REVIEW: Jupiter aligns with Mars; “Hair” brings peace to the planet and joy to Seattle.

Review: Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Book and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado. Music by Galt MacDermot. Directed by Diane Paulus. Choreographed by Karole Armitage. With Steel Burkhardt, Paris Remillard, Phyre Hawkins, Matt DeAngelis, Darius Nichols, Caren Lyn Tackett, Kacie Sheik. At The Paramount now through December 4.

Hair is a musical best known for two things: the songs, many of which became Top 40 hits, and for its infamous nude scene and scandalous reputation. Few people really know it, meaning the actual story, because despite its fame and popularity, Hair really hasn’t been seen by THAT many people; at least not to the degree of many other popular, canonical musicals. High Schools really can’t do it, (too controversial) and only more liberal colleges dare stage a production. It’s not a staple for community theaters for the same reason. Hair was a very hot ticket from its inception to the early/mid 70’s then fell out of favor for 20 years; it seemed “dated” and unrealistic and the “Greed” generation of the 80’s wasn’t interested in hippies, or free love, or “free” anything. Hair was about love and hemp and peace; not lust and coke and making lots of money in the bond market. Hair was quaint and largely forgotten.

But, things began looking up for Hair at the start of the new millennium. A new generation dissatisfied with the status quo and a new equally unpopular war, (for many) led to a rebirth for the musical. An anniversary concert in Central Park led to a revival off-Broadway and a subsequent transfer to The Great White Way and an eventual Tony win for Best Musical-Revival in 2009. An energized and re-tweaked production captured legions of new fans, and the first touring company for the revival hit Seattle’s Paramount Theatre on Sunday night on the second stop of its national tour, (which is great because it means the cast is fresh and excited and energetic; there’s nothing sadder than a touring company that’s been on the road for a year or two and they’re exhausted and bored with doing the same show over and over and over…)

Hair has never been a show famous for its strong book…it really doesn’t have much of a story. Young hippies band together in a “Tribe” in New York City led by the wild and crazy Berger and his best friend Claude who’s just been notified he’s been drafted into the military at the height of the Vietnam War. Claude is opposed to the war and doesn’t want to die in a war he doesn’t believe in and his friends convince him to burn his draft card and run away to Canada. But, Claude doesn’t want to run away and ends up going to Vietnam. Along the way, they get high, protest the war, enrage authority and engage in a lot of sex with multiple partners. Everyone is in love with somebody else and there’s a lot of hugging, humping, touching and lots of leaping, prancing and merry making while wearing clothes that are once again in style and probably available at Lucky Brand. It’s a fun show and it does have things to say, but the story is about as intricate and deeply constructed as an episode of  “Teletubbies”. Hair is famous for its integrated cast and giving roles to non-white  actors, which is great, but the women’s roles are sadly underwritten and dull. Sheila is the college activist and the “smart” one in love with Berger but she doesn’t really have much to do…(the love story in Hair has always been between Claude AND Berger and the 21st century revival makes that very clear in this production…these dudes are ALL over each other! And, it’s no accident: co-creator James Rado admitted in a 2008 interview for The Advocate that he and his collaborator Gerome Ragni were lovers. The two men starred as Berger and Claude in the original Broadway production.) Jeanie is a spacey pregnant girl in love with Claude, but he ignores her maybe because he disapproves of the fact she’s smoking weed and tripping while she’s pregnant. Chrissy’s only function is to sing the silly song, “Frank Mills”. And, Dionne is always a fierce black woman who gets to belt out the opening number, “Aquarius” but she never really gets a character or a personality. The women in Hair are only there to sing the high notes and keep it from being a big ole homofest.

Yes, I’m criticizing some aspects of this show, but no one has ever left Hair humming the book…it’s always been Galt MacDermot’s music that has driven this show and it’s now classic songs like, “Aquarius” and “Good Morning, Starshine” and “Let the Sun Shine In” that define this show and elevate it to greatness. Well, that and the energy and joy of the performers and the message they’re preaching of “beads… flowers… freedom… happiness…” It’s a joyous show, that does teeter on the corny and contrived at times, but it’s hopeful message,  ultimate grim reality, and youthful, sexy exuberance lift it above the mundane and meaningless message of most contemporary rock musicals that rely on the jukebox hits of bygone artists to sell their “message” (buy more albums?) to the masses. At times, especially in the beginning, it does feel a bit like a Gap commercial, with all those healthy, young actors prancing about stage in their gym toned bodies and colorful casual retro outfits looking far too clean, healthy, and well groomed to be Sixties rebels, but that’s part of suspending disbelief. And, director Diane Paulus carefully knits together a fabric of the character’s lives and emotional arcs and builds the show up to strong, emotional peaks and creates a strong sense of unity and cohesion in a show that known for it’s hippy spaciness. Both the ending of Act I, with it’s “controversial” nude scene (Note: it’s quite brief, completely non-sexual and played in shadowed light) and the final scene of the show, (we learn the fate of Claude) are confidently staged and emotionally pure and cathartic, and a tribute to Ms Paulus’s talent as a director. She’s freshened and enlivened an old show, and made it new and relevant to a modern audience. It’s a joyous entertainment.

Some attention to the actors. They are all young, energetic charmers though not that believable as real Hippies, but that’s ok. The unbelievably named Steel Burkhardt made a very sexy Berger and I think he very much enjoyed prancing around in a fringed jockstrap for the first 20 minutes of the show…he also molested ME at one point, (yes, the actors use the aisles a LOT in this show and they like to interact with the audience) and ruffled my beard…I enjoyed having a hunky 26 year old toy with my emotions but wasn’t that impressed with his weave; it looked acrylic. Can’t the producers of Hair afford to give him real human hair?

The also exotically named Paris Remillard was fine as Claude, though he seems more Broadway belter than hard core hippie rocker…and it was an interesting casting choice to have the two main characters played by actors who resemble one another. It bordered on twincest at times as these hippie tribal buddies constantly groped each other…these bros were CLOSE! (or, aspects of the same personality? Perhaps…)

Phyre Hawkins did great honor to her big numbers, “Aquarius” and “White Boys”…her character has little to really do, but Ms Hawkins made the most of her numbers. Darius Nichols as Hud and Matt deAngelis as Woof were fine support as the back up buddies to the two main characters. And, Josh Lamon was a crowd favorite in multiple roles including Claude’s outraged father and a cross dressing bit as “Margaret Mead”. Mr Lamon has some AMAZING singing chops and really hits all the right notes in the “Mead” sequence. Allison Guinn was also quite good as Claude’s mom and the “Buddhadalirama” in the Act II acid trip sequence.

Who’s it for?

Old hippies. New hippies. Wannabe hippies. The Liberal Agenda.

Who’s it not for?

“The Man”

“The Establishment”

“The Industrial Military Complex”

– Michael Strangeways