<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1256"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Sorry Chris, but you forget that there was a thing called the “draft”, and those of us of age were required to report. Claude didn’t enlist, he was drafted. The return rate from Viet Nam for those drafted was not very good, and college deferment wasn’t available to those of us who came of draft age by the early 70s. I attended anti-war protests in college because we had a voice – it wasn’t just “privileged” people, it ran the gamut of society. Once television started bringing the war into our living rooms the feeling of the whole country changed. Sadly, we treated those who did go poorly, and I’m glad we corrected that error, but that war was all about making money for the military-focused industrialists, not about winning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>That said, I didn’t get a chance to see Blank Canvas’ production (nor will I) due to my travel schedule, but I know Patrick, and I know that he digs deep into the internal motivations that make characters do what they do, and find Mr. Berko’s review less than credible. This show is one of my favorite, and I took the time to see the Broadway revival in 2009 (in which Cleveland’s Andrew Kober gave a stellar performance) and loved every minute of it. I expect that the Blank Canvas production to be at that level.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Allen White<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> NEohioPAL [mailto:neohiopal-bounces@lists.neohiopal.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Christopher Fortunato via NEohioPAL<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 08, 2014 12:12 PM<br><b>To:</b> Sergio Iriarte; Roy Berko; post@neohiopal.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [NEohioPAL] Berko review: HAIR @ Blank Canvas<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Thankfully, the protagonist in the musical followed the law and enlisted. Not all of us smoked up and tuned out in those days.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Christopher Fortunato<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center id=stopSpelling></span></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>To: royberko@gmail.com; post@neohiopal.org<br>Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2014 19:43:22 -0400<br>Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL] Berko review: HAIR @ Blank Canvas<br>From: neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>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><br>"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><br>It's time for you to get over yourself. <br><br>Sergio Iriarte<br>NOT a critic, just a guy who likes theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>From: </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="mailto:neohiopal@lists.neohiopal.org">Roy Berko via NEohioPAL</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Sent: </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>ý9/ý7/ý2014 2:51 PM</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>To: </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="mailto:post@neohiopal.org">post@neohiopal.org</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Subject: </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>[NEohioPAL] Berko review: HAIR @ Blank Canvas</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><span style='color:#FF9900'>•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>No bombs greet this version of HAIR, just heat and a simulation of an era</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Roy Berko</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>(member, Cleveland Critics Circle, American Theatre Critics Association)</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Theatre is representative of the era from which it comes. Seeing a play that reflects a specific time period can reveal the cultural attitudes of the people and society of that period.</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Seeing HAIR, “The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical,” can give a film clip of the 1960s and early 70s in the U.S. It was the era of the anti-war movement and rebellion against traditional societal patterns. 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. It was a period of rage against the military-industrial complex. It was the time of a clear generational divide. If the young people could find a way to upset their elders, it was the “in” thing to do. </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, the show’s book was put to music by Galt MacDermot. Its slim story was based on the authors’ personal experiences. 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><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>When the show first opened, it engendered strong protests. Yes, protests about the protests. On 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><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>HAIR broke all sorts of theatrical traditions. 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 the unsuspecting. The U.S. flag was used as parts of costumes and burned. There was full-frontal nudity and simulation of sexual acts. There was an intentional ignoring of theater’s proverbial “fourth wall,” a separation of the stage actions from the audience. 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><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>This is not a well-written book musical. The plot meanders, some of the songs don’t fit into the story, often do nothing to move the plot along. 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. The sounds change from rock to country to ballad to African American rhythms. </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>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><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>So, how does the show wear over all those years? The times they have changed. Reaction to swearing, smoking of pot, nudity, and protest are mundane by today’s standards. Many of the references are beyond the knowledge of the younger members of the audience. 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. Only the wonder of “what was all the fuss about?”</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Some of the music has lost its luster. <i>Aquarius</i> didn’t send me off onto a journey of effervescence. <i>Hashish</i>, in this age of rampant drug usage, is just a song. 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><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>The Blank Canvas cast, under the direction of Patrick Ciamacco, was enjoyable, with two glaring flaws. First, Ciamacco states in his director’s notes: “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.” 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. Nationally, buildings were burned, students were shot for civil-disobedience (e.g., the Kent State massacre). There may be some uprisings and protests today due to individual events, but the 60’s movements were national events. 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><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>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. 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. Either the theatre needs to find a way to cool the space more effectively, or change its schedule and avoid producing summer time shows. Whew!</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Brad Wyner and his band were excellent, wisely avoiding letting loose with the heavy rock sound and drowning out the singers. Jessie Cope Miller’s choreography was creative, especially considering that she was working with a large cast on a postage stamp sized stage. The moves on “Abie Baby” were, in era language, “mellow.”</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Perren Hedderson’s projections added to the creation of visual realism.</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Though the choral vocal sounds were mostly volume over blendings, there were both individual strong singing and acting performances.</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Scott Esposito was well focused as Claude. 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? 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.” “What a Piece of Work Is Man” was the show’s musical highlight.</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>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. 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. 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><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'> </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif"'>Tickets for HAIR, which runs through September 13, can be ordered at 440-941-0458 or <a href="http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.blankcanvastheatre.com</span></a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif";color:#FF9900'><a href="http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/" target="_blank">•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Palatino","serif";color:#FF9900'><a href="http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com/" target="_blank"><br></a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br>______________________________________ NEohioPAL is SELF-SERVE. If you need to unsubscribe, change from digest to one-at-a-time delivery or vice-versa, go on hiatus while out of town, switch from mime to plain text or vice-versa, etc. check out the FAQS at http://www.fredsternfeld.com. ______________________________________ Please consider a voluntary contribution to support Neohiopal - http://www.fredsternfeld.com/support-neohiopal/ ______________________________________ Disclaimer: The facts and/or opinions expressed in this message are solely those of the person in the 'from' or 'reply-to' header. The fact that this message is posted should in no way be taken as an endorsement by the administrator of this list. Subscribers should perform due diligence for all goods, services and activities promoted on NEohioPAL. ________________________________________ NEohioPAL mailing list post@neohiopal.org http://lists.neohiopal.org/listinfo.cgi/neohiopal-neohiopal.org<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>