The first 15 minutes of Hair were the most terrifying and awkward moments of my life. I have seen some raunchy and racy theatrical spectacles, but never with a group of college freshman on a trip to DC learning about leadership. It took me a while to relax and take it all in because the musical began with a leading character, Berger, wearing nothing but leather fringe covering his crotch. He proceeded to leap, roll, and run around the stage, leaving little to the imagination. He even climbed into the front audience and got his parts close to the face of an elderly gentleman. As the play went on, I began to see more than the inappropriate things happening all around me. I began to appreciate Hair as a realistic depiction of protesting, acceptance, and love in the 1960’s.
A majority of the first act is devoted to showing the “tribe” in their daily lives. This group is made up of dozens of hippies living in Central Park. They are promiscuous, they all love each other, and they are proud of the amount of marijuana they smoke. These parts of the play revolved around a lot of insinuated sexual situations and free spirited dancing. Overall, it was enough to terrify a tight laced and prude audience.
The plot began to develop when Claude was introduced. Claude is a semi-leader of the group, loved by all. Within the tribe, Claude is esteemed for his careless nature. He is fun and opinionated about the Vietnam War, encouraging the group to love everyone and not seek to injure. Another side of Claude is seen when he visited his parents in New Jersey. They believe that he should get a job and give up all of his idealistic comments about peace. His father tells him that it would make him very proud to see his son in the military.
Soon after this, Claude finds out that he has been drafted into the army and must report for a health inspection. He attends the inspection and since the army “dug his body,” he becomes officially enlisted. There is a struggle between the tribe’s extreme objection to war and Claude’s sense of loyalty to his family and country.
The remainder of the musical revolves around Claude and the tribe taking drugs, having hallucinations, and Claude’s decision to join the army.
My favorite moment from the musical is the singing, “Black Boys/White Boys.” There is not really a place for it in the play, but it is a fantastic song. It goes both way in talking about race: white women love black men and black women love white men. When looked at from a purely humorous point of view, this number is a great addition to the musical.
What I was most amazed by in the Hair stage production was how much it varied from the movie interpretation. Claude is totally different, the ending is way off, and characters sing different songs. While the message about compassion and civic unrest remain the same, the plot is structured in an unrecognizable way. New characters are created and taken away, and so are romantic relationships. Being loyal to theatre, I have to choose the stage version as my preferred form.
After taking their final bows, the theatre is left in a somber mood that is unlike the rest of the show. This feeling does not last long, as the actors begin singing upbeat songs again. They encouraged the audience to join them and dance on stage. After a few minutes, there is a mass outbreak of people swaying their heads, lifting their arms in the air and interacting with the actors.
If only I had been in the first row and not at the very top in the cheap seats, I should have been showing off my moves on stage as well. In the end, I felt satisfied and excited after the production. I was ready to leap around, wear flowers in my hair, and if it was not 40 degrees outside, go streaking through the park.
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