Hair Brings Back the Turbulent 60s to the Pantages

Hair:
The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
book & lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado; music by Galt MacDermot
directed by Diane Paulus
Pantages Theatre
through January 23

One of a kind musicals like Hair must be experienced first hand. It's the live, up-close, in-your-face tone that gives the musical its rare fervor. First produced in 1967 by Joe Papp at his Public Theatre, eventually opening on Broadway in 1968, Hair is about the hippie generation of the 60s, whose drugs and flower-power may have been a controversial mishmash then, but now make more sense than ever; the message rings loud and clear: stop the war! There's another message underneath: trust yourself and live the life you want to live, as long as you're not hurting others! Sad to say, 40+ years later, senseless war still rages and most people live by the status quo, even if its stress is so overbearing, it practically kills them. This new touring production, based on the 2009 Tony Award winning revival, is a powerful reminder and a powerhouse winner.

With great rock tunes like "Aquarius", "Donna", "Ain't Got No", "I Got Life", "Hair", "Easy To Be Hard", "Frank Mills", "Hare Krishna", "Where Do I Go""Good Morning Starshine" and "Let the Sun Shine In", Ragni, Rado and MacDermot can justly feel pride in their accomplishment, for audiences still want to hear these old chestnuts and sing along. Hippies were sensitive souls believing in mass love, but they were never really mean to their elders. Yes, they did burn their draft cards and many refused to go to Viet Nam. Their controversial opposition to authority and unique self-expression made waves. Anything positive come out of it? Reactions will always be a mixed bag, but one thing is perfectly clear: everybody needs a cause to stand up for. In 2010, we seem to be lacking causes; everybody is caught up in their individual need or greed to make money; few care to cater to the underdog. The message of Hair is a vital one: wake up, America!

 

The ensemble is pleasingly dynamic. Steel Burkhardt as Berger is sensational and sexy; Paris Remillard is appealing as Claude; Phyre Hawkins as Dionne, Matt DeAngelis as Woof, Darius Nichols as Hud, Caren Lyn Tackett as Sheila and Kacie Sheik as Jeanie are all great. Josh Lamon is fab in several roles, shining in drag as Margaret Mead. Allison Guinn is equally terrif as Mother and especially shines as Buddhadalirama. The entire cast have energy in spades and make the Pantages ROCK under Diane Paulus' superb direction. Setting this production apart from other revivals of the show is a lot more audience involvement and an undying passion for the raw individuality that is Hair!

mature audiences only, due to nudity and foul language

 

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