Michael Butler, the producer who presented the 1968 Broadway production of Hair — the tribal love rock musical that challenged the look, feel and sound of American musical theatre — will produce a national touring revival of the show in fall 2003, with Michael Mayer directing.

A spokesman for the show confirmed to Playbill On-Line Sept. 18 that Mayer was attached and said the full creative team and cast are still being assembled and the tour route is being determined. D-Tours is handling the booking. The staging at this time is intended solely for tour, and is not necessarily Broadway-bound.

Hair focuses on a group of hippies — called The Tribe — in New York City in the late 1960s, and gives voice to their passions and frustrations in loose scenes and interactions, including a rant against war, an embrace of free love (including a group nude scene) and odes to nature, life, drugs and multiculturalism.

Book and lyrics are by Gerome Ragni & James Rado, music is by Galt MacDermot. Tom O'Horgan was the original director.

Heather MacRae, Melba Moore, Keith Carradine and Joe Morton were among performers in the early Broadway run of the show, at the Biltmore Theatre. The broken-down Biltmore is now being reconditioned as the new Broadway home of Manhattan Theatre Club. Mayer is the successful Tony Award-nominated director who helmed Thoroughly Modern Millie, A View From the Bridge and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Butler also had a hand in the 1987 Broadway revival of the show that gave the world " Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine," "Frank Mills," "I Got Life," "Where Do I Go" and "Donna." He maintains a website featuring his producing projects at www.michaelbutler.com.

— By Kenneth Jones