Displaying items by tag: Aquarius

Kokandy Productions’ HAIR revival lets the sunshine in this summer at the Chopin Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Brennan Urbi, this remount is a fresh, funky and poignant riff on the classic 1960s tribal love-rock musical by Galt MacDermot. The large cast of new and returning Kokandy faces bring this musical out of its time capsule and into the 21st century with incredible vocals and unwieldy energy. In short, this cast is having a blast and so will you.

HAIR is one of the rare musicals whose songs actually crossed over into mainstream pop/rock. Perhaps most notably by way of The 5th Dimension’s iconic medley of ‘Aquarius’ and ‘Let the Sunshine In’ from 1969. However, one doesn’t have to look far to find songs like ‘Good Morning, Starshine’ and the title track ‘Hair’ used throughout pop culture. Re: Simpsons did it. Most people who have never seen HAIR the stage musical, or its film adaptation are at least somewhat familiar with its refraining choruses.

That said, by now HAIR has been lampooned as a shallow hippie fever dream known for simulated pot smoking and full-frontal nudity. Some elements of the musical might support the stereotype, but Urbi digs deeper into the lyrics and book by Gerome Rangi and James Rado and creates a much more cohesive and contemporary production than even the renowned 2009 Broadway revival.

(left to right) Diana Marilyn Alvarez, Joshua Emmanuel, Chosen Mitchell, Kijani Xand Caitlin Dobbins in Kokandy Productions’ revival of HAIR. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

While HAIR might lack an immediate plotline, it instead spends the first third of the show exploring the themes of the 1960s counterculture through conceptual songs that don’t quite further the action but are incredibly catchy. Claude, Berger and Sheila emerge as the show’s main protagonists, which is where things get more interesting.

Berger is the tribe’s ringleader, a young sexually charged dropout played by Zac Richey. His main concern is certainly the “free love” element of hippy culture and not much else. Claude serves as the show’s moral compass–another dropout who questions the ethics of dodging the draft and whether hippie culture is as altruistic as it claims. Sheila, played by Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, is an activist caught between the two male leads. Her voice is showstopping throughout, especially during the arresting finale.

Style is an essential component of HAIR. While it’s impossible to stray far from the 1960s given its direct references to the Vietnam War, costume designer Rachel Sypniewski and lighting designer G “Max” Maxin IV, bring a certain modern rave aesthetic to Kokandy’s production. Those who choose to sit on scenic designer Eleanor Kahn’s conversation pit-flavored set will be richly rewarded by all the trippy lights and wild action happening around them.

HAIR is a largely ensemble-driven show and they’re doing their job well here. The character Dionne begins the show with a stirring version of ‘Aquarius’ impeccably sung by Chosen Mitchell. Honestly, any production of HAIR is only as good as its Dionne. You won’t be able to take your eyes off Mitchell whose vocal gymnastics throughout the show will make the hair on your arms stand up. Styled perfectly against the club lighting, Mitchell proves to be the show’s hidden gem. It’s a hard bar to clear as this ensemble is giving some of the tightest harmonies Kokandy has ever produced.

This revival of HAIR is one for the Chicago books. It captures the spirit of the 1960s, but with the frustrations of 2026 youth culture it begs the question, how on Earth are we still singing about more or less the same societal ills?

Through September 13 at Kokandy Productions at the Chopin Theatre. 1543 W Division St. 773-278-1500

https://www.kokandyproductions.com/

Whenever I review a theatre company for the first time I get a bit of "first date nerves", especially when a suburban company (unabashed City snob, c’est moi) is doing such an iconic show. The stakes were even higher cos this was my first time seeing HAIR – I was a little too young in 1968 and somehow never got a chance in the intervening years (never mind how many).

Skokie Theatre Company proved I was in good hands. The cast members greeting guests on the street set the mood, and I was charmed when Woof (Sam Hook) blew me a kiss from the stage. And then Dionne (Niki-Charisse Franco) began to croon the opening bars of ‘Aquarius’ and I relaxed. I knew I could sit back and enjoy the show.

HAIR includes copious profanity, overt drug use and full-frontal nudity, but there was so much MORE to love! Let’s start with the music: several of the songs, from ‘Easy to be Hard’ and ‘Good Morning Starshine’ to the iconic title song are still around today, but I hadn’t realized how very many songs are in Hair: 27 in Act One alone, and all wonderful: ‘Donna’, ‘Hashish’, ‘Colored Spade’, ‘Air’, and the fabulous ‘Initials’. And who knew HAIR had an actual plot? The cast was enormous: nine principals plus five in The Tribe – and each better than the last.

I could say HAIR was flawless, but that would set you wondering just how much of the Kool-Aid I drank; besides, there were a couple of teensy flaws. Sound Designer Chris Cook needs to make some small adjustments with the microphones -- for the most part the soloists came through, but I missed much of Crissy’s (Bridgett Martinez) solo. Mind, this sort of readjustment is routine for first-weekend performances, and my sitting in the front row may have been part of the problem.

Scenic Designer Scott Richardson and Props/Set Decorator Barry Norton wisely kept it simple: the tie-dye background effectively recalled the era, and multiple levels gave Director Derek Van Barham (with Asst. Directors Miranda Coble and Brennan Urbi) plenty of options for staging. Urbi, as Movement Asst, did a hell of a job with nearly continuous dancing and cavorting; good job he had the aisles to expand into. Beth Laske-Miller’s costumes were spot-on, evoking the flower-child tie-dyed-hippie-freak symbols of protest. She accentuated the principals just enough to distinguish them without dissociating them from the Tribe as a whole. And I loved the pansexual vibe that Intimacy Director Christa Retka achieved. Overall, the mood was effervescent, unselfconsciously joyous and totally infectious: we were all drawn into the Tribe.

I love seeing shows with this companion cos I learn so much from them. In one of my early I reviews I asked them, “Just what does a Stage Manager do?” Their reply: “Make certain every person and every prop is in exactly the right place at precisely the right time.” Their guidance let me appreciate what a phenomenal job Stage Manager Amanda Coble did with HAIR. Keeping a cast of 14 on cue through every moment of a 90-minute first act (and the 2^nd act as well); staging, with Musical Director Jeremy Ramey, a total of forty songs, at least 36 of them ensemble pieces … she pulled it off without a bobble.

My companion’s standard for Light Design is ‘if you notice the lighting, they’re doing it wrong.’ Lighting Designer Pat Henderson met, even surpassed this standard with a basic kit used to full advantage. She utilized every possible source of illumination, stage lights, house lights and spotlights, using one particular center-stage spot super-effectively. I loved Musical Director/Conductor Jeremy Ramey’s brilliant idea of placing Shraga Wasserman (Berger) and Joey Chelius (Claude) in the band during Sheila’s (Alexandria Neyhart) solo ‘Easy to be Hard’, bringing the men into the scene and the song without choreography or lines.

Okay, what am I forgetting? Director … stage manager … music … intimacy … aha! The cast!

In a word, ridiculously talented. Okay, that’s two words, and they aren’t mine but Julie Peterson’s (Jeanie), but I’m totally with her on this, for both cast and crew. There was not one single weak voice in the cast, not one. I saw Shraga D Wasserman play Roger in RENT and, though I wrote a ‘Highly Recommended’ review, I remember that Wasserman’s talent outshone the rest of the cast, making for a slightly unbalanced production. No such problem here! Wasserman’s Berger was as good or better than their Roger in RENT, but the cast of HAIR was so stellar that their genius fit in seamlessly. That face of theirs! like living Silly Putty, so incredibly mobile.

I already mentioned that Sam Hook (Woof) stole my heart when he threw me a kiss, and my infatuation grew with his every appearance on stage. It’s hard to believe he’s still a student; I hope he stays in Chicago so I can follow his career.

Claude (Joey Chelius) had perhaps the heaviest dramatic role and his acting was most definitely up to it during the hallucination sequence and the finale. Hud (Justice Largin) was gorgeous and ‘I’m Black’ was a brilliant piece. I already mentioned that Niki-Charisse Franco as Dionne wowed me with her opening performance of ‘Aquarius’, singing with near-operatic potency. The other three principal women, Sheila (Alexandria Neyhart), Jeannie (Julie Peterson), and Crissy (Bridgett Martinez) had equally powerful voices. Ben Isabel was absolutely hilarious as Margaret Meade.

Which leaves The Tribe: Jonah Cochin, Jack Chylinski, Cristian Moreno, Chevy Dixon Saul, and Hannah Silverman. I reiterate: there was not a single weak performer! Jonah Cochin stood out for his delightfully bawdy contribution to ‘Black Boys’.

HAIR revived a lot of old memories for me, both good (dyeing my own love beads) and not-so-great (nightly body counts on TV). The rebellions of the 60’s/70’s shaped what American culture is to this day, and HAIR captured it all: peace and protest, music and drugs, love and fury. In 1969 HAIR was the counterculture’s manifesto. Today it’s a documentary, and a must-see!

MadKap Production's HAIR is being performed at Skokie Theatre through July 30^th. For tickets and/or more information, click here.