Recommended
HAIR – is it a nostalgic romp or does it have relevance to a contemporary audience?
I’m struggling to look at HAIR with fresh eyes and consider if this theatrical offering can be understood or enjoyed out of context. On the surface it is a collection of musical vignettes performed by a ragtag group of nihilists. But who are they and what are they trying to say?
The original production, with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, opened in 1967 before moving to Broadway in 1968. It was a successful contemporary attempt to celebrate and explain the counterculture to a confused older generation grappling with the poorly understood perceived antics of their progeny.
I think it is interesting to note that Bob Dylan wrote, “The Times They Are a Changin’” in the fall of 1963 including the lines:
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand, For the times they are a changin’.
Dylan seemed to have a keen recognition of what was happening and premonition of what was to come.
In 1968, the leading edge of the baby boom reached adulthood, with roughly 12.5 million Americans being between the ages of 18 and 21. This generation had grown up under the shadow of nuclear annihilation and came of age during the height of the Vietnam War, when a mandatory draft policy placed every young man in that cohort at risk of being arbitrarily selected for combat service.
HAIR is a take on postmodern existentialist philosophy toned down a bit for a more mainstream audience.
It is not a story but rather an expression of anxiety, freedom, responsibility, authenticity, absurdity and individual human existence in conflict with collective society. In this sense a modern audience will find some correlation to the current times.
With roots in abstraction and dadaism HAIR is amorphous and messy but that is part of the experience. The best way to enjoy this production is to simply let it wash over you. Do not fight it but rather go-with-the-flow.
The loose backstory is that of Claude (Gavin Rhys), a member of a Hippie tribe who is conflicted over his willingness to completely join the rebellion by burning his draft card and defying the draft.
He and his “tribe” are immersed in the newly emerging trends of sex, drugs and rock & roll which would become one of the slogans of the time. All of this was a clear reaction to the repressive conservative norms of the previous generation. Hence the term counterculture.
Males wearing their hair long was the most iconic physical manifestation of the period becoming the very definition of the movement and the inspiration for this show’s title and song which celebrates the symbolic gesture.
The production opens with “Aquarius” sung by Dionne (Chosen Mitchell) and the Tribe. The lyrics set the tone for the idealistic and hopeful yearnings of a generation looking for meaning in life and a brighter future where “peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.
Looking to Astrology for the answer is a further rejection of traditional religion and the status quo. The song became something of an anthem for the time. Toward the end of Act One, “Be-In” a/k/a “Hare Krishna” is a nod to the influence of South-Asian Indian culture. While “Good Morning Star Shine” is yet another reference to being one with the cosmos.
“Donna” presented as the second song is a throw-back to earlier rock & roll love songs with a bit more edge setting up a contrast of what is to come with much more edgier sex songs like “Sodomy” and “Black Boys/White Boys.” These songs together with “Colored Spade” and “I’m Black” remind us that attempting to improve race relations was very much a part of the counterculture.
A defining feature of the time was the presence of mind-altering substances being embraced by large numbers of young people including marijuana and LSD used both in an attempt to expand consciousness and a way to manage anxiety. “Hashish” “Ain’t Got No Grass” and “Initials” set us up for Claude’s hallucinations in Act Two with “Walking in Space” “Abie Baby” and “The War.”
As for Vietnam which is of course a central theme, the song “Three-Five-Zero-Zero is a reference to U.S. propaganda suggesting that the Vietcong were sustaining 3,500 losses per month hence reducing human life impersonally to mere numbers. This would be difficult to understand without some reference.
Sheila (Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor) is the voice of experience in “Easy to Be Hard” lamenting how some people can be cruel and indifferent to the individuals around them even as they claim to care about the masses. Conversely Crissy (Amy Yesom Kim) sings a sweet song of naive love in “Frank Mills.”
Important and interesting is “Air” sung by Jeannie (Allyriane Huq) with Crissy and Dionne raising awareness of the then relatively new public concern about the impact of pollution.
In the end this is a celebration of youthful idealism confronting the realities of life within a particularly unique historic period.
As humans we are individuals who are also part of a collective, expressed by Claude in “I Got Life” and “Where Do I Go.”
Many of the themes are universal truths related to the human experience while some are very specific to the time. “Let the Sun Shine In” is both tragic and uplifting as life and growth do not occur without pain and loss.
The Kokandy cast, as always, delivers on vocal quality and has put their own spin on this now classic musical. Costumes by Rachel Sypniewski are reminiscent of the period but not derivative opting to embrace the ideas of eclectic individualism over period realism. The same is true of the make-up design by Syd Genco as well as hair and wigs by Keith Ryan.
I loved the concept behind the scenic design of Eleanor Kahn featuring plain light toned wooden risers emblazoned with graffiti which again included both vintage and contemporary slogans. It was fun that the audience was invited to add their own personal touches during the intermission.
I guess I opted in this review for some context by providing a kind of cheat sheet that might make this a bit more enjoyable for audience members who may be a little confused about what is happening, especially if not familiar with the lyrics.
This was written for the audience of the time and many references were just simply understood. At this point there are a few numbers that can be cut in order to bring the overall runtime down maybe 15 minutes or so.
For those looking for a simple nostalgic experience, this is more of an interpretation than a recreation. For younger audience members you’ll enjoy the retro vibe and find relevance in the message.
DETAILS: HAIR by Kokandy Productions is at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL through September 13, 2026. Runtime is 2.5 hours with one 15-minute intermission. For tickets and information visit kokandyproductions.com
Review by Reno Lovison who auditioned for the Chicago cast in 1969 alongside Mandy Patinkin. “Neither of us got hired.”
For more reviews visit Theatre in Chicago
—
