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Fri Feb 24 11:55:10 PST 2006


you know you're in trouble.

There are a few exceptions. In the leading role of Claude, Jamie
McKnight shows the energy, vocal power and charm that he developed in
Toronto productions of "The Producers" and "Annie Get Your Gun." Andrew
Kushnir, Matthew Boden and Adrienne Merrell find solid comedy in what
they've been asked to do, but they stand alone.

Craig Burnatowski is a single-expression Berger (sneering), and Karen
Burthwright has one vocal note as Sheila (loud); the rest of the actors
are inept or forgettable.

This limp version of "Hair" is unlikely to attract a new generation of
theatergoers to the work. Sadly, it may even dim the reputation this
piece holds in musical theater history.



Sets and costumes, Dany Lyne; lighting, John Munro; sound, John Lott;
projections, Yo Suzuki, Lovemushroom Studio. Opened March 30, 2006.
Reviewed March 29. Runs through June 17. Running time: 2 HOURS, 40 MIN.



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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good HAIR Days: A Personal Journey with the American Tribal Love-Rock
Musical HAIR, by Jonathon Johnson. For more information on the book and how
to order it, visit www.goodhairdays.net <http://www.goodhairdays.net/> . 

  _____  

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<head>
<meta http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
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</head>

<body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dblue>

<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'color:black'>Dear =
Tribe,<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'color:black'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'color:black'>I had the pleasure to =
see the last
two shows at Glendale Community College.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'color:black'>The very last show =
there was not a
dry eye on stage or in the audience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'color:black'>It saw the Tribe =
transform and get
it in the most beautiful way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'color:black'>HAiR is truly a gift =
and a Historic
American Treasure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'color:black'>When I was studying the =
role of
Berger with Peppy in 1989, he told me that all the actors developed the =
play.
In the 60&#8217;s we were all stoned and creative&#8230;..do the =
Beatles,
Rolling Stones, The WHO, Pink Floyd etc consistently control and rewrite =
their
work?<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'color:black'>What a piece of work is =
man</span><span
style=3D'font-family:Wingdings;color:black'>J</span><span =
style=3D'color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'color:black'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'color:black'>sherwin<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'color:black'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<div>

<div class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter =
style=3D'margin-left:.5in;text-align:center'>

<hr size=3D2 width=3D"100%" align=3Dcenter tabindex=3D-1>

</div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><b><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>From:</span></b><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Tahoma'> mb-hair-bounces at islandlists.com =
[mailto:mb-hair-bounces at islandlists.com]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Jonathon Johnson<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 31, 2006 6:15 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> mb-hair at islandlists.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Mb-hair] FW: Variety.com - =
Hair</span><o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>&quot;If it ain't broken =
- don't
fix it.&quot;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>Sorry folks, but no one =
can
convince me that &quot;Hair&quot; needs to be rewritten or =
updated.<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>Not even Jim Rado who I =
love and
admire deeply. Just go back to the Tom O'Horgan<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>Broadway version (which =
WAS the
HIT), and the people will get it. Do not stray too far <o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>from the playing field =
or you'll
get lost in the tall grass.<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>Just an opinion of an =
old tribe
member who is set in his ways ;)<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'>Peace, Love&nbsp;and =
Blessings ~
Jonathon<br>
<br>
<b><i>Michael Butler &lt;michael at michaelbutler.com&gt;</i></b> =
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<blockquote style=3D'border:none;border-left:solid #1010FF =
1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 2.0pt;
margin-left:1.9pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><br>
<br>
Posted: Thurs., Mar. 30, 2006, 8:00pm PT<br>
<br>
Hair<br>
<br>
(Bluma Appel Theater, Toronto; 876 Seats; C$89 $77 top)<br>
<br>
A CanStage and Dancap Private Equity presentation of a musical in =
two<br>
acts with music by Galt MacDermot, book by Gerome Ragni and James =
Rado.<br>
Directed by Robert A. Prior. Musical director, Steve Hunter.<br>
Choreographer, Stephen Hues.<br>
<br>
Grasshopper, Margaret Mead, Scarlett O'Hara - Matthew Boden<br>
Hud, Sergeant - Matthew Brown<br>
Berger, General Grant - Craig Burnatowski<br>
Sheila - Karen Burthwright<br>
Crissy, Monk - Kimmy Choi<br>
Stroodel, Dad, Hubert Mead - Kevin Dennis<br>
Brain, Rock Band Soloist - Gerrard Everard<br>
Justice - Ryan Field<br>
Dionne, Lincoln - Alana Hibbert<br>
Apache - Bryan Hindle<br>
Woof - Andrew Kushnir<br>
Claude - Jamie McKnight<br>
Pumpkin, Mom - Adrienne Merrell<br>
Thistle - David Mongar<br>
Karisma - Katrina Reynolds<br>
Karma, The God Aquarius, Monk - Julius Sermonia<br>
Lala - Valerie Stanois<br>
Hotdog, Principal, Clark Gable,<br>
Uncle Sam - Zachary Stevenson<br>
Moonchild, Aquarius Soloist - Sheena Turcotte<br>
Jeanie - Cleopatra Williams<br>
Angela - Naomi Zara<br>
<br>
<br>
_____ <br>
<br>
By RICHARD OUZOUNIAN<br>
<br>
<HTTP: index.asp_x003f_layout=3D"bio&amp;peopleID=3D1932" =
www.variety.com>_____ <br>
<br>
Quick, get the Rogaine. The new production of &quot;Hair&quot; now on =
view in<br>
Toronto supposedly boasts a series of enriching rewrites by author =
James<br>
Rado. But rather than help the material, they make the iconic<br>
flower-power, antiwar musical seem thinner than ever. A lot of the<br>
blame, however, must be laid at the feet of director Robert A. =
Prior,<br>
choreographer Stephen Hues and a decidedly inferior cast.<br>
<br>
Prior is the founder of L.A.'s Fabulous Monsters Performance Group, =
and<br>
Hues has collaborated with him on numerous occasions. They have a<br>
reputation for doing edgy, innovative productions, which is probably =
why<br>
Rado demanded that CanStage import the American duo for this =
production.<br>
<br>
But something has gone horribly wrong along the way: The brightly<br>
colored, insipidly staged mess being performed at the Bluma Appel<br>
Theater would be more at home in a theme park than at Canada's =
largest<br>
regional theater.<br>
<br>
It was their rough-hewn charm and political intensity that made the<br>
original productions of &quot;Hair&quot; work. The people who created, =
produced<br>
and performed the early versions of the show were united in their =
anger<br>
over the war in Vietnam. And so, despite an initially breezy air, =
some<br>
fetching tunes from Galt MacDermot and the inventive staging of Tom<br>
O'Horgan, the musical showed its rage in act two, which is largely a<br>
drug-fueled fantasy of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.<br>
<br>
This is territory artists can still revisit with sincerity and =
passion,<br>
as Twyla Tharp proved in &quot;Movin' Out.&quot;<br>
<br>
But Prior and company have opted instead for Peter Max-colored =
designs<br>
and costumes that look like they stepped out of an episode of<br>
&quot;Laugh-In.&quot; No one actually comes out and says, &quot;Sock it =
to me!,&quot;
but<br>
you wouldn't be surprised if they did.<br>
<br>
Yes, there's a nude scene at the end of act one, but where it used to =
be<br>
a personal statement for the cast, tied into their reaction to =
Claude's<br>
moving &quot;Where Do I Go?,&quot; it now features the whole cast in =
what looks<br>
like a merely egregious way to bring down the curtain.<br>
<br>
When it was announced that Rado was working on rewrites of the =
script,<br>
some people assumed he might be honing the political message to make =
it<br>
more relevant to today. Nothing could be further from the truth.<br>
<br>
Instead, he has expanded the book scenes in which Claude, Berger and<br>
Sheila work out the details of their not-quite-menage a trois. Maybe =
the<br>
material has personal resonance for Rado (the show supposedly =
mirrors<br>
his offstage relationship with co-author and co-star Ragni), but the<br>
cliched dialogue further drains the show's political intensity.<br>
<br>
In a city known for a deep talent pool of young musical theater<br>
performers, Prior and Hues have largely contented themselves with<br>
fishing in the shallow end. Most of the company doesn't sing well, =
take<br>
the stage with confidence or seem to have any idea what they're =
doing.<br>


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