HAIR 2005 MOVES YOUNG & OLD TO THE PRESENT

HAIR PRODUCTION IN SANTA ANA CALIFORNIA PROVES CENSORSHIP DENIES TRUE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE by Paul Korda International Entertainment News
Saturday March 12th 2005 Phillips Hall Theatre Santa Ana

Santa Ana Hair cast, Michael Butler (Original Broadway producer,right/top of center)
and Paul Korda (Original London cast, bottom center)

In an adaptation of the Rock musical HAIR that remains true to the intents of the writers, the cast of Santa Ana College's Theatre Arts Department wowed the audience with not only a historical record of the the late sixties culture, but brought it's meaning into the present.Director Barbara Covington, showed a remarkable ability in casting the roles with such a fine group of actors. Each one brought a passion to the songs that made me feel that, even though these are young individuals who never lived in the period, they related in an uncanny way,that made the show distinctly new again. The confusion of youth, at the time of the Vietnam War, is reflected now in these turbulent times. This young cast brought Hair's message, that we need each other more than material pursuits. That the Human state is full of variety when it is freely able to express itself. With censorship on the rise again, it is now a crime to show parts of the human anatomy to the public, unless of course they are torn from the main structure, as in War footage. Though the "nude" scene was cut from this version, probably due to it's educational affiliation, the cast made no bones about showing their emotional nakedness, which more than made up for it. A tribe they are. It really is hard to say that any one singer in the show stood above the rest, and much praise should be awarded to the band directed by Jimmy Vann, for the dynamics in emotionally charged sentiments, where the band whispered as the singer soulfully explored the song's content. Geoffery Stewart as Claude sang his heart out in "I got Life". Britanny Deneau as Jeanie flung herself heartlong into "Frank Mills", and certainly mention should be made of EJ Hindley female interpretation of Margaret Mead in "My Conviction". But really in the final analysis, even the background harmonies were so in that no-one could have been as good without the other, and that is what fine art is all about!The climax of the show, "Let the Sunshine in" had the audience singing and as the show ended to a standing ovation, the audience was uplifted, literally by the cast taking them to the stage. Of course my being a member of the Original London "Tribe", I felt the need to join them!Credit must be made to D. Silveo Volonte for his futuristic scenic design, a rooftop with the rear of a Hollywood sign, as the home of the tribe. There's little doubt that this version of HAIR has the ability to move modern audiences, and I hope that the show's legendary producer Michael Butler, who attended, will see that this cast should open again, off-broadway, before it moves on to Broadway!
Paul Korda http://paulkorda.com/