Munich - The American love-rock musical hair opened at the Brienner Strasse Theater, Munich, Oct 24, and immediately found itself in a battle with the local authority.

The municipal authorities intervened a few hours before opening and formally prohibited the famous nude scene.  The decision was based on the authorities' contention that Hair is a show and therefore subject to censorship (Censorship action against a play is not possible under the West german constitution).

The producer of the play ignored the ban on the grounds that Hair is not a show but a musical which puts it in the category of uncensorable art.

Members of the Bavarian Administrative Court attended the Oct 31 performance of the musical and officially sanctioned the nude scene which, in the German version, is played in a decorous flickering light.

The German version of the show, "Haare," produced by Werner Schmid's Musical AG, is directed by Bertrand Castelli.  A recording from the opening performance is being released here by Polygram.

Copyright Billboard.