Review - Hair (Ford Oriental Theater)

This will be a short one.

Let me first say that I fully expected to love this show. So the experience may be different for someone who has lower expectations. Let me also say that I participated in a community theater production of Hair when I was 16. So all the nonsensical lyrics actually make sense to me. = )

That being said, I found this performance a bit disappointing. The cast's energy level was awesome. But it fell short of contagious. It was odd being outside the fishbowl and watching the "kids" be so rambunctious without feeling it myself. I was surprised to find myself feeling detached from the action.

Even knowing all the crazy lyrics, I still couldn't make out the lyrics half the time. Poor Laura who accompanied me with no prior knowledge of this show was inescapably stuck with no idea what was happening. My attempts to sing in her ear didn't seem to help much, either...shocking, I know.

My disappointment lingered through Act I. But I think I'm a touch in love with the soul-searching Claude (just as I was in my own production) and when his storyline picks up in Act II, I was finally convinced to care about the show. The final scene was nothing short of magical. And after the curtain call, they let audience members on stage to sing a few final rounds of Let The Sunshine In. That was the most authentic free-love moment of them all and I wish we had been close enough to join in.

Overall, I seem to remember BEING a part of this show as awesome. OBSERVING it? Not so much. However, I think that's a proper illustration of hippie-philosophy. You just gotta be.