HAIR (New Cast) Reviews

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 8:31pm

So I know you all hate this, but it's intermission here at the Hirschfeld.

Thoughts so far: Ace is a horrible Berger. His acting is like a high school production of HAIR trying to emulate this revival. Diana's acting is pretty bad, but she's singing fine. She's going a little crazy with the riffs though. Kyle is forgettable. His voice fits the score well, but he can't act to save his life. And his mic needs to be turned up. Annaleigh is yucking it up a little bit, but she sang "Air" well and is surprisingly touching. The remaining leads are doing very well. As is the tribe as a whole.

One noteable change is that Berger's solos in "Red White and Blue" were taken away from Ace. Kinda interesting. But I'm glad since Ace is horrible.

More thoughts when I get home.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 8:42pm

Ah crap. Could you at least see Ace's junk? It would make him at least a little bearable.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 8:46pm

I'd like the Ace body report as well please. I think he's just darling.

Updated On: 3/9/10 at 08:46 PM

[Kalimba]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 8:49pm

Annaleigh yucking it up - is that a good or bad thing?

Well at least this gives, "making it their own" new meaning.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 8:55pm

Hopefully, they will get better as time goes on. Now, I'm scared about going on Sunday.

[Bud1990]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:09pm

But remember, it's only their first performance.

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:43pm

I would think it will take them a little while to get comfortable in their roles. That said I will like to add, that is if they have it in them.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:51pm

Second act improved. The three leads seem to completely miss the point of the show and see totally forgettable. Annaleigh is surprisingly a wonderful Jeannie. She plays up the humor more than Kacie, but I actually felt for her. Wallace Smith is a great Hud. A totally commanding presence on that stage. Jason Wooten is brilliantly strung out Woof. He's really just wonderful. And the rest of the tribe just... gets it. They may be a little too cleancut to be hippies, but what they lack in looks they make up for in spirit.

So I guess my only issue with tonight was the three leads. Diana and Ace were clearly chosen for their voices (Ace's, in my opinion, isn't even that great anyway). Kyle is just an eh actor and his Claude garnered zero emotion from me. But the show as a whole has not truly suffered in the cast transition. Diane Paulus still has a killer production on her hands.

And for you perverts concerned with Ace's package: he's a second row guy. Let's just say it was cold in the theatre

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:52pm

how visible are digarmo and ashford in the act one finale?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:56pm

And for you perverts concerned with Ace's package: he's a second row guy. Let's just say it was cold in the theatre

Crap. I'll just pretend it's bigger in my mind...

[Marie2]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:56pm

I'm sure they'll be fine (well I'm sure everybody except Ace will be). It's the first night and they'll get their feet under them. They've also got a legion of die hard Hair fans who loved the first cast looking at them with less than objective eyes.

Sounds like Ace and Degarmo both did the end of Act I scene. I guess the rumor about how they wouldn't do it because of American Idol wasn't true.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 9:58pm

Nevermind. I stand corrected. Updated On: 3/9/10 at 09:58 PM

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:07pm

They both stated in interviews that they would be doing the nude scene.

And I understand it's their first performance. I plan to see the show again when they're more settled into the show. I'm just reporting on what I saw tonight. I paid full price so I'm entitled to my opinion.

[Kalimba]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:11pm

How was the audience response?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:26pm

Audience response wasn't as over the top as I expected. It was a very supportive first night for this cast. There were a few times where the old cast members in attendance instigated unnecessary amounts of applause (namely after Margaret Mead's "aaaaaaaa-" before the "-Ctually") and some people around me who hadn't seen the show before actual muttered "What's going on?"

Here's a list of understudies and swings for those of you who care:
For Claude: JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON, PARIS REMILLARD; for Berger: JUSTIN BADGER, NICHOLAS BELTON; for Woof: JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON, PARIS REMILLARD; for Hud: ANTWAYN HOPPER; for Sheila: BRIANA CARLSON-GOODMAN, NICOLE LEWIS; for Dionne: NICOLE LEWIS, ANASTACIA McCLESKY; for Jeanie: NATALIE BRADSHAW; for Crissy: BRIANA CARLSON-GOODMAN, CAILAN ROSE; for Mother: NATALIE BRADSHAW, EMMA ZAKS; for Dad: NICHOLAS BELTON, LEE ZARRETT; for Principal: NICHOLAS BELTON, ARBENDER ROBINSON; for Margaret Mead: NICHOLAS BELTON, LEE ZARRETT; for Hubert: NICHOLAS BELTON, ARBENDER ROBINSON; for Buddhadalirama: NATALIE BRADSHAW, EMMA ZAKS; for John Wilkes Booth: NICHOLAS BELTON, JOSH LAMON; for Abraham Lincoln: NICOLE LEWIS

Swings: NICHOLAS BELTON, BRIANA CARLSON-GOODMAN, JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON, NICOLE LEWIS, ARBENDER ROBINSON, EMMA ZAKS
Updated On: 3/9/10 at 10:26 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:29pm

I'm kind of surprised Kate Rockwell isn't covering anyone.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:31pm

She probably will as time goes. A few of the understudies in the first cast didn't take on the understudy until later on.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:33pm

Isn't Josh Lamon playing Margaret Mead? Why is he listed as a John Wilkes Booth understudy?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:35pm

Nicole Lewis has also been removed from her role as Abe Lincoln and bumped down to Swing.

[Amanda15]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:36pm

I enjoyed the new cast. I saw the OBC once and liked them also. Kyle was a surprisingly good Claude and I think Ace will settle in. He's trying too hard at this point but I saw potential once he gets over his nerves. Diana sang the HELL out of the score. I also see her taking a different angle or approach to Sheila from what I saw with Caissie. Kyle and Diana are going to be a fierce duo as they continue in the roles.

Hair isn't rocket science so I didn't feel the leads failed to understand the show. Not at all. They are different people and just seem to have worked out a different take with the help of Diane Paulus. My take is the show is going to survive and the cast is FAR from an embarrassment.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:45pm

I love Kyle. It sounds to me like ColorTheHours is a bitter Phan.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:45pm

Thanks for the u/s list. Much appreciated!!

I would have to wonder if Nicole asked to be moved down to a swing. Why else would she get bumped??

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:46pm

If Nicole Lewis isn't Abe Lincoln, who is?

[alfgiotir]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:48pm

colorthehours, i could be ENTIRELY wrong but maybe its not a bump down for Nicole Lewis. Swings are sometimes paid more than ensemble members/roles and thus could be seen as a step up. Idk, just IMO.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/9/10 at 10:49pm

I don't even know what a Phan is. I enjoyed Kyle quite a bit in SPRING AWAKENING and had no real emotional attachment to anyone in the OBC of HAIR (unlike many of the other fans). I was rooting for Diana and Kyle. You can even go look at my posts from when the cast was first announced.