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"HAIR"
Makes A Dramatic Impact at UWFV
by Bob
Lowe
April 22, 2004
The timing of the late 1960's two-act production of "Hair"
in the Fox Valley in 2004 couldn’t be more ironic. The
controversial Broadway musical made its debut to a sold-out
audience Wednesday at the Fine Arts Theater on the University
of Wisconsin-Fox Valley campus in Menasha. Given its age –
it premiered in New York in 1968 – "Hair"
could possibly be seen as a nostalgic throwback to a long
gone rebellious period in America history with very little
relevance to the social and political realities of today.
But because of the convergence of certain events – the
war in Iraq, talks of reviving the draft, the continuing challenge
of attaining racial equality, the war on drugs, the changing
role of women and a more conservative political climate –
this iconoclastic musical is surprisingly relevant to the
issues at the forefront of the nation’s consciousness
in this early era of the 21st century. At a time when many
of our political leaders are urging conformity, "Hair"
is literally screaming defiance against traditional norms.
At a time when the television networks are curtailing their
coverage of sexually permissive entertainment in the wake
of the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" exposure
at this year’s Super Bowl, here is an American tribal
love-rock musical boldly showing flashes of nudity and extolling
the pleasures of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. At a time
when shock jocks like Howard Stern and Bubba the Love Sponge
are being forced off the airways for their raunchy talk, here
is an in-your-face drama that dares to use coarse language
to express its viewpoint, including some of the "seven
dirty words" that got comedian George Carlin in trouble
with broadcast censors. At a time when the government has
questioned the patriotism of those who oppose the war in Iraq,
here is a group of rebellious hippies and counter-culture
types burning draft cards and desecrating the American flag
to show their opposition to the Vietnam War. The 32-member
cast, under the direction of Susan Rabideau, put on a show
that had audience members gasping, laughing, thinking and
reflecting on the play’s multiple messages of love,
peace, racial justice, happiness and individual freedom. The
reaction of those in attendance on opening night would seem
to indicate that these messages are as relevant today as it
was when it first made its debut in Broadway’s Biltmore
Theater New York on April 29, 1968. Much of the storyline
was expressed in the 54 songs performed by the large ensemble
cast, including such titles as "Easy to be Hard,"
"Be In Hare Krishna," "Don’t Put It Down,"
"The Flesh Failures," "Black Boys," "White
Boys" and the two most popular numbers, "Good Morning
Starshine" and "Aquarius," a song made famous
by The Fifth Dimension. Solo renditions ranged from captivating
to uneven. But the musical pacing was so frenetic that there
was never a dull moment. Kudos to choreographer Leea Glasheen
who managed to coordinate what could have been an unwieldily
task into a smooth-flowing musical drama. Even an actor stumbling
off the stage in one scene seemed to be part of the script.
Costumer Georgia Bowman also is to be commended for the colorful
selection of tie-dyed tops, dashikis, halter tops and flowing
skirts that the players wore during the two-hour performance.
The
live band consisting of percussionists Mike Jackson and J.
Edgerton, trombonist Mike Marziniak, trumpeters Gabe Wilson,
Ryan Smith and Matt Goeke, guitarists Adam Vance and Joe Hass
and keyboarist Todd Wegner, who also supplied the bass line,
gave the show a "live" feel that enhanced the energetic
mood that prevailed throughout. If there was one particular
drawback is was that the casting did not reflect the multiracial
diversity that made "Hair" such a theatrical breakthrough.
The role of a black male dancer was played by Osvaldo Vega,
a talented Hispanic who nonetheless needed an oversized Afro
wig to reflect the identity of the character. Rabideau, theater
director and communication arts professor at UWFV, said it
wasn’t for lack of trying that they were unable to cast
black actors. She said she attempted to recruit African American
actors from a wide variety of venues. But given the demographics
of the area, she was unable to find any black performers willing
or able to take on certain designated roles for this particular
ethnic group. This is a show that also demands a better stage
than what’s currently available in the Fine Arts Theater.
Let’s hope our local and state politicians reconsider
the needs of UWFV Theater Department and provide a more suitable
performance venue for the campus.
Top honors for this show belong to Rabideau, who was able
to take a diverse group theatrical performers, ranging from
high school age to seasoned veterans, and mold them into a
cohesive unit. One particular nice touch: performers were
given the opportunity to interact with the audience. And despite
the sometimes explosive subject matter, Rabideau managed to
maintain her professional cool in keeping the integrity of
the original material intact.
This is not the first time that director Rabideau has chosen
to tackle a production that has ruffled some feathers among
certain conservative members of the community. She also directed
"The Laramie Project," the story of a western town's
loss of innocence following a hate crime perpetrated on a
21_year_old University of Wyoming student. Rabideau also played
a key role in staging Eve Ensler’s "The Vagina
Monologues" at UWFV, despite receiving several hate and
threatening phone calls. Finally, UW-Fox deserves a lot of
credit for its courage in staging dramatic productions that
go well beyond the usual comedies and musicals that generally
play on local stages. "Hair" continues its run at
7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. If you do not already have
a ticket, you are out of luck. All three of the remaining
performances are sold out.
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