The musical Hair revolves around a group known as the Tribe, a collection of bohemian teens who believe in peace, free love, and open use of mind-enhancing drugs. Key members of the tribe include the free-spirited Berger, political activist Sheila, and Claude, a conflicted soul who must decide whether to dodge the draft with the rest of his Tribe-mates, or join the Vietnam War.
A Broadway Smash Returns
The original Broadway production of Hair opened in 1968 to positive reviews, and ran for four years. The cast boasted future stars as part of the Tribe, including Diane Keaton and Melba Moore. Other performers who would appear during the original Broadway run included Ben Vereen, Keith Carradine, and Meat Loaf.
The 2009 Broadway revival of Hair opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theater in New York City on March 31. The show was coming off a successful run at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and many of the cast who had starred at the Delacorte made the leap to Broadway with the show. The production opened to almost unanimous rave reviews. In his April 1, 2009 review of the show, The New York Times’ Ben Brantley noted the show delivered “what Broadway otherwise hasn’t felt this season: the intense, unadulterated joy and anguish of that bi-polar state called youth...”
Creating New Stars
The revival won the 2009 Tony, Drama Desk and Drama League Award for best revival, with personal Tony nominations going to the show’s male stars, Gavin Creel for Claude in the lead actor category and Will Swenson for Berger in the featured actor category. While neither took home the Tony, their electrifying performances richly deserved the recognition of the nomination. Creel shines as the confused Claude, and his performance of the solo I Got Life is magic. Swenson is electrifying as the strung out Berger, with particular attention paid to his performances in the numbers Going Down and Donna.
Other cast standouts include Caissie Levy, whose powerful portrayal of Sheila is matched by her amazing vocal talent, and Sasha Allen, who kicks off the show as Dionne performing the signature song Aquarius. The well-rounded tribe also features a loveable Woof played by Bryce Ryness, a hard-strutting Hud played by Darius Nichols, and Allison Case’s sweet character Crissy.
Much Ado About Nudity
The much talked about nude scene at the end of act 1 still exists in the current incarnation of the Broadway show, and while this has been an area of controversy in the past, audiences don’t seem to be fazed by the disrobing of the tribe. It seems only natural that a show about free love and expression would feature a scene where the cast bares all, literally as well as figuratively. The end result is much like the show itself: a display of passion, power, and performance by some of today’s hot, young Broadway talent.
 |
