Review: Hair

Here's a catch-up post about 6 months late. I gotta get these photos off my computer's desktop and be done with it since I saw this during Pride in NYC back in June!

Let, the sun shine. Let, the sunshine in. The sun, shine in.

I don't have a whole lot to say about Hair. Perhaps taking the hippie/Vietnam war era story out of its time and plunking it down in 2009 may have been what lacked in translation for me. If the audience were immersed in that part of U.S. history where Walter Cronkite was recounting the dead body tallies coming back from the war; there was a draft that terrified young men; violent protests; the increased availability of recreational drugs; and the major cultural shift of the sexual revolution brought on by the birth control pill, I can see where the first run of this show could have been transformational.

As it was, except for the opening (Aquarius) and closing (Let The Sun Shine In) numbers, I found the whole thing a bit bland. In fact, if I'd listened to those two songs for an hour I'd have been happier. Then again, I thoroughly enjoyed 9 to 5: The Musical on the same trip and that's already closed, so what do I know?

What was controversial at the time it originally hit Broadway — everyone on stage appearing nude — was a yawn. I can see nudity at any time if I'd only open half the junk email I get every day. With porn being available with a click and a few key strokes (ahem), I can see all the pimple-butted amateurs I can stomach.

If you decide to join the cast onstage at the end of the performance, make sure you take your personal things with you. All rows exit to the right directly onto the 45th St sidewalk so anything left behind will be trampled by the remainder of the audience.

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The show is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, formerly the Martin Back theater, located at 8th Ave and 45th St. The theater seats 1,437 people. All seats are pretty close to the stage with minimal sight line issues only for those in seats on the far left and right aisles.

The theatre was built in 1924. It's nice and clean with easy and quick access although the lobby is small and cramped before the show.