can see it on stage, then maybe they can go home and, in their own lives, find a little bit of that, a little bit more freedom and a little bit more love to give.
Having that firsthand experience of what she felt was just so beautiful and really brought a new energy into the room. All of the cast sat down and decided what we want the audience to take away from this. We went back to those messages of the iconic song “Let the Sun Shine In.”
Having that person in the room was just incredibly powerful.
What’s one behind-the-scenes moment from rehearsals that perfectly sums up the spirit of this cast?
There is one. A couple of days into rehearsal, we’d done our warm-up with Sue Ellen and one member of the cast got everyone in a circle. We went around the circle and did a check-in. One to 10, how are we feeling today?
Let’s make sure we’re all on the same foot and can move forward and be safe, feel safe as we explore this piece, because there is some very, very heavy subject matter that it explores. It’s really important to check in and make sure everyone’s feeling comfortable and safe in the room.
We heard where everyone’s sitting emotionally and could move forward and approach everyone appropriately. That was such a beautiful moment, and everyone was so willing to explore that. From then on every day we’ve come in and we’ve done a check-in.
It wasn’t prompted by any of the artistic directors, it’s something we felt like we needed and wanted. That was just such a beautiful moment.
Bio – Rosie Meader – Jeannie
Rosie Meader is an actor, singer, and writer from Sydney who has performed at the Sydney Opera House, Belvoir St Theatre, and the Seymour Centre as a member of many different projects and ensembles. After graduating from Brent Street in 2020 with her Musical Theatre Diploma, Rosie went on to write, direct and star in her first original musical, Everybody Loves A Wedding, which was further revived in 2022 at the Flight Path Theatre to sold-out shows. Rosie recently produced the second development workshop for her new work, Spitfire Girls The Musical, funded by the Brent Street Inaugural Artist Award, APRA AMCOS and the Talent Development Project .
HAIR The Musical features book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, with music by Galt MacDermot. The production is directed by Glenn Elston (Australian Shakespeare Company),
