Review: HAIR at Portland Center Stage

If you’d like to see some of Portland’s hottest young musical theatre talent, alongside some stellar out-of-towners, make your way to Portland Center Stage’s crowd-pleasing season opener, HAIR. From the minute Olivia Lucy Phillip opened the show with “Aquarius” to the final bars of “Let the Sun Shine In,” this concert-like musical had the audience whooping and clapping. I don’t remember the last time I saw a local show inspire anywhere near that level of excitement.

HAIR, with music by Galt MacDermot and book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, leapt onto the scene in 1967 and had its Broadway debut in 1968. The counterculture musical is about a group of hippies who are very pro-sex, drugs, rock & roll, and very anti-Vietnam war. It has a thin plot about burning draft cards, but it’s more about the community. The show sparked major controversy for what was considered obscene material, irreverence to the American flag, and nudity.

Today, the sex, drugs, and rock & roll aren’t quite so shocking, and the social commentary doesn’t have the same bite (plus this production has toned some things down). What remains is optimism, hope, and a huge dose of nostalgia.

The stars of the PCS production are the excellent members of the cast. Phillip is magnificent as Dionne, and so is Solomon Parker III as Claude, Antonio Lopez-Villarreal as Woof, and all of the others, most of whom play multiple roles. Hanna Sapitan’s solo (“Frank Mills”) was a highlight for me, and it’s always a pleasure to hear Madeleine Tran sing – fortunately this show provides plenty of opportunities.

Overall, HAIR is a huge amount of fun. Go for the nostalgia, the music, and above all the great performances.

HAIR runs at Portland Center Stage through November 5. Details and tickets here.

Photo credit: Jingzi Zhao

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