‘HAIR:’ Revolutionary rock opera more than four decades later
by BONNIE GOLDBERG, middletownpress.com
April 22nd 2011
Think hippies, harmony and happiness. Think protests, politics, patriotism,
peace and popping pills. Toss in some sunshine, star shine, speed and a sexual
revolution. Bring along your beads and bell bottoms and you’re ready to
experience the Age of Aquarius, when Jupiter aligns with Mars, that
controversial, counter-culture musical revolution known as “Hair.”
In 1967, actors James Rado and Gerome Ragni wanted to create a happening, an
experience, a be-in, for the world to feel. With the help of musician Galt
MacDermot, they fashioned an American Tribal Love-Rock Musical that was a vocal
protest against the establishment and the Vietnam War and a plea for peace.
With a tribe of long haired hippies who were politically active, flower
children living a bohemian lifestyle in New York City, they introduced Claude,
his good friend Berger and roommate Shelia and a host of young students who
were united in all they saw that was wrong in America: racism, environmental
issues, poverty, sexism, political corruption, violence and the bonfire of
Vietnam.
Now “Hair,” in its latest reincarnation after securing the 2009 Tony and Drama
Desk Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, is coming to the Bushnell Center for
the Performing Arts in Hartford from Tuesday, April 26 to Sunday May 1.
Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2
p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. For tickets ($17-70), call
the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at
www.bushnell.org.
“Hair” is basically Claude’s story. He must decide his own fate: does he resist
the draft or serve in a war he vehemently opposes?
In a recent interview, actor Josh Lamon who plays a member of the tribe,
Claude’s father and Margaret Mead, said the national tour which began at the
Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. is going “great and is a lot of
fun.” He is looking forward to its ten week stop this summer on Broadway. Since
its inception in 1968, the production has “evolved.” As James Rado, playwright,
explained to the cast, “hair grows so the play has many different versions.”
Today the plot line is much clearer, more has been added to the story and it is
not just the vignettes and songs that it was in the beginning.
To Lamon, the message of the play is “freedom and love and a celebration of
life. It speaks to the youth, to encourage all people to have their own voice,
to speak freely without guilt.” He loves the end of the play when the audience
surges on stage to dance and “strangers hug and clap and you can feel positive
changes happening in the world.”
He feels the show is still “revolutionary,” even if no one pickets today.
Because “there is so much negative stuff in the world, people need to stand up
and learn how to love one another. It’s inspiring for a new generation. Voice
and freedom are so important and the time is now.” Audience reception is
“wonderful and so warm.” Even in conservative Hershey, Pennsylvania where the
cast is now, the response is the same: “ thrilling.”
As for the music, songs like “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Aquarius,” “Good Morning,
Starshine” and “Easy To Be Hard,” Josh Lamon finds it is still “incredible.”
The original writers Jim Rado and composer Galt MacDermot are still involved
(Gerome Ragni died in 1991) and they “tweak” the show from time to time.
To say that the show has “exploded” all over the world is not an understatement
and Josh Lamon is delighted to be part of the fireworks every night.
By BONNIE GOLDBERG,
Press Correspondent
Think hippies, harmony and happiness. Think protests, politics, patriotism,
peace and popping pills. Toss in some sunshine, star shine, speed and a sexual
revolution. Bring along your beads and bell bottoms and you’re ready to
experience the Age of Aquarius, when Jupiter aligns with Mars, that
controversial, counter-culture musical revolution known as “Hair.”
In 1967, actors James Rado and Gerome Ragni wanted to create a happening, an
experience, a be-in, for the world to feel. With the help of musician Galt
MacDermot, they fashioned an American Tribal Love-Rock Musical that was a vocal
protest against the establishment and the Vietnam War and a plea for peace.
With a tribe of long haired hippies who were politically active, flower
children living a bohemian lifestyle in New York City, they introduced Claude,
his good friend Berger and roommate Shelia and a host of young students who
were united in all they saw that was wrong in America: racism, environmental
issues, poverty, sexism, political corruption, violence and the bonfire of
Vietnam.
Now “Hair,” in its latest reincarnation after securing the 2009 Tony and Drama
Desk Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, is coming to the Bushnell Center for
the Performing Arts in Hartford from Tuesday, April 26 to Sunday May 1.
Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2
p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. For tickets ($17-70), call
the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at
www.bushnell.org.
“Hair” is basically Claude’s story. He must decide his own fate: does he resist
the draft or serve in a war he vehemently opposes?
In a recent interview, actor Josh Lamon who plays a member of the tribe,
Claude’s father and Margaret Mead, said the national tour which began at the
Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. is going “great and is a lot of
fun.” He is looking forward to its ten week stop this summer on Broadway. Since
its inception in 1968, the production has “evolved.” As James Rado, playwright,
explained to the cast, “hair grows so the play has many different versions.”
Today the plot line is much clearer, more has been added to the story and it is
not just the vignettes and songs that it was in the beginning.
To Lamon, the message of the play is “freedom and love and a celebration of
life. It speaks to the youth, to encourage all people to have their own voice,
to speak freely without guilt.” He loves the end of the play when the audience
surges on stage to dance and “strangers hug and clap and you can feel positive
changes happening in the world.”
He feels the show is still “revolutionary,” even if no one pickets today.
Because “there is so much negative stuff in the world, people need to stand up
and learn how to love one another. It’s inspiring for a new generation. Voice
and freedom are so important and the time is now.” Audience reception is
“wonderful and so warm.” Even in conservative Hershey, Pennsylvania where the
cast is now, the response is the same: “ thrilling.”
As for the music, songs like “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Aquarius,” “Good Morning,
Starshine” and “Easy To Be Hard,” Josh Lamon finds it is still “incredible.”
The original writers Jim Rado and composer Galt MacDermot are still involved
(Gerome Ragni died in 1991) and they “tweak” the show from time to time.
To say that the show has “exploded” all over the world is not an understatement
and Josh Lamon is delighted to be part of the fireworks every night.
Original Page:
http://middletownpress.com/articles/2011/04/22/entertainment/doc4db0a1b72b247914462203.txt
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