Flow it, show it, long as you can grow it, "Hair"!
You might think it's a bit of a blast from the past, but by staging the 70's cult musical "Hair" at the Bruckenforum, Bonn is a step ahead of the West End in London. Hair tells the story of the "tribe", a group of politically active, long-haired hippies of the "Age of Aquarius" living a bohemian life in New York City and fighting against conscription into the Vietnam War. When it burst onto the stage in 1967, its profanity, depiction of the use of illegal drugs, treatment of sexuality, and nude scene, caused instant controversy. These days the messages may seem dated - but at the time, it was revolutionary and broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of "rock musical". Recently revived on Broadway, The Public Theatre received rave reviews for their production and a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical 2009. The production moves to the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End in April 2010, but here in Bonn you can catch it performed by The Island Musical Theatre, on the 2nd February. Enjoy a ride into the 60's with hits like "Age of Aquarius", "Good Morning Starshine" and "Let the Sun shine in" - you'll be surprised at how many of the songs you'll know - and how good it is to hear them again.
Hair, 02 Feb
www.brueckenforum.de
Ticket-Hotline: 01805-76 11 11
Hair is alive and growing in Bonn
Hello there,
Not going to say you were trumped by Frankfurt.
I saw the English Theater Frankfurt performance last year, after having been spoiled by the first season in Sydney in early 1968 and the New York original that was still running later that year. Sydney was best, maybe because a black leading lady was borrowed from the New York show: Marcia Hynes. She emigrated. (asides: Her daughter is a performer too. Marcia ran me down on a ski slope once. Bliss)
Frankfurt's effort was qite OK and in fact, picked up over the running time. The audience, as is often the case in Germany, sat on their hands at end of the first act. The performance was sluggish and rather stilted in the first 30 minutes because the kids had no real idea of what they were singing and performing. No-one had affected them with its spirit which, in my view, is like Les Miserables in certain ways. But the music caught hold of them all in the end, because it is irresistable ... and it - uh - rocked!
Exactly the same phenomenon was evident in a Theater Mainz performance of "Lantana" 2007, I think. A tricky overlapping dialogue show which the fine German actors struggled to comprehend, right through. It is a universal play sure, but very Australian in its undertones (like Lantana). The German director had not felt that, so couldn't get it out of his actors. I wanted to yell out from my seat!
Strangely, Tennesee Williams seems to work everywhere. Street Car, for example with Liv Ullmann and you know who, in Sydney and New York. Smash.
If the Bonn cast get on the wave-length, the new production should be a whiz! I hope so!
Best wishes with the show. Break a leg,
Sincerely,
Neil McPherson
neil@professionalword.com
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