Due to obligations to certain people in the crew, I went to see Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at the American University Experimental Theatre. The production was put on by the Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts. It consisted of 51 high school students who banded together in a tribe-like spirit which epitomised the hippie movement of the Sixties. Although the performances were by high school students, they were of high calibre and professionalism.
While a lot of interesting parts from Rado's and Ragni's musical were edited out, the show still managed to come together as a cohesive whole. The costumes were really authentic, and the set was psychedelic, to say the least. But the strongest aspect of this musical is indeed the music, which is incredible. There are a few bad moments, but there are also some amazingly spectacular moments, which make it all worthwhile. The vocal performances by most of the students were powerful and moving. In fact, I witnessed some extremely powerful moments when the entire cast together sung tunes like Let the Sunshine In and Aquarius. The supporting band was excellent, and this tightened up the entire performance. The acting was mediocre, and the saving graces included hilarious performances by Daniel Kuney as Margaret Mead and Steve Luber as Woof.