Hair
Peace and love rock, man! This high energy revival of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical rekindles a heady hope for change to a better world that we all really need (again) right now.
It’s been a long time between major theatre productions in Melbourne of Hair. The first season, which ran for ten full months, opened at the long defunct Metro Theatre in May 1971 and was produced by the then 37-year-old Harry M. Miller and directed by 26-year-old Jim Sharman. It featured Reg Livermore, John Waters, Lorrae Desmond and, in Melbourne, a 16-year-old, six months pregnant, Marcia Hines.
Miller and Sharman would go on to equally successful productions of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and The Rocky Horror Show in 1974. All three of these productions permanently changed the course of musical theatre that ultimately led to Rent, Hamilton and Hadestown.
Nearly forty years later in 2010, the second season in Melbourne of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical was part of the 40th anniversary tour and ran at the Arts Centre’s Playhouse.
Now, 15 years further on, and as a production no less of the Australian Shakespeare Company, we have the third major season of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at The Athenaeum, which will run through November.
When the show was first staged in 1968 it smashed the boundaries of what could be said and done and sung on stage. It marked a moment when theatre became more socially conscious, provocative and daring. Initially in Australia the show was prohibited for anyone under 18 years and even today it requires anyone under 16 years to be accompanied by a parental guardian.
Those of us who are children of the seventies fondly remember our joyous conviction that, if we could vigorously protest the obvious flaws in the system, they would be fixed. And Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical was a show that defined that generation by asking questions about global conflict, government oppression, race politics, sexual politics, censorship, environmentalism and freedom of expression.
Central to the story are young Polish Catholic Claude Bukowski, his buddy Berger, their roommate Sheila and their tribe of friends who struggle to balance their New York City East Village lives, loves and sexuality against the backdrop of that dirty (not little) Vietnam war and a deeply conservative American society. Claude has been drafted to the war and must decide whether to do as his parents wish or obey his pacifist principles.
This is the musical that gives us the famous line: The draft is about the White Man sending the Black Man to kill the Yellow Man in the name of the land he stole from the Red Man.
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical was created by Gerome Ragni and James Rado (book and lyrics) with music composed by Galt MacDermot. This revival features the music as originally written, with a super tight band of five on-stage musicians fronted by a widely talented cast who bring the characters to fresh life.
All up there are 18 highly energised acting, singing and dancing stage performers who have synched into a strong and affecting collaboration thanks to the obvious efforts of Glenn Elston as director and Sue-Ellen Shook as choreographer, who makes deft use of the limited stage space. The use of moving ladders to add depth and height to the performing space is also very well executed. Musically and vocally credit is due to Colin Snape, Paul Norton and Lindsay Field.
Alex Cooper and Maxwell Simon take on the co-leads of Claude and Berger with enthusiasm. Elizabeth Brennan is delightful as Sheila and nails a deeply moving delivery of “Easy To Be Hard”, about how cruel people can be to each other. Clay Darius as Hud delivers a fabulous “Colored Spade” as well as deeply muscled wit and musicality. Giorgia Kennedy as Chrissy stuns with her beautiful rendition of “Frank Mills”. Jackson McGovern as Woof brings his character’s manic anxiety to life. Rosie Meader as Jeannie and Maverick Newman as Leonard bring immense warmth and humour to their roles. And Zarah Andrews as Dionne and Max McDonald as Walter foreshadow great musical theatre futures.
This production is vibrantly enhanced by the costumes of Karla Erenbots (loved the flare inserts) and the projection and signage of Harrison Cope as Lighting Designer. Particularly affecting was the projection of US combat troops behind the full stage sized American flag which once again today is setting people‘s teeth on edge. ‘Hey hey LBJ how many kids did you kill today?’
It is impossible to say definitively that Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical helped end the Vietnam War, but it surely influenced the views of an emerging and voting generation towards the sunshine of a better future.
There is no shortage of protest in our streets today. But where is the mainstream cultural and artistic beacon of hope that Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical was in its day? We need that sunshine now, possibly more than ever.
Reviewed by Susanne Dahn
Photographer: Ben Fon
Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.