The original cast of Hair were introduced to their modern-day counterparts as the hippie musical celebrated its return to the West End.
Impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh brought together performers from the 1968 London show and the new Broadway cast before the musical's comeback in the capital last night.
Oliver Tobias and Paul Nicholas, who played Berger and Claude in 1968, met Will Swenson and Gavin Creel, who take the roles at the Gielgud Theatre. They were joined by Diane Langton, who was also in the original UK cast.
It is the second revival of the story of a group of hippies living a bohemian life in Sixties New York since its original run on Broadway in 1967.
Millionaire Sir Cameron embraced the anti-capitalist hippie vibe in admitting the latest production could lose him a small fortune.
The impresario, who was a runner on the original London production, has brought the entire Broadway cast of the 40th anniversary American revival of the anti-Vietnam war show to London.
It is the first time actors' union, Equity, has sanctioned a complete original American cast in Britain — and Sir Cameron admits that may never happen again.
But the extra costs involved in funding a foreign team mean it is a risky business. "I could lose money on it. It's a barmy enterprise, what we're doing," he said. "But if we did, I would think it was worth every penny."
Speaking after last night's opening, Sir Cameron said he was "thrilled" to see the show again. "The music and the lyrics sound as if they were written today," he said. He defended using the Broadway cast by explaining that Diane Paulus, the American director, could not spend more time away from her base in New York's Public Theatre.
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But he said he was already casting British performers to take over if the show secures a life beyond the planned six-month run of the American cast.
