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Post by Oss Rae on Aug 18, 2023 14:34:54 GMT -8
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Post by Oss Rae on Sept 22, 2023 23:54:46 GMT -8
Saw it tonight at Altadena's outdoor Musical Theatre and was greatly impressed!!! We were told that when it was performed there last year, the original Broadway producer, Michael Butler, attended. He died in the ensuing year, but tonight his family was in the audience.
In 50 years of listening to the soundtrack (and seeing the 1979 movie--which is quite different), I was finally able to see everything choreographed and the songs in the context of the story. I'm assuming some updates have been made (though having not seen early stagings, I can't be sure): one member of the tribe is trans, and there are a lot of references to homosexuality. The polyamory, I'm guessing, may date back to early stagings, but it seemed topical.
Very impressive direction, choreography, performances, music, sets, production values. I can't think of any other show in community theater I've seen that matches this (but it's at community theater prices). Experiencing it outdoors at Altadena's Farnsworth Park seemed ideal since the play is set in a park. There were senior hippies in the audience, which for me, enhanced the experience.
The director was touched and changed by Hair early in his life. His mom performed in a staging of it when he was 12, and he watched it as many times as he could. At least one performer in this version has mentioned being transformed by her involvement.
This is the last weekend.
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Post by Oss Rae on Oct 7, 2023 12:54:32 GMT -8
When Hair was initially being performed in New York circa late '67, it went through a lot of changes as some musical numbers were dropped and others added. The album DisinHAIRited features songs that were dropped. Here are just a few.
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Post by Oss Rae on Oct 15, 2023 21:04:08 GMT -8
This staging, that was put on in Texas, has what I think is a really nice touch in the closing seconds (it involves the protest signs everybody's holding). You have to wait till after the music stops.
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Oct 18, 2023 23:00:06 GMT -8
What a fabulous staging -- and the video's production values are excellent. I know Oss Rae is opposed to spoilers, so I'll just say that the ending was surprising and beautiful. If you enjoyed the You Tube embeds above, click on the link below. Oss Rae posted three more videos in a thread about the passing of Harry Belafonte, starting with his introduction of the original "Hair" cast (including Melba Moore and Ben Vereen) in a televised performance at the 1969 Tony Awards. montrosepeacevigil.proboards.com/post/9309/thread |
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Post by musicals on Oct 18, 2023 23:16:22 GMT -8
Here is a little bit about the creation of Hair.
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Post by Oss Rae on Oct 19, 2023 16:56:28 GMT -8
Here is a little bit about the creation of Hair.
Very interesting! Hair was influenced by unsung hippies/radicals that Ragni and Rado hung out with in East Village. And those two people who took their clothes off in Central Park ended up affecting the history of theater (perhaps unknowingly).
Thank you for sharing this.
Edit: When I saw a recent staging of Hair, I guessed that the pansexual and polyamorous elements may have been added recently to modernize it, but wow, they included those way back then!
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Post by Oss Rae on Oct 20, 2023 22:59:12 GMT -8
Here's the original cast reunited five years ago (50 years after the fact). Is that Dianne Keaton in the first row, slightly left-of-center, wearing the blue dress?
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Brian
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Post by Brian on Oct 22, 2023 23:00:48 GMT -8
Is that Dianne Keaton in the first row, slightly left-of-center, wearing the blue dress? My opinion: Though her face resembles Dianne these days, that woman is way too short. Also, I just can't imagine the actress wearing that outfit, even for "Hair" onstage. |
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Post by Oss Rae on Oct 29, 2023 17:21:34 GMT -8
Is that Dianne Keaton in the first row, slightly left-of-center, wearing the blue dress? My opinion: Though her face resembles Dianne these days, that woman is way too short. Also, I just can't imagine the actress wearing that outfit, even for "Hair" onstage.
Here's some pictures of her back in the original production:
I think she's in bottom center of this picture:
She was in the Black Boys/White Boys number and, according to Broadway World, understudied the role of Sheila.
The record album credits her for singing Black Boys. Not sure if she has a solo. (If that's actually her in the center of the pic above, I'd guess she did indeed sing solo.)
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