If you are in New York, anytime soon, go see “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical”. The current revival of the 1967 show, feels, at first, like a cultural artifact, almost campy for those of us who remember, and like an enjoyable musical history lesson for those born later. But that’s the first act. It’s full of songs many of us will recognize, performed by an attractive cast and a band that is placed prominently on stage and knows how to rock. While most of the cast was born after “Hair” was conceived and performed originally, several members of the band are old enough to remember the 60s. The new cast recording is now available on iTunes.
With Lyrics by James Rado & Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, what makes “Hair” so good more than 40 years after it opened on Broadway, the first time? Mainly, it’s how the music, staging, and story capture the political and social climate of the time, while entertaining us with outstanding staging, performances, and music. In the second act we find the dramatic center and emotional heart of this enduring work. The transition from “Three-Five-Zero-Zero” to “What a Piece of Work is Man,” is powerful, affecting, stagecraft. The reference to the number 3,500 comes from an Allen Ginsberg poem and refers to deaths in Vietnam. “What a Piece of Work is Man” is a song that takes lyrics from Shakespeare, and extols, in this case with sarcastic disappointment, the potential of humanity.
When I saw “Hair,” on Broadway in 1969, the subject matter was current and controversial. The performance I saw featured Barry Maguire who had a recent hit single at the time, “Eve of Destruction.” This was one year after Nixon was elected president, and also a year after Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated. The cultural counterpoints between Nixon in the White House and Hippies, along with many other Americans, protesting an increasingly unpopular war, gave “Hair” a prominent place in re-enforcing the need for change. The fact that several of its songs, including Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In, and the title track, all became hits on their own, added to the power and prominence of this counter-culture phenomenon. The first act ends with the actors taking off their clothes; this also added to the buzz around “Hair” when it opened in the sixties. And yes, the clothes still come off in the current production.
What is most striking to somebody like me, a fan of the show and music for 40 years, is that the audiences coming to watch today are as young and enthusiastic as I was in 1969. Rather than a bunch of people in their 50s and 60s, it’s younger audiences who seem to be making “Hair” a hit once again. And, if you’ve ever dreamed of dancing on Broadway, this is your chance. The final curtain calls include opportunities for the audience to join the cast and dance to the music.
“Hair” is one more reason to watch the Tony Awards, next Sunday (June 7th) on CBS. It’s usually the best of the awards shows, featuring performances from nominated shows. This year should be especially good, with “Hair”, “West Side Story”, and “Billy Elliot,” along with other nominated productions, supplying performances and music for the broadcast.
No comments:
Post a Comment