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Dude is the first splurge of the season - a big, sprawling
musical by Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot (two of the three man team the
sprouted Hair) - a loose, often exciting piece of theater that tries to
bury the traditional Broadway show but doesn't quite make it. The
real stars, of course, are the new faces, including some of the most charming
show-biz kids in years. The kids join the cast in the anti-traditional
first number "Theatre/Theatre" with a splash of costumes from old shows,
ranging from The King And I to Hello Dolly. For the run of Dude the
interior of the broadway Theater has been completely remodeled into a theater
in the round, the seats in sections called "mountains", "valleys", "treetops"
with a runners track surrounding the audience, a "dirt" covered acting
area. What's it all about? One of the kids explained, "Dude
is about wanting more out of life and that more is love."