Theatre in Review: Hair (St. James Theatre)

	Photo: Joan Marcus

The tribe is back, and the be-in is on again for another summer of love. This time, the venue is the St. James, rather than the Martin Beck (now home to a very different sort of '60s-era musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying). Otherwise, Diane Paulus' hit revival of Hair has returned to New York in the form of the national tour, which is parking itself in the city for a 14-week summer season. If you didn't catch it the first time around, at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park or later on Broadway, here's your chance.

If you've already seen it, you'd probably do just as well staying home with your fond memories. This is a slick, fast-paced staging featuring an energetic young company, but the mostly recast leads lack the distinctive personalities of their predecessors. Both Steel Burkhardt, as Berger, the tribe's de facto ringleader, and Matt De Angelis, as Woof, who pines for Mick Jagger (his big song is "Sodomy") seem constrained by having to work within the templates established by their predecessors, Will Swenson and Bryce Ryness. Similarly, Phyre Hawkins' Dionne is perfectly fine, but her "Aquarius" is acceptable rather than electrifying. (Patina Miller's performance in the park remains a treasured memory.)

There are some plus factors in the cast, as well. Retained from the original company are Darius Nichols, an authoritative Hud, whose rendition of "Colored Spade" continues to sizzle, and Kacie Sheik, still strong as ditzy-like-a-fox Jeanie. Among the new leads, Caren Lyn Tackett is in excellent voice as Sheila, and her anguished delivery of "Easy to be Hard" is a highlight. And Paris Remillard is a standout as Claude, the tribe's conflicted odd man out. He so vividly tracks Claude's slow drift from daffy put-on artist to reluctant soldier that you might be forgiven for thinking at times that Hair actually has a plot.

Don't get carried away. A show about a sensibility, Hair is constructed out of a series of mood swings, relying on its frequently intoxicating score to conjure up an era that sometimes seems centuries, rather than decades removed from our own. (Few shows have spawned so many hits, and Galt MacDermot's indescribable cocktail of pop, rock, jazz, and salsa retains all of its zing; the lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado are as nuttily representative of their time as they ever were.) Even if nothing much happens, Hair remains a potent reminder of the innocence, bravery, and, yes, embarrassing naïveté of an era when young people thought they could redirect the course of society by simply saying no to the status quo.

The design package remains largely the same -- although, if anything, Kevin Adams' rainbow lighting and the sound system of Acme Sound Partners are even more amped up than before. Anyway, Scott Pask's multi-level setting and Michael McDonald's ragbag of costumes remain much the same.

From a commercial point of view, this summer engagement makes total sense, especially with the tourist season upon us. It's a popular title that needs no star names and it will most likely prove a draw among international visitors whose English is limited or nonexistent. The show's hard-core fan base will welcome it, too. For everyone else, however, there are many other fresher attractions in town. --David Barbour