Spring Break
HTC's 'Hair': Living in the 'Age of Aquarius'
by Michelle Minkoff
Arts | 3/22/05
Posted online at 2:19 AM EST on 3/22/05
Psychedelic and free-spirited, it was "the dawning of the age of Aquarius"-it was the 1960s.
Hillel Theater Group's adaptation of the musical Hair, which opened Sunday night at the Shapiro Theater and runs through Saturday, hopes to paint a portrait of that era-or at least how the playwrights recorded it.
Written in the mid-60s, Hair's extremely loose plot explores not only the hippy subculture of the era, but also the impact of the Vietnam War on America's rebellious youth.
The musical lends little thought to character development and cohesive narrative structure. That, however, did not detract from Hair's goal of capturing the idealism of the '60s.
Hair's cast is torn by romantic conflict expressed through heartfelt songs. Almost the entire tale of the tribe is told through song and dance, making the origins of the show's subtitle, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical obvious.
Claude Bukowski (Jon Weinstein '07), a charismatic young man torn between values of peace and love and the threat of a military draft, personifies these inner-struggles.
In a similar way, Woof (Assaf Ben-Atar '07) was particularly captivating, especially in the song "Sodomy," during which psychedelic drugs were distributed freely to cast members.
His eyes and face exemplified his emotions, and his character seemed particularly realistic.
Weinstein's Claude and Shelon Best's '08 portrayal of Hud were also enthralling. The two actors developed their characters to the fullest extent possible with the show's limited plot, and gave impressive vocal performances.
Jason Fenster's '08 performance as George Berger featured dynamic facial expressions, but his singing was not up to par with the rest of the cast.
This particular adaptation channeled the musical's free-spirited theme by effectively using the entire space of Shapiro Theater. The actors often ventured beyond the stage, dancing through aisles and bringing the audience along for their wild ride.
Hillel Theater Group's adaptation of the musical Hair, which opened Sunday night at the Shapiro Theater and runs through Saturday, hopes to paint a portrait of that era-or at least how the playwrights recorded it.
Written in the mid-60s, Hair's extremely loose plot explores not only the hippy subculture of the era, but also the impact of the Vietnam War on America's rebellious youth.
The musical lends little thought to character development and cohesive narrative structure. That, however, did not detract from Hair's goal of capturing the idealism of the '60s.
Hair's cast is torn by romantic conflict expressed through heartfelt songs. Almost the entire tale of the tribe is told through song and dance, making the origins of the show's subtitle, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical obvious.
Claude Bukowski (Jon Weinstein '07), a charismatic young man torn between values of peace and love and the threat of a military draft, personifies these inner-struggles.
In a similar way, Woof (Assaf Ben-Atar '07) was particularly captivating, especially in the song "Sodomy," during which psychedelic drugs were distributed freely to cast members.
His eyes and face exemplified his emotions, and his character seemed particularly realistic.
Weinstein's Claude and Shelon Best's '08 portrayal of Hud were also enthralling. The two actors developed their characters to the fullest extent possible with the show's limited plot, and gave impressive vocal performances.
Jason Fenster's '08 performance as George Berger featured dynamic facial expressions, but his singing was not up to par with the rest of the cast.
This particular adaptation channeled the musical's free-spirited theme by effectively using the entire space of Shapiro Theater. The actors often ventured beyond the stage, dancing through aisles and bringing the audience along for their wild ride.
