"Hair"

August 18, 2010 — In 2005, I saw a cleaned up presentation of "Hair" at the now closed Lakes Region Summer Theatre in Meredith, New Hampshire. The performance I saw tonight was not cleaned up at all. This was definitely an R-rated show. All the profanity, brazen sexuality, drug use and bashing of "traditional" American values of the original were kept intact. The only thing omitted was the final mass nude scene, but this was North Conway, New Hampshire, not Broadway.

In this production by the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company at the Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse, the cast was in costume and circulating through the audience in their roles as drugged out hippies 15 minutes before showtime. The walls of the theatre were covered with peace symbols, "Make Love Not War" signs and other '60s counter culture paraphernalia.

Dated, yes, but still grandly entertaining. The talent was terrific and the songs, "Age of Aquarius," "Good Morning, Star Shine" and others, were belted out with great enthusiasm. The cast circulated through the audience throughout the play, occasionally teasing audience members and drawing them into the spirit of the performance. Some may have found it a bit uncomfortable, like when one of the actors ripped off his jeans on stage and came down and handed them to a woman in the audience (he was wearing underwear).

I loved this show. This is the type of play the Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse really does well. It reminded me of the Playhouse's production of "La Cage aux Folles" in 2007 in its energy, exuberance and unbridled sexiness.