Hair Raising the Bar on West-End Musical Theatre

If I said I went to a party last night you probably wouldn’t care. If I told you that it was an orgy of drug-taking, long-haired hippies; it was a protest, a trip and a demonstrative sexual revolution, you would probably be slightly disgusted if a little intrigued. But it’s true! I was at a party. It checked those boxes and more. It was the opening night of Hair! Groundbreakingly daring, Hair arrived in London 40 years ago to tackle taboo themes including race, nudity, sexual freedom, drug use, rebellion and environmentalism. It gave hippies a voice, uncovering their actions born from a united underlying passion for love, life and peace, man. “Beads, flowers, freedom, happiness,” man.

Now Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is back at a time where it’s passionate cry for hope and change is just as relevant and inspiring as before.

In a nutshell: Hair is the story of the “tribe”, a group of politically active, hairy hippies of the living a bohemian ‘Age of Aquarius’ life in New York actively fighting against conscription into the Vietnam War. It depicts the dichotomy of youth: their want to promote their philosophy of “peace, love, freedom, happiness” in all their eccentric, ecstatic wonder versus their anger, their hostility and their fear of the war and the future. Pivotal tribe member Claude has to decide whether to obey his conservative parents and sign up for war thus compromising his pacifistic principles or to resist the draft as his tribe friends have. His confusion is illustrated when he leads the show’s most stirring songs of affirmation “I Got Life” and then the helpless “Where Do I Go”.

Hair is an artifact of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 60s and several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement. With lyrics like “how dare they try to end this beauty?” “then peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars” you can see why. It features some of the greatest songs ever written for the stage, including some we know, but don’t know where from: ‘Let The Sun Shine In’, ‘I Got Life’, ‘Hair’ and ‘Aquarius’. Sasha Allen’s Dionne absolutely nailed the famous opening song ‘Aquarius’ with such effortless, mesmerizing vocals, which unwittingly set the pace for the entire performance.

The cast was engaging. I was completely sucked in. They inhabited their roles with such conviction and passion that it I lost all sense of what was real and what wasn’t! They weren’t ‘working,’ they weren’t playing characters; they WERE the living, breathing bohemians. They were fighting for peace and they were having a blast. It showed. Not only that, their enthusiasm and energy was contagious. The audience was more than happy to catch the bug – I was first in line!

Nowadays there is rarely a musical cast without a weak link, saved only by being fronted by the latest nobody-turned-TV-turned-musical star from the X-Factor of the theatre. Hair’s cast is as strong and clear as its message without the gimmicky buildup we are regretfully growing accustomed to today.

I was immediately smitten with Will Swenson who plays the devilishly sexy and charismatic tribe leader, Berger. Then came Gavin Creel with his pure, silky smooth voice combined with innocence and humorous quirks to boot. Kacie Sheik was adorable as pregnant pothead Jeannie, who is hopelessly in love with the otherwise engaged Claude. Caissie Levy is compellingly passionate as politico Shelia and Allison Case is such a sweetheart as fretful love-struck Chrissy! With each individually stunning voice combined in one powerful mass of melody, the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck were permanently on end.

Karole Armitage’s happy hippie choreography encompassed mass writhing, group gropes and nudity. The seeming formlessness and spontaneous movement not only reflected the attitude of the characters but also paid true testament to the intelligence and vision behind it. Continuing the freedom theme, the stage was not the usual barrier between performers and audience. The cast took pleasure in mingling with the audience, involving them in song, dance, embrace and love. Magical.

Hair’s young zestfulness has touched my heart and soul. I was moved beside myself, crying happy tears throughout. Hearing such spirited passion from a group of people singing the world their morals with unerring honesty revived my motivation to change the world. I was swept up in the feel-good jollity, to the point that nothing could stop me accepting the invitation jump onstage to join the buoyant party in the be-in finale. Hair is a party. It’s a celebration of love, peace, freedom and life. Now, it’s a celebration of the return of real musical theatre to the West End. If you were around in the 60s, you will enjoy reminiscing. If you weren’t, you’ll wish you were but at least you have gained an insight!

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