HAIR (New Cast) Reviews

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.

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

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

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.

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

---

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

---

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

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.