REVIEW: Hair (Signature Theatre)

Another Spring arrives. Peak bloom has come and gone, the cotton candy petals of the DMV once more relegated to sidewalk accoutrement. And with one version of “flower power” put to bed, another rises: Hair’s psychedelic rebellion has sprung up in Arlington. Signature’s latest comes among some of the most political intensities many of us have ever seen, rendering a genre-defining piece like this more relevant than ever.

Book/Music

Hair follows a “tribe” of ascetic, free-spirited hippies in New York’s Greenwich Village in the late ‘60’s. That’s…basically it, as far as plot thickness goes. Yes, one could argue Gerome Ragni and James Rado’s book (and lyrics) technically document Claude Hooper Bukowski’s fall from grace as a cultural dissident, but that would only cover about 30% of what goes on. Much like Cats which follows it two decades later, the concept is the book, and the barest thread connects it. And like the archetypal concept musical it is, this can work to its detriment. Luckily for us, Galt MacDermot’s funky score corrals it all in. The first Act is largely a collection of bite-sized earworms and pattering cultural references put to high-tempo bass and guitar riffs, but Claude’s numbers push the exposition along (especially as they story emerges from its haze in Act II). As my first actual production of this piece (I don’t count the film), I did not expect Hair to impress me that much — I mean, how often are groundbreaking shows still envelope-pushers so long after they premiere? Yet as each interspersed bout of brash heckling, diagetic nudity, and genre-breaking musicality hit, I grew a deep understanding of how insane this must have been to put on a Broadway stage 60 (!) years ago, when even today we don’t get productions like that. The piece may have no discernable plot, but there is a lot of story, with great songs that let you know directly: “We don’t care”. 8/10

Acting

Ensemble-driven spectacle is what something like Hair specializes in, and it is delivered to us with excitement starting with Mason Reeves’ gregarious Berger, who could not stop the audience from eating out of his hand if he tried. His gleaming smile and natural charisma made his hippie naivete all the more engrossing, and served as an excellent foil to the stonerized Claude (Jordan Dobson). Dobson himself plays the role with such a reserved, gifted voice, it builds a foundation of doubt in his community from the beginning. Noah Israel’s hilariously-horny Woof and the buttery-smooth sensibilities of Solomon Parker III’s Hud were further standouts, as was Nora Palka’s crystalline vocals as Jeanie. Oh, and Amanda Lee (Dionne)? Put her in any- and everything; Dreamgirls, Cats, I don’t care. Give her a platform because that is one voice not to miss. 10/10

Production

A piece like this can suffer immensely from its direction, but Signature’s Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner has poured his heart into it, resulting in an expertly-helmed distillation of a bubbling underground ready to rise. The curtain drop at the first chorus break in “Aquarius” is just the first applause-ready moment in a show rife with sensational technical feats. Paige Hathaway’s collegial set design brings us to a basement at the hub of the counter-culture, with posters and stickers adorning most of the wings. In the center is a massive sun-like ellipse, which is often the center of Patrick W. Lord’s trippy projections, and is flanked by the lush kaleidoscope of Jason Lyons’ radiant lighting design. Groovy costumes and wigs by Kathleen Geldard and Anne Nesmith are eye-catching and characterized, too, which I give props for as there’s so much to be distracted by, especially the raucously diverse choreography by Ashleigh King. 10/10

Viz

The key art they’re using for this is a nondescript, shirtless man with a splattered rainbow for an afro. I will admit, when I initially saw it, I thought it was very 2009-Flickr-DeviantArt-core. I still do kind of think this, but in a campy way; it works to introduce the themes. Pre-show staging is devoid of color and detail, only being a projection of Vietnam-era newsreels, which makes the curtain-drop reveal at the opening all the more exciting. 7/10

Verdict

Hair — the Rent of the 60’s — is elevated to new, hyperbolic levels via Gardiner’s excellent direction and stellar ensemble. 35/40