The reviews are in for "Hair"

Posted at 12:46 PM on March 3, 2011 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Hair tours at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis through March 6
Photos by Joan Marcus

Does a musical about the fervor of the '60s and flower children have a place on today's stage? Can a polished production capture something that was inherently messy and spontaneous? According to our critics, yes... and no. Read the following excerpts of reviews for "Hair" at the Orpheum Theatre, or click on the links to read the full reviews.

From Rohan Preston at Star Tribune:

For me, as for many theatergoers, everything pivots on the song "Let the Sun Shine In." The emotional power of this number captures the most moving elements of this musical by composer Galt MacDermot and book and lyrics writers Gerome Ragni and James Rado.

Tinged with both grief and optimism, "Let the Sun Shine In" is delivered as Claude (Paris Remillard), who did not drop out or burn his draft card like so many of his peers, lies in a cone of light, his stiff body set against an American flag. The stage image is powerful and relates very clearly to today, when the bodies of our young men and women serving overseas still arrive at Dover Air Force Base.

From John Olive at Howwastheshow.com:

...this show's music really holds up. Composed by Galt MacDermot with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, Hair's songs soar. None are deep - there isn't enough of a developed story for this - but they do work, tune after tuneful tune. Many have become classics: "Let The Sun Shine In," "Good Morning Starshine," the eponymous "Hair," the fervent "Aquarius." Maybe the counterculture Hair delineates is fakey, glitzed up and ersatz. I don't care: my toes rarely stopped tapping and a silly smile almost never left my face.

The players in this revival, none of whom were alive during the period in question, have at this material with gusto and energy. NYC is filled with performers who can act, sing their hearts out, and have a lithe athletic stage presence that fills large hoary theaters like the Orpheum. We reap the benefits of this in Hair. Director Diane Paulus moves her ragged Tribe of free spirits with effortless and streamlined focus. She directs the comic bits with flair and, most of all, she lets the music shine.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Whatever transgressive power that the hippy look and lifestyle ever carried has been wasted away by endless parodies, documentaries, parody documentaries, and straightforward documentaries that play like parodies.

Near the end of the first act, the action snapped into place. The story began to focus more and more on Claude, a Flushing teenager who dreams of Manchester, England, and who is facing his draft notice. It's his struggle that fuels the best moments of the play, including a terrific, tribal draft card burning at the end of act one (also where you'll see the show's famous nudity--look quick!), through to the musical's uneven second act, and finally to the stunning final chorus of "Let the Sun Shine In." In fact, part of me wishes the show would have ended with that moment, skipping the lengthy curtain call entirely.

From Dominic Papatola at Pioneer Press:

The show looks and sounds like a million bucks, but its soul is as thin as a dime.

That performance is a microcosm of the whole show, which is carried out with a slick sense of professionalism and a certain politeness.

Did you see "Hair" at the Orpheum? If so, what did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section.