“Hair,” the musical that marks the activism and turmoil of the 1960s, spreads its groovy revolution tonight.
At the hub of the show, a pack of tribal hippies dance and sing odes to sex and love, marijuana and peace. Songs include “Good Morning Starshine,” “What a Piece of Work is Man” and “Easy To Be Hard,” among many others.
The show debuts 7:30 p.m. today in Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre, presented by the MSU Department of Theatre.
“Hair” first debuted in New York City in 1968 and highlights the youth of America’s rebellion against the Vietnam War, racism and conformity.
Director Thom Sesma said the musical is about creating a new way of life. The play is less about Vietnam, sex, drug-use, nudity and anti-establishment protests than it is about young people desperately clinging to joy, fun and love, he said.
The play’s action takes place on a two-level stage. A live band, dressed as hippies, plays above the cast. Along the sides of the stage there are bright, spray-painted signs that read “Make Love, Not War,” “Freedom” and “Clinton for President.”
George, not Bill.
“The story follows Claude (theater junior Rick Kunzi) and the Vietnam draft,” Sesma said. “It emphasizes what’s happening during those times because it’s important to get the communication of that era out there.”
Bem Sumrall, a theater graduate student and member of the play’s hippie Tribe, said the musical illustrates a direct response of how some people felt during the Vietnam War.
“People were more socially active then, and the play captures the spirit of a generation addressing politics,” Sumrall said. “Unlike society today, people then questioned the government’s tactics.”
He said in the 1960s people protested for what was right.
“Because today’s government is so secretive,” Sumrall said. “We’re letting our government get away with things we normally wouldn’t.”
Sumrall said “Hair” presents the beauty of simply being alive, loving everyone and creating an atmosphere of unity.
Theater senior O’neil Cespedes, who plays Hud, a hippie in the Tribe, said the young people of today are not aware of the impact the youth then had on the nation.
“This production has a positive message. It’s more than showcasing them experimenting with drugs and sex,” Cespedes said. “It shows freedom of all kinds, the freedom that allows you to follow your dreams and become whatever your heart desires.”
Cespedes said adults or older people can sometimes oppress a child’s ambitions by forcing to conform to their expectations.
“This story follows Claude and his anxiety of being drafted,” he said. “Showing how his parents were proud of their son going to the Army even though he doesn’t want to go.”
Many American youths were against the Vietnam War. They rebelled with protests, by burning their draft cards and experimenting with sex and drugs. They were called hippies, and their main goal was love and peace among a country divided by racism and hate.
Cespedes said this production of “Hair” can open up people’s minds and clear up any misconceptions.
“The basic theme of the musical is love,” Sesma said. “We all know why we fall in love, but it’s our choice how we choose to express it.”
Sesma said this musical has a special meaning to him, which is why he wanted to direct it.
During several musical numbers, a few of the cast members sing solos from the audience.
Sesma said his cast of MSU students began rehearsing in mid-February and have worked hard since, and that the cast had to become a family to put on this interesting rock musical.
“I wanted them to become comfortable with each other,” he said. “In the beginning I had them sit in circles and tell different stories with each person adding their version to the story.”
“Hair” includes some nudity, though nude theater rarely sparks too much controversy today.
But the nudity in “Hair” finds a certain comfort zone between the cast and audience, with almost every members’ naked body appearing hazily through dim lights.
Cespedes said the director gave them a choice of allowing them individually to decide what they would do about getting nude in the play.
“First, I said ‘Hell no,’” Cespedes said. “But after I thought about it, I realized if I wanted to become a good actor, I had to let go of all my insecurities.”
The musical’s lyrics were written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado with music by Gail MacDermot.
“Hair” opens at 7:30 p.m. today and begins at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. “Hair” also runs April 18 at 7:30 p.m., April 19-20 at 8 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for seniors and students with ID and $15 for the general public.
