Hair

Unemployment can be so rewarding. I recently discovered this when I took a trip to NYC, using what funds are remaining in my bank account. Since my friends living in NY are gainfully employed (and lets face it... you have to be when living there) I had lots of spare time to wander the snowy streets of my favorite city. I usually pop in and out of coffee shops (and bars) pretending I live there, avoiding the usual tourist traps. This time, the allure of Times Square was too strong. I was shamelessly snapping pictures of Broadway signs amidst a sea of foreigners, when I saw the Mecca for all musical theater nerds: The TKTS booth.

If you are unfamiliar with this little gem, let me enlighten you. There is small, red kiosk-type booth in the heart of Times Square that offers same-day Broadway show tickets at a discounted price. Within five minutes, I had one matinee ticket to the revival of Hair. Great seat, half the price. (insert me, prancing down the street, a la Charlie Bucket and his golden ticket)

Hair is above and beyond what I expected. This generation-defining show about America's youth, pushed boundaries and broke the mold of traditional Rogers and Hammerstein-type musicals in its 1967 debut. The plot faces issues of the time such as drugs, sex, race, war and most importantly, love.

The first act is almost entirely introductions of the colorful hippies, helping to build a personal connection between the audience and the characters. The ensemble, or tribe, lives life feeling that one should be free to do what they want, as long as it doesn't cause harm to others: A simple message that society cannot understand. Hugging, kissing, exchange of partners, and full frontal nudity is at first jarring, but the audience comes to find these moments beautiful. The in the second act, the tribe attempts to change worlds inequalities and oppression with the healing power of love.

Familiar songs like, Aquarius, Hair, Good Morning Starshine, and Let the Sun Shine In leave the audience singing and clapping along. This is the most interactive show I've ever seen. The characters speak directly with audience members and sing and dance up and down the isles. The dialogue, staging, and choreography appears organic, as if no two shows are alike. The constant display of hair-ography (choreography consisting of mostly shaking of the head) is actually quite visually appealing. The highlight of the show (and my whole trip to NYC) came after the bows when the lead character, "Berger" came down, took my hand and pulled me up on stage. (Did I mention I had great seats?) Okay, so it wasn't just me... anyone in the audience was welcome to come on the actual stage and sing Let the Sun Shine In. So there I was, swaying back and forth singing at the top of my lungs, peace-sign fingers held high, REAL broadway lights shining on my face, feeling so full of love.

http://www.hairbroadway.com/