Review: Hair, at the Acorn Theater

Review: Hair, 40th Anniversary. At the Acorn Theater from The Real Theatre Company, Dir. Maggie Levin



Now I don’t claim to be any kind of theater guru. I know a lot about film. Not encyclopedic, but I can hold my own in most conversations. I understand the medium. But theater is a little bit more foreign to me. So take my review with a grain of salt. Cause whaddoiknow.

Anyway, I went with Adi and her friend Rona to see Hair this past Sunday. It’s the fortieth anniversary of the original production. I should say from the start that the show and its messages (other than the universal messages of racial harmony and peace) maybe aren’t my thing. While I am fairly liberal, I wont ever be confused with a hippie. I like my coffee when I wake up and I conspiculously remove body hair (comment filed under the too much information category).

But the show, despite a few rough patches due partially to technical/budget issues, was contagiously energetic and really got me. It started a bit slow, with its disorganization by design (after all, this is Hair) and the first act felt a little long, as the play set up the characters a bit. Real Theatre Co’s. version of Hair runs two and half hours, which someone joked was the director’s cut of the play. And it did feel a bit long.

That being said, after a brief intermission at the bar at the Acorn, on Theater Row, the play literally picked up an enormous amount of momentum and the second act flew by in a moment, culminating in a rendition of “Let the Sunshine In” that had the whole crowd singing and clapping along. Even yours truly, Grumpy, was among them.

Levin’s directing and staging, even at this modest budget, is quite sure-handed. Everything seems very well thought out. Of course, all of the singers are good and some are quite a bit better, upto Broadway quality. And all of the performances work, and I was pleased to see standout performances from a few of the actors cast in Digger, including Jessica Walck, Helen Highfield and the always entertaining and sometimes cross-dressing Adam Schneider. They are certainly not alone in a strong cast that keeps your eyes open, a smile on your face and your toes tappin’.

What more can I say? Go see it, tix are available online at ticketcentral.com. It ends soon, so do it now.

Grumps