DIVA TALK: Chatting with the Forbidden Broadway Cast Plus Hair at the Delacorte
By Andrew Gans
HAIR Hair , the 1967 rock musical that produced such hits as "Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine" and "Let the Sunshine In." As much as I enjoyed my previous Hair encounters, I was unprepared for the emotional response I had to last weekend's Public Theater production at the outdoor Delacorte Theater.
The three-night Hair concerts — directed by Diane Paulus with choreography by Karole Armitage — celebrated the musical's 40th anniversary; though four decades old, the musical is as relevant today as it must have been when it premiered at the Public in October 1967. Perhaps that relevance, especially the realization that men are still killing each other on battlefields around the world, made the final image of Claude's dead body, alone on an empty stage, profoundly moving.
From the moment the musical began — with a powerful version of "Aquarius," belted with ease by Patina Renea Miller — one knew the evening would be special. Part of the immense pleasure of the production was seeing so many new faces, whose joy in singing the James Rado-Gerome Ragni-Galt MacDermot score was palpable.
Other standouts of the cast included Karen Olivo, who belted out an emotional "Easy to Be Hard" that clearly elucidated the song's lyric; Bryce Ryness, who reveled in his role as the sexually ambiguous Woof; Allison Case, who delivered a delicious version of "Frank Mills"; Will Swenson, who brought a dynamic energy to his work as Berger; and the delightfully ditzy Kacie Sheik, who shone in all her acting and vocal moments as the pregnant Jeanie.
Advertisement
And, then there's Jonathan Groff, the Tony-nominated star of
Spring Awakening , who undertook the pivotal role of the self-questioning and ultimately ill-fated Claude. Sporting a period wig, the open-faced actor was the highlight of the concert, demonstrating that his charm and acting abilities are not limited to students in 1890s Germany. His high-voltage, life-affirming delivery of "I Got Life" rightfully received the largest applause of the evening, and his performance of the Act One finale, "Where Do I Go?," was equally thrilling. Groff also scored with "Manchester England," and his work in the show's finale was completely stirring. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him, as I do many of the young performers who made
Hair such a thoroughly memorable evening.
DIVA TIDBITS Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht 's The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny that co-starred Tony winners Audra McDonald and Patti LuPone will be broadcast on PBS in December. The recording of the production will be telecast Dec. 17 from 9-11:30 PM ET as part of PBS' "Great Performances" series; check local listings. Tony Award winner John Doyle directed Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny , which featured McDonald as Jenny, LuPone as Leocadia Begbick, Anthony Dean Griffey as Jim Mahoney, Robert Wörle as Fatty the Bookkeeper, John Easterlin as Jake (Jack) Schmidt, Mel Ulrich as Pennybank Bill, Donnie Ray Albert as Trinity Moses, Derek Taylor as Toby Higgins and Steven Humes as Alaska Wolf Joe. For more information visit www.pbs.org.
While the revolution continues on the stage of Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre, the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA, will present its own staging of the epic musical Les Misérables Oct. 23-Nov. 18. Barry Ivan will direct and choreograph the musical, which will feature Fred Inkley in the role of Jean Valjean with Inga Ballard (Madame Thénardier), Charlie Brady (Enjolras), Renee Brna (Cosette), Charles Hagarty (Marius), Joanne Javien (Eponine), Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (Fantine), Devin Richards (Javert), Ron Wisniski (Thénardier), Sebastian Hoffman (Gavroche), Isabelle Miller (Young Eponine) and Joanna Rosen (Young Cosette).
Famed vocalist Chaka Khan , R&B singer Bebe Winans and "American Idol" finalist LaKisha Jones are all scheduled to join the New York company of The Color Purple at the Broadway Theatre. Khan and Winans will join the cast Jan. 9, 2008, in the roles of, respectively, Sofia and Harpo (Sofia's husband). Jones will join the company a few weeks earlier, on Dec. 19, 2007, as the church soloist in the musical's opening number. When Khan arrives, Jones will also play Sofia at the matinee performances.
Following the sold-out New York debut of Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words on Sept. 10, the acclaimed L.A.-based comedy sensation will return to the Zipper Factory in Manhattan Oct. 15. The 7:30 PM performance will boast the talents of Xanadu 's Jackie Hoffman, Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Roberts and Mary Testa as well as Kristen Johnston, Karen Ziemba, Richard Kind, Seth Rudetsky, Jack Plotnick, Dayle Reyfel and Eugene Pack . Celebrity Autobiography , which was created by Pack, features actors who "'interpret' the actual words and stories written by the famous and the infamous." The Zipper Factory is located in Manhattan at 336 West 37th Street. Tickets, priced $25-$45, are available by calling (212) 352-3101 or by visiting www.thezipperfactory.com.
Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.
Janet Dickinson, Michael West, Jared Bradshaw and Valerie Fagan in Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening .
photo by Carol Rosegg
