[Mb-hair] Re: HAIR at New Amsterdam

[Leo]

Thanks Ross for passing that along. I wonder who the "original Broadway and
film cast members" were?

PEACE,
Leo

> From: RJ Mac <nycrjmac at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Mb-hair] HAIR at New Amsterdam
>
> cut-and-psted from Playbill Online:
>
> HAIR
> Seth Rudetsky is four for four. After spearheading the
> all-star concerts of Dreamgirls, Funny Girl and Chess,
> Rudetsky put together a star-studded concert of the
> famed sixties musical Hair, which was presented Monday
> night at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The Sept. 20
> evening began with remarks by Actors' Fund Executive
> Director Joseph Benincasa and new Actors' Fund
> President Brian Stokes Mitchell. Tony winner Mitchell
> joked to the sold-out crowd, "We all know why we're
> here tonight - to see naked people onstage! And to
> help the Actors' Fund," he continued, "and to see
> Hair." Mitchell also acknowledged some of Hair's
> original Broadway and film cast members, who were in
> attendance.
>
> The curtain then rose on the likeable Harris Doran (as
> Claude), standing centerstage clad in white T-shirt
> and jeans. While he burned his draft card, the stage
> also revealed the small onstage orchestra, which was
> divided into sections by three staircases. As Lillias
> White, decked out in a large afro and sixties-era
> attire, began belting out "Aquarius," members of the
> chorus - standing on chairs in the audience - rushed
> to the stage in a burst of energy. Two large screens
> were also part of the stage design and projected
> various timely images throughout the concert.
>
> Lea DeLaria, who bemoaned having to follow the vocals
> of White, offered a few off-the-cuff remarks to the
> audience before launching into "Donna." "Queer Eye"
> co-star Jai Rodriguez, sporting a long wig, sang about
> the pleasures of "Sodomy" and was followed by Taboo's
> Euan Morton, who delivered a somewhat lyrically
> revised "Manchester, England." Chuck Cooper's "Colored
> Spade" preceded Ana Gasteyer's belty "Dead End," one
> of the many highlights of the first half of the
> evening. Other Act I high points included Harvey
> Fierstein, who drew cheers with his raspy-voiced
> version of "Air"; Laura Benanti, who morphed from a
> prim-and-proper teacher into an LSD induced free
> spirit while she wrapped her glorious soprano around
> "Initials"; John Tartaglia and Christopher Sieber, who
> had some fun with an American flag and "Don't Put It
> Down"; Adam Pascal, who sported a shirtless open vest
> and let his rock-flavored tenor soar on "I Got Life";
> Raul Esparza, who scored with the title tune; former
> "American Idol" contestant Jennifer Hudson, who raised
> the roof with a thrilling "Easy to Be Hard"; and Julia
> Murney, who managed to dazzle even with a cold, as she
> brought down the first-act curtain with "Where Do I
> Go," which began with a touching sincerity and
> climaxed in a Janis Joplin-style crescendo.
>
> The second half of the concert got off to a rousing
> start with Toxic Audio's solo on "Electric Blues."
> That was followed by the exciting pairing of "Black
> Boys" - featuring belters Kathy Brier, Orfeh and Ann
> Harada - and "White Boys," with the equally belty
> Ledisi, Brandi Chavonne Massey and Shayna Steele.
> Annie Golden charmed with the gentle ballad "Frank
> Mills," and members of the chorus bared all during
> "Walking in Space." Other second-act notables: Billy
> Porter's gospel-tinged "Four Score"; Darius de Haas
> and Paul Castree, whose pure tenors blended
> beautifully on "What a Piece of Work Is Man"; Liz
> Callaway, who added class and simple, gorgeous tones
> on "Good Morning Starshine"; and Norm Lewis, whose
> rich, vibrato-filled voice echoed throughout the
> theatre on "The Flesh Failure," which segued into the
> wonderful finale, "Let the Sun Shine In."