**** Highly Recommended Kokandy Productions has put together a creative, colorful, intense and immersive production of the iconic sixties’ tribal-rock musical Hair. Returning to the Age of Aquarius is always a trip – but Kokandy made it fun! Hair has some of my favorite songs – other than Motown, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones – you get the picture – from the sixties. In addition to the title song, the song list includes Aquarius, Ain’t Got No, I Believe in Love, Easy to Be Hard, Electric Blues, and Good Morning Starshine. This show is a must-see! 4 BIG Spotlights
You know that when Hair was new, it was considered scandalous because of the nude scene, casual use of illegal drugs, sexual innuendos, profane language and irreverence for the flag. Is it still scandalous today? Young people aren’t worrying about the draft and Viet Nam today, but there are still lots of reasons to protest. I’d say Hair is most definitely relevant.
Gavin Rhys and the Cast of Hair. Photo by Michael Brosilow
When I was in college in the sixties, we went from traditional/conservative to radical in no time. When I started at IU, girls had to wear skirts to classes. Two years or so later, girls were wearing bell bottoms, sandals and flowers in our hair; guys were wearing jeans and sandals. Peace signs and protests were the norm because people were getting drafted and sent to Viet Nam. I lived Hair.
As soon as you enter Chopin’s Mainstage, you’ll walk into the sixties. Rows of tiered seats have been removed and replaced with a wooden platform with steps. In front of that is a table in a large open area with two rows of seats on each side and in the rear corners. The walls are covered in sixties graffiti – peace signs, slogans like ‘hell no, we won’t go,’ and more. Audience members are encouraged to grab a sharpie and add a comment. Meanwhile, cast members are interacting with the audience.
Chosen Mitchell and the Cast of Hair. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
The show opens with Dionne (Chosen Mitchell) leading the cast in Aquarius, one of the best rock anthems ever written in my opinion. They call themselves ‘the tribe’ and they occupy a tiny corner of New York City – but in 1967, they could have been in any college town. I remember a group in Bloomington …
For Claude (Gavin Rhys), brooding is a permanent state. He declares himself from Manchester – in a fake British accent – but someone reminds him he’s from Flushing. He says he’s invisible. He just got his draft notice – which means they’ll cut his hair which he just got to the perfect length.
Zac Richey and the Cast of Hair. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Berger (Zac Richey), on the other hand, is completely up front, smarting off to the world, calling himself a psychedelic teddybear – or mooning them if they annoy him.
Sheila (Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor), a student activist who leads the tribe in protests, is hung up on Berger. Hud (Joshua Emmanuel), wearing all leather, declares himself the president of the United States of Love. Woof (Stone Teselle) advocates for sexual freedom. Jeannie (Nicki Rossi) is in love with Claude but pregnant by someone else. A young and innocent girl, Crissy (Amy Yesom Kim), meets the tribe looking for someone.
Too many people focus on the sex and acid trips, but the anti-war message is way more important. Amid the protests, Claude appears in an army jacket with his hair cut short, but he’s invisible, implying his death in Viet Nam. Having lost a couple of cousins and several friends in Viet Nam, Hair left me wondering – what was it all for?
Ensemble: Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Shayla Florence, Niki-Charisse Franco, Isadora Coco Gonzalez, Wolfie J, Matteo Palm, Quinn Simmons and Kijani X.
Band: Kara Olander (Conductor/Keyboard), Monica Benson (Trumpet), Karli Bunn (Reeds), Ben Heppner (Drums), Eric von Holst (Bass) and Samuel Stein (Guitar).
Joshua Emmanuel and Chosen Mitchell in Hair. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Playwrights Gerome Ragni and James Rado (who also wrote the lyrics) modeled the two male leads, Claude and Berger more or less after themselves. They wanted to convey their impressions of the hippie counterculture and sexual revolution of the 60s. According to Radu, “This is happening in the streets, and we wanted to bring it to the stage." Canadian composer Galt MacDermot wrote the music. Hair premiered Off-Broadway in 1967 as the opening show in Joseph Papp’s new Public Theater. After some revisions, it opened on Broadway in 1968. There was a highly successful Broadway revival in 2009.
Hair runs through September 13th on the Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division, Chicago. Street parking is available. Running time is 2 hours, 30 minutes, with an intermission. Performances: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:00 pm, Sundays at 5:00 pm, Tickets range from $44.52 to $65.87. FYI kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/HairChicago.