<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div><span>Hmmmmm.... maybe so... but the two "glaring flaws" in the production were a Director's Note in the program and the fact that the theatre isn't air conditioned? Granted, I don't deal well with heat myself, so it likely would have effected my enjoyment of the piece. But that is a managerial criticism, not a criticism of the piece itself.<br></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue Light,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br><span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue Light,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida
Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>Since I didn't see the production, I'll leave it at that. :-)</span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue Light,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br><span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue Light,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>Richard Ingraham<br></span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <hr
size="1"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Christopher Fortunato via NEohioPAL <neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Sergio Iriarte <vanbrujah@aol.com>; Roy Berko <royberko@gmail.com>; "post@neohiopal.org" <post@neohiopal.org> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Monday, September 8, 2014 12:12 PM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [NEohioPAL] Berko review: HAIR @ Blank Canvas<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container"><br><div id="yiv2620858576"><style>#yiv2620858576 #yiv2620858576 --
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#yiv2620858576 </style><div><div dir="ltr">I don;t know. I think I'm with Berko on this one. Musicals like "Hair" have an attraction to nostalgia for those in the arts that were not alive when the sixties were happening. The "revolution" of sorts was a top-down, upper middle class affair where pampered kids that went to places like Denison, Kenyon and Oberlin decided to rebel notwithstanding they really had nothing to rebel about since they were not part of the oppressed. How within one generation the children of parents that sacrificed during the Great Depression and World War II turned into the most narcissistic generation this country produced will be the topic of discussions in graduate school seminars for decades to come.<div><br clear="none"></div><div>Thankfully, the protagonist in the musical followed the law and enlisted. Not all of us smoked up and tuned out in those days.</div><div><br
clear="none"></div><div>Christopher Fortunato<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><div><div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class="yiv2620858576yqt9527716833" id="yiv2620858576yqtfd66481"><hr id="yiv2620858576stopSpelling">To: royberko@gmail.com; post@neohiopal.org<br clear="none">Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2014 19:43:22 -0400<br clear="none">Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL] Berko review: HAIR @ Blank Canvas<br clear="none">From: neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><div><div style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;">That was the snottiest, most useless review of a show it has ever been my displeasure to read. And considering the source, that's saying a lot. That's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back. <br clear="none"><br clear="none">"Sorry, my naïve young man, since the you were not yet born..." Seriously? You actually took the time to think of, and then write that?<br clear="none"><br clear="none"> It's time
for you to get over yourself. <br clear="none"><br clear="none">Sergio Iriarte<br clear="none">NOT a critic, just a guy who likes theatre.</div></div><div dir="ltr"><hr><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">From: </span><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org">Roy Berko via NEohioPAL</a></span><br clear="none"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">Sent: </span><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;">9/7/2014 2:51 PM</span><br clear="none"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">To: </span><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:post@neohiopal.org" target="_blank"
href="mailto:post@neohiopal.org">post@neohiopal.org</a></span><br clear="none"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:bold;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:11pt;">[NEohioPAL] Berko review: HAIR @ Blank Canvas</span><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr"><br clear="none"><span style="color:rgb(255, 153, 0);">•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</span><br clear="none"><br clear="none">
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino;">No bombs greet this version of HAIR, just heat and
a simulation of an era</span></b></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Roy Berko</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">(member, Cleveland
Critics Circle, American Theatre Critics Association)</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Theatre is representative
of the era from which it comes.<span>
</span>Seeing a play that reflects a specific time period can reveal the
cultural attitudes of the people and society of that period.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Seeing HAIR, </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;">“The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical,” can give a film clip of the
1960s and early 70s in the U.S.<span> </span>It
was the era of the anti-war movement and rebellion against traditional societal
patterns.<span> </span>It was the time of
sit-ins on college campuses, hippie communes, flower children, pot smoking,
tie-dyed clothing, long hair, swearing and public nudity. <span> </span>It was a period of rage against the
military-industrial complex. It was the time of a clear generational
divide.<span> </span>If the young people could
find a way to upset their elders, it was the “in” thing to do.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, the show’s
book was put to music by Galt MacDermot.<span>
</span>Its slim story was based on the authors’ personal experiences.<span> </span>It centers on Claude, a member of
the hippie community, who sells out and allows himself to be taken into the
Army rather than burn his draft card or flee to Canada. </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">When the show first opened, it engendered strong
protests.<span> </span>Yes, protests about the
protests.<span> </span>On </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;">April 25, 1971, for example, a bomb exploded
in front of Cleveland’s Hanna Theatre during the Age of Aquarius show’s run at
that venue.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">HAIR broke all sorts of theatrical
traditions.<span> </span>Members of the cast,
known as the “tribe,” constantly jumped off the stage and interacted with
members of the audience, invited patrons to dance with them, and they gave flowers
and hugs to<span> </span>the unsuspecting.<span> </span>The U.S. flag was used as parts of
costumes and burned. <span> </span>There was
full-frontal nudity and simulation of sexual acts.<span> </span>There was an intentional ignoring of theater’s proverbial
“fourth wall,” a separation of the stage actions from the audience. <span> </span>This was a musical that broke from
the tradition of the “nice” musical and took on controversy and started a trend
in musical theatre of taking on contemporary and controversial issues.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">This is not a well-written book musical.<span> </span>The plot meanders, some of the songs
don’t fit into the story, often do nothing to move the plot along.<span> </span>Again, a break from the traditional
musical of the day. Though often referred to as the “grand daddy of the rock
musicals,” it’s a mélange of music and imagery.<span> </span>The sounds change from rock to country to ballad to African
American rhythms. </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">The highlight of action centers on Claude’s
hallucinatory drug trip in Act II where a series of horrifying visions, loaded
with historical figures, are presented in the oddest contexts. It’s a microcosm
of the whole show, which essentially unfolds like a tune-filled acid trip that
gives HAIR its distinctive period edge.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">So, how does the show wear over all those years?<span> </span>The times they have changed.<span> </span>Reaction to swearing, smoking of pot,
nudity, and protest are mundane by today’s standards.<span> </span>Many of the references are beyond the knowledge of the
younger members of the audience.<span>
</span>Unless you are an uptight conservative or an evangelical, who are not
candidates to attend this show, the goings on won’t evoke much reaction.<span> </span>Only the wonder of “what was all the
fuss about?”</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Some of the music has lost its luster.<span> </span><i>Aquarius</i>
didn’t send me off onto a journey of effervescence. <span> </span><i>Hashish</i>, in this
age of rampant drug usage, is just a song.<span> </span>On the other hand, <i>I
Believe in Love</i>, <i>Easy to be Hard</i>,
and <i>Good Morning Starshine</i>, have held
up due to their timelessness. </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">The Blank Canvas cast, under the direction of
Patrick Ciamacco, was enjoyable, with two glaring flaws.<span> </span>First, Ciamacco states in his
director’s notes:<span> </span>“I was drawn to
produce “Hair” because I feel our country is going through a very similar
movement as we did in the 60’s.”<span>
</span>Sorry, my naïve young man, since the you were not yet born when the
anti-war demonstrations and flower-child rebellions were going on, you are not
aware of the dynamics, power, and out-of-control motivations that lead to whole
college campuses shut down due to sit-ins, and the take-over of buildings due the
anti-war vehemence.<span> </span>Nationally,
buildings were burned, students were shot for civil-disobedience (e.g., the
Kent State massacre).<span> </span>There may be
some uprisings and protests today due to individual events, but the 60’s
movements were national events.<span>
</span>The portrayals by the young cast, not imbued with the true feelings the
play reflects, were on the surface, acting what they thought their characters
went through, but not identifying with the real motivations, therefore not
feeling the actual angst.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Second, the small space, over sold-out audience,
sweating actor’s bodies, real smoking, and 80+ degrees of heat outside, led to
a sweltering theatre. <span> </span>When the
cast shed their clothing at the end of the first act, many in the audience were
tempted to join them, just to get some personal heat reduction.<span> </span>Either the theatre needs to find a way
to cool the space more effectively, or change its schedule and avoid producing
summer time shows.<span> </span>Whew!</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Brad Wyner and his band were excellent, wisely
avoiding letting loose with the heavy rock sound and drowning out the
singers.<span> </span>Jessie Cope Miller’s
choreography was creative, especially considering that she was working with a
large cast on a postage stamp sized stage.<span> </span>The moves on “Abie Baby” were, in era language, “mellow.”</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Perren Hedderson’s projections added to the creation
of visual realism.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Though the choral vocal sounds were mostly volume
over blendings, there were both individual strong singing and acting
performances.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Scott Esposito was well focused as Claude.<span> </span>Who knew that this stalwart of local
dramas (he gave a ”bravo” performance last season in Ensemble’s “The Normal
Heart”) could sing so well?<span>
</span>Becca Frick (Jeanie) did a nice job with “Air,” Jessie Cope Miller, she
of big and well-toned voice, wailed in “I Believe in Love” and “Good Morning
Starshine.” Neely Gevaart (Chrissy) tenderly sang “Frank Mills.”<span> </span>“What a Piece of Work Is Man” was the
show’s musical highlight.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:Palatino;">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: HAIR is a classic
musical, which entered the theatre into an era of reflection of the turbulent
era of the 60s and broke many traditional theatrical formats.<span> </span>For those who want to relive the era,
or who want to generally get an idea of what was going on during those times,
the Blank Canvas staging gives an opportunity to take a seldom reprised trip
through the times.<span> </span>Due to a
generation gap in understanding the true angst of the era, this isn’t a great
production, but it is entertaining.</span></i></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;">Tickets for HAIR, which
runs through September 13, can be ordered at </span><span style="font-family:Palatino;">440-941-0458 or</span><span style="font-family:Palatino;"> <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;">www.blankcanvastheatre.com</span></a></span></div><div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><br clear="none"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;"></span></a></span></div><div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/">•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</a></span></span></div><div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><br clear="none"><span style="color:rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span
style="font-family:Palatino;"></span></span></div><div class="yiv2620858576ecxMsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="font-family:Palatino;"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/"><br clear="none"></a></span></span></div><br clear="none"></div>
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