Theater News

Hair Director Tom O’Horgan Dies at 84

New York City
Tom O’Horgan, who received a Tony Award nomination for directing the original Broadway production of Hair, has died at age 84 after a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, according to published reports.

O’Horgan began his theatrical career as the composer of such Off-Off-Broadway shows as To The Water Tower, The Wrecking Ball, and When The Owl Screams. He segued into directing in the mid-1960s, and eventually won Drama Desk Awards for Off-Broadway’s Futz! (for which he also wrote the music), Tom Paine, and Lenny, which played on Broadway in 1971.

He also directed the original 1971 Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and his other directing credits included Birdbath, Inner City, Dude, I Won’t Dance, The Three Musketeers, and the short-lived 1977 Broadway revival of Hair.

O’Horgan also directed the film versions of Futz!, which starred Frederic Forrest and Sally Kirkland, and Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.