Hair: Eden Espinosa to play 'Sheila.� Performances will now begin on 6 Mar

Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel, the producing team that helped bring the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening to Broadway, have joined forces with The Public Theater � as co-lead producers � to present the upcoming Broadway production of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.

It has also been announced that Eden Espinosa will join the Broadway cast in the leading role of �Sheila�.

Espinosa made her Broadway debut understudying the roles of 'Elphaba' and 'Nessarose' in Wicked, and later went on to star as 'Elphaba' on Broadway. Espinosa played the starring role of 'Brooklyn' in the Broadway musical 'Brooklyn' (2005) and has also played 'Maureen' (replacement) in the Broadway production of 'Rent.'

In order to accommodate the logistics of the new producing partnership, the musical will now open at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 31 Mar 2009, following previews from 6 Mar 2009.

The show, now selling tickets, was to open have opened on 5 Mar 2009, following previews from 10 Feb 2009.

Patrons who have purchased tickets for performances prior to 6 Mar can either seek a refund or reschedule to another date.

Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, said, �We are delighted to welcome Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel onto the team of Hair. Their joyous and eager commitment has ensured that Hair will open on Broadway and bring its message of hope and love to an audience that has shown its own passionate eagerness to embrace this show. Hair has always been more than just a show; it's a cause. In these difficult economic times, it has been inspiring to watch the New York theater community come together around America's tribal love-rock musical and reveal that it, too, is a tribe: a tribe that will make sure Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical lives on.

Hair will now begin previews on 10 Feb 2009, three days earlier than originally announced, but will still open as first scheduled on 5 Mar 2009. The extra preview performances have been added because of strong sales. The musical is sellling tickets through to 2 Aug 2009.

With book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, and music by Galt MacDermot, this Broadway-bound production of Hair is directed by Diane Paulus.

Remaining ast for the Broadway production has still to be announced, though it is now known that Tony nominee Jonathan Groff will not reprise his role as 'Claude,' which he played off-Broadway.

Hair was a phenomenal success when it first played on Broadway in the 60's, and again this past summer when it was a hit at the Delacorte Theater.

The musical depicts the birth of a cultural movement in the 60's and 70's that changed America forever: the musical follows a group of hopeful, free-spirited young people who advocate a lifestyle of pacifism and free-love in a society riddled with intolerance and brutality during the Vietnam War.

As they explore sexual identity, challenge racism, experiment with drugs and burn draft cards, the "tribe" in Hair creates an irresistable message of hope, peace and change that continues to resonate with audiences 40 years later.

The musical is being produced on Broadway by The Public Theater and Elizabeth Ireland McCann.

Hair was the show that, in 1967, officially opened The Public Theater�s long-time home on Lafayette Street.

Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical has the distinction of being the first off-Broadway musical to transfer to Broadway, (It moved to Broadway on 29 Apr 1968 and ran for 1,873 performances).