When Hair debuted on Broadway in 1968, it made quite a stir. It was something totally new, showing honest (and positive) depictions of drugs, sexuality, and race. The show had its own style and sound, and it pushed the boundaries in a way that audiences responded to. For some young people, it provided a way to connect with their parents, because Hair expressed their feelings and experiences so effectively.
Hair isn't new anymore, and it doesn't have the same context today that it did at the time. The show, like the hippie movement, is optimistic overall, permeated with the belief that music and love have the power to change the world. Decades later, many of the problems approached in Hair haven't been solved. From the outside, it's easy to be cynical about Hair, which, for example, opens with a song proclaiming that the astrological age of Aquarius will bring with it harmony and understanding. But there's something to be said for setting cynicism aside. Hair is worth returning to for the music alone, but inhabiting that feeling of optimism and sincerity, experiencing the potential of coming together to share emotions and dreams for the world--there's something really beautiful in that. That's what really makes Hair worth coming back to in any decade.
Theatre 55 performed Hair as their debut show, and this production, a concert version of the show, served as their return-from-pandemic debut. Theatre 55, for the unfamiliar, performs with casts of older actors, hence the subtitle for this show: "Performed by People Who Lived It." The concert version contained most of the songs from the original soundtrack, with a few songs added in that were unfamiliar to me; "Dead End," for example, was a song cut from the original version of Hair that was added back in for some later versions. From the original show, the songs that were most about race were not included in this production. I don't know which choices were made by this production team and which by the team who originally produced Hair! The Concert Experience, but I respect the choice to not perform songs in a setting where they can't be done appropriately. Similarly, I noticed some small changes in language in a couple of songs, where the original language would be particularly jarring (e.g. "pederasty" became "penetration," a nice choice). Additionally, the lyrics in "Hashish" were changed, replacing some of the recreational drugs with pharmaceuticals, a silly nod to the age of the performers.
Hair! The Concert Experience, directed by Richard Hitchler, was performed in a natural amphitheater in Caponi Art Park. The park itself was a very interesting space, but it was a bit of a hike between the parking lot and the show, so I did find myself wishing I'd worn better shoes. (There was a cart available to assist with transportation, a helpful accommodation in this space.) Hitchler took advantage of the openness of the amphitheater by having the actors visible off-stage before the show began. It was a great way to set the tone of the show to see the actors inhabiting their hippie characters before dancing or rolling (!) down the hill to the stage. Another nice touch in this performance was inviting the audience to sing along in several songs, and providing the lyrics via QR code in the program.
Victor Zupanc was both the music director and the keyboardist for the show, and under his leadership, the band provided a rocking backdrop for the singers. Overall it felt like the band was jamming out to the music, having as good a time with it as the cast and the audience were. The cast had some great group numbers, with especially good harmonies in numbers like "I Believe in Love" and "Aquarius"; the only real difficulties with the group's sound were if cast members weren't close enough to the microphones (in the opening number, since the group entered the stage gradually, it took a while to build that strong sound). The microphones and their required proximity limited the choreography possibilities, but movement coach Amanda Gehrke found plenty of moments to work with. In general, the choreography was fun and allowed for individual variation in a very natural way.
As a whole, the cast was very expressive and had an infectious enthusiasm. The program didn't specify which person sang what, so I can't credit individual performances by name, but some moments I really enjoyed were the expressive solo in "Donna," the two soloists in "Easy to Be Hard," which had a nice slow, funky sound to it, and the solo in "Breathe Deep," which had a lot of character. The biggest group numbers, like "Hair," were rousing and fun. The finale was the number that impressed me the most; it started with a couple of stirring solos, building in intensity and complexity as the song went on, to end with an incredibly full, powerful sound.
Overall, this was a musical that had people dancing in their seats and eventually on their feet. It was a fun experience in a relaxed setting, and a great choice for a re-debut.
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