Peace, love and HAIR
The Broadway musical HAIR, now on stage at Sierra Rep’s Fallon House Theatre at Columbia State Park, depicts a spirited pursuit of peace, love and freedom that still applies and rings true in today’s turbulent times.
Created by James Rado, Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot, the show, which runs through Sunday, Sept. 29, is nearly six decades old. But like the Rolling Stones, it has evolved by maintaining its relevance and through nuanced interpretation by current-day directors like SRT’s Jerry Lee.
Lee recently shared that while HAIR was a game-changer along with being “unique and exciting and a wild ride” in its time, its deep, spiritual and patriotic themes endure.
Harnessing the energy of Sierra Rep’s impressively talented, earnest and exuberant cast, he shared that he did not even have any blocking written when rehearsals began, which almost never happens. Instead, the ensemble worked together, drawing inspiration from the original to depict young Americans as they learned to express and use their voice to be understood and help determine their place in the world and way forward.
When HAIR first hit Broadway in 1968 during the turbulent times of the Vietnam War and civil rights protests in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.’s assassination, it was meant to be attention grabbing and changed theatre forever by doing so in such a bold, direct and compelling way. Its iconic score established HAIR as the first ever rock musical with such songs as “Aquarius,” “Hair,” “Good Morning Starshine,” “I Got Life” and “Let The Sunshine In.”
This version of HAIR while tame on nudity (there is just a glimpse of a backside), is still full of salty language so it does carry an advisory that the show is “recommended for mature audiences and older teens with parental supervision.”
The story follows “the Tribe,” a group of young hippies who embrace free love, unity, self-expression, diversity and music. One of the central characters, Claude, is played by Miguel Ragel Wilson (recently in SRT’s “Route 66,” “Cinderella” and CBS’s “The Blacklist). Wilson’s performance is both charismatic and riveting as he struggles between wanting to burn his draft card and proving to his parents he is ready to serve his country, even if it might require killing or dying in the process. His roommate and good friend Berger is well played by Collins Rush (recently seen as Robert in SRT’s “The Drowsy Chaperone”).
As the pregnant flower-child Jeanie who is in love with Claude, Taylor Tveten (SRT’s “Elvis: The Musical,” “Jersey Boys,” “Sunday in the Park with George”) creates sparks wherever she moves on stage and every time she opens her mouth to sing. As Dionne and Crissy, Tamya J. Simmons and Jackie Thompson are also a delight to watch.
The other ensemble members, Erica C. Walker, Trae Adair, Kyle Moses, Cameron Chang, Alex Alansalon, Destiny Denny-Ellis and Alex Figueroa are just as wonderful in their own ways. Together this diverse and uber talented tribe fills, spills across and at times over the stage into the audience; playing off each other in some moments like members of a Cirque du Soleil troupe and in others like a lively litter of energetic puppies.
HAIR runs through Sunday, Sept. 29 with the following showtimes: Wednesday at noon; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets visit sierrarep.org.
