'Hair' to rock Port Hope http://www.northumberlandnews.com/entertainment/article/120660
Feb 27, 2009 By Jason Chamberlain PORT HOPE - One of the most popular musicals of all time is coming to Port Hope thanks to the Northumberland Players. Hair: The American Tribal Love Rock Musical is a famed production, depicting the struggles of a group of hippies during the 1960s. The Players will put on seven performances from Friday, Feb. 27, to Saturday, March 7, at the Cameco Capitol Arts Theatre. "It's about a hippie tribe in New York going against the norms of the time," said Shannon Oliver, director of the play. "They should be heading off to (the Vietnam) war, but they're fighting against it. We follow their journey as they fight for what they believe in. It's anti-war, and pro-love - peace, flowers, the whole hippie lifestyle." Though the hippie movement and the corresponding sexual revolution ended decades ago, Hair is still relatable to today's audiences, Ms. Oliver said. "It works quite well today with what's going on in the world," she added. Even folks who have never seen a production of the play are likely to be familiar with some of the featured music. Popular recording artists such as Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand, and Diana Ross have all recorded songs from the play, a number of which became hits. "I guarantee you'll know the songs," she said. "They used to be played on the radio." As her first directing project, Ms. Oliver has used Hair as a learning experience. She credits members of her production team, such as musical director Caitlin Hayes, choreographer Alina Adjemain and producer Anne Dobby, with making the experience purely enjoyable. "It's been a pretty cool experience. Being my first directing job, it's been wonderful," she said. "A few of my cast have already lived this lifestyle, so they're helping me along the way." What is important to note about Hair, for those interested in attending, is the play's risque content. Being a chronicle of the sexual revolution, there is sexual content as well as nudity in the play and the Northumberland Players performance keeps these elements intact. Ms. Oliver made sure her cast members were comfortable with each other before tackling those scenes. "We've eased into it," she said. "I've allowed the cast to become close before working on those portions of the show." The Players have big shoes to fill in performing one of the most well known musicals in history, one that has millions of fans around the globe. For her part, Ms. Oliver believes her cast has nailed it. "I'm really happy with how well it has come together. The cast sounds unbelievable. I think it's better than some of the performances I've seen in the past," she said. "There will be a lot of people coming that have seen a production before. (If you haven't), expect great music and expect great dancing. It's a really fun show. It makes you feel good." Tickets for the show are $25 at the Capitol. . --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sixties-L" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
