“HAIR” on stage in Toronto

The musical HAIR is playing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto for a very limited run until the end of the year. The original production ran for over a year, and changed the face of theatre in Toronto.

The whole concept of “going to the theatre” has been changing over the years. The traditional stoic theatre perception has become quite loosened, and the current audience diversity is a reflection of this change. On the evening I attended, there were middle-aged women in formal gowns, conservative men in suits, teenagers in baggy pants, and older men in tie-dyed shirts.

I had seen the movie years ago, I own the double vinyl soundtrack, and I had seen a fringe production of the play at some point in the past. When the first note from “Age of Aquarius” emanated from the stage, it was like a flashback for me, and many in the audience. However, for those seated in front of me that were under twenty years old, this was the beginning of a whole new trip.

From that moment on, the cast of about two dozen were off and running up and down the aisles, over the seats, up the rafters, and gyrating their bodies in front of those lucky enough to have been seated in the first couple of rows. The stage set up is one of most stark and simplest I have seen in sometime for a major touring production, but it works as it is more about becoming part of the characters than being transfixed by technology. The message is what matters.

The one observation I have is that with so many characters on stage at the same time, all the time, it’s difficult to build an affiliation to any one in particular. Even the leads seemed engulfed in the tangled twist of flesh, and didn’t come across as strong as they should have. At two and half hours long, including intermission, it did lag at some points. The vocals didn’t come off as promising as would be hoped for, and although the band were onstage, their presence didn’t seem to enlighten many of the numbers.

To the credit of the cast and crew, as I mentioned previously the simplistic storyline of disenfranchised youth has not changed much, and this could very well be the overall hurdle of this current production. As is quite common with remounted productions, the “wow” factor is sometimes lost through time. There were a few light-hearted modern references to bullying for instance, but they almost came off as a PSA separate from the script.

What kept occupying my mind throughout the duration of the performance was not so much about how things have changed, but more about how things haven’t. We still have disenfranchised youth who feel distant from their parents and society – youth who want to challenge and escape the norm, whether that is with drug experimentation, sexual liberty, or dressing differently. We also still live in a society run by a few individuals who youth view as being out of touch with reality.

As the second act came to an end, the cast joined hands with themselves and the audience to sing the joyous, “Let the Sunshine In”. As they concluded, they started waiving for members of the audience to join them on stage. At first, people sat and stared, but then one by one people made their way to the stage, including myself. It was as if the audience was in a somewhat translucent state as well. We all danced, and smiled, and for that moment in time we were all happy with the world that we live in. That is the message.

This Toronto engagement of the North American Tour of HAIR is a homecoming of sorts. The original production had its Canadian Premiere on the very same stage of The Royal Alexandra Theatre back in December 1969. Unlike this current touring troupe from New York City, it was a homegrown cast of young Canadians who performed in the show. It was groundbreaking not just with the subject matter, but also because it was the first theatrical production in the city to play a record 53-week engagement.