Last night Bear and I went to see Hair in Central Park.
I don’t know whether or not it was because last night’s performance was being filmed for the archives at the Performing Arts Library and they were really on as a result, but I can’t imagine how the cast can sing like that every night. I mean, it was balls-to-the-wall, vaginas-to-the-floor singing. And it was thrilling to listen to, truly; it’s beautiful music and justice is being done to it.
Kudos to Patina Renea Miller, Bryce Ryness, the pair who sang “What a Piece of Work is Man” whose names I don’t have on me right now, and especially Will Swenson for being ultra-exciting to watch and listen to. But, seriously, everybody’s good. I’ll have to continue to mull over why I didn’t find the production as transporting as I’d hoped, but they’re not to blame.
On the subway ride home I yearned for a live recording of that very performance to be waiting for me when I got home, and then I yearned for a live recording of that cast singing every song I love that’s not from Hair, but still in really loud, wailing and insistent harmonies.
2 responses so far ↓
TJ // August 13, 2008 at 3:22 pm |
I felt the same way – I think a big contributor the the dragginess is that we’re looking at the SAME FRIGGIN’ STAGE IMAGE for over two hours. I have a feeling – and a confirmation from a few off-the-record sources – that the concert version made a lot more sense, and wasn’t all that different from what we saw this summer; it just dropped the pretension of being “theater.”
Emma Godd // August 13, 2008 at 6:13 pm |
Bear wanted me to alert you and your readers that he wasn’t nearly as enthused as you were. Why revive a musical without rethinking it?