[Mb-hair] HAIR at The Gallery Players

[Little Birdie]

RJ wrote:
>How did they know to do the original staging?  What
>parts were they?

Steven Smeltzer, the director and choreographer, was in several European 
tours back in the eighties (and possibly the early nineties). He learned the 
staging from someone who played Hud in the first run London production, so 
he learned Julie Arenal's choreography, and Tom O'Horgan's staging, or at 
least a lot of it.

Every song used some of the original staging, plus added something of 
Steven's own, but keeping in the style of Julie's work. Many songs used 
about 50% original staging, some even more.

Michael and I remarked before the show started how the tribe was out in the 
audience really talking and interacting with the audience. They were 
chatting, pan handling, playing games, giving out flowers, etc. Very 
reminiscent of the original show. Robert and Bill and I started looking at 
each other incredulously when, after a signal from the band the entire tribe 
went into slow motion, just as in the Broadway show, and made their way to 
the stage that way, with bird calls and other noises, while the opening 
ritual went on on stage. Most shows do the opening ritual, but I have never 
seen, since first-run productions, the slow motion advance to the stage, 
coming together with the start of Aquarius. We kept looking at each other in 
amazement as each number included original staging. When we got to the 
middle of Colored Spade and they brought Claude out in a washtub wearing a 
Union Jack loin cloth we knew someone was very familiar with the way the 
show was done originally.

I cannot tell you how emotionally evocative it was to see people moving in 
such familiar patterns. Doris - I wish you had been there!

The director wrote to me this evening to say how hard it is for them all to 
move on, a feeling many of us are very familiar with. I hope he, and some of 
the Tribe members, will join us here on the list.

Love,
Nina

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