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Hair

Stagelight Productions

August 9-August 24, 2007

Avg. Event Rating (4.4 Stars): Add Review/Comment

Before Rent, before Tommy, before even Jesus Christ Superstar, there was HAiR, the first REAL rock musical. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Hair premiere at New York's Public Theatre, Hair returns to San Jose this summer in what will surely be a celebrated event. The year 2007 looks so much like the year 1967: America remains embroiled in a war that many believe should not have been fought, a President is estranged from the feelings of the people, and youth is once again rising up to demand acknowledgement and freedom. With songs like "Aquarius", "Easy To Be Hard", "Where Do I Go?", and "Black Boys/White Boys", "Hair" reverberated musically through the nation. Eight of its songs hit the Billboard charts and four went all the way to number one. The nude scene (modest by today's standards) was revolutionary and blazed a trail that many followed.

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• Ticket Info

  Tickets: $15-$30

  Info Phone: 800-838-3006

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• Dates & Times

  Dates:
  August 9-August 24, 2007

  Times:
  Wed-Fri: 8pm
  Sat: 2pm & 8pm
  Sun: 2pm & 7pm
  Tues 8/21: 8pm

• Venue Info

  Historic Hoover Theater

  1635 Park Avenue San Jose, CA 95126

  Full map and directions

• Parking Info

  The Primary Parking lot for the Historic Hoover Theater is located on the Southeast side of campus at Park Avenue and Sandringham Way. Alternate parking may be found at the lot located on the Southwest side of campus on Naglee Avenue. Parking is free of charge.

• Accessibility Info

  • Wheelchair Access

• NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

• Member Reviews

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  • Event Name: Hair
    "Exceeds Expectations"
    Review posted by: Kristin from Menlo Park from Menlo Park, Aug 24, 2007
    

    This show exceeds expectations. I saw this show on a full cast night and all components exceeded expectations. The cast was great--lots of enthusiasm, great acting (no over acting), and lots of love... Expand

    This show exceeds expectations. I saw this show on a full cast night and all components exceeded expectations. The cast was great--lots of enthusiasm, great acting (no over acting), and lots of love and authenticity for each other and their parts. The vocals were mostly strong and impressive, with Michele Wyn (Sheila) as the standout. I got chills right down to my toes whenever she sang. She alone is worth the trip to the theater. The man next to me who worked in LA studios called her "an American Idol winning voice" and said that it was rare to hear a voice that clear and strong that could hold a note without going into vibrato . The other main leads were super also. A few vocalists seemed to go off key, but they made up for vocal weakness with an enormous amount of presence. I enjoyed watching everyone and, yes, the show is very much worth seeing. The cast has done a great job of making the production work. Collapse

  • Event Name: Hair
    "yummy show overall"
    Review posted by: Roland • Travel TV Writer/Producer from Hawaii, Aug 21, 2007
    

    Rodriguez as Berger & Whittaker as Claude rocked! Rodriguez’s striking presence set the tribe's tone, and Brennan’s ingénue paired deliciously w/Rodriguez’ badboy. Bad: musical "misses" -... Expand

    Rodriguez as Berger & Whittaker as Claude rocked! Rodriguez’s striking presence set the tribe's tone, and Brennan’s ingénue paired deliciously w/Rodriguez’ badboy. Bad: musical "misses" - excruciatingly missed notes that should've been nailed, esp. w/the women. I prayed she’d slide her flat note into its rightful place, but the corrective slide rarely happened. There are sweet moments, though, like a country number where 3 of the men offered clean, tight harmonies. YUM! DOWNSIDES (1) bad sound @ the Hoover – indecipherable lyrics; (2) female performances akin to American Idol try-outs: Flashy Aretha wannabe’s void of ability to hit the note. Pain! UPSIDES (1) male casting, esp. Rodriguez, Whittaker, and a sweet, long-haired, angel-faced Filipino tribe member (Cy Fagar) whose exotic presence reminded me of the region’s sweet cultural mix, and (2) the pre-show audience/cast interaction. As HAIR winds down its run, it’ll get better. Collapse

  • Event Name: Hair
    "SOOO FUN!!!"
    Review posted by: IV from San Francisco, Aug 20, 2007
    

    i was thoroughly impressed with this show. it was very well put together and the performances were so full of good vibes you can't help but absorb some of it and feel the pain and joy the characters... Expand

    i was thoroughly impressed with this show. it was very well put together and the performances were so full of good vibes you can't help but absorb some of it and feel the pain and joy the characters are going through. everyone seems perfect for the roles - with standout performances by Claude and Berger (Sammy Rodriguez as Berger has mezmerizing stage presence). thanks to the hole tribe for an amazing show and a super fun time!!! Collapse

  • Event Name: Hair
    "Catch"
    Review posted by: Paul from Palo Alto, CA, Aug 19, 2007
    

    Even if you've seen this production of "Hair" at Theatre on San Pedro Square, it is definitely worth seeing again at the Hoover as we did. The staging in a more traditional space with a proscenium... Expand

    Even if you've seen this production of "Hair" at Theatre on San Pedro Square, it is definitely worth seeing again at the Hoover as we did. The staging in a more traditional space with a proscenium arch immediately improves the production in two ways: 1) the use of the entire theatre by the cast is, ironically, more effective and engaging than at the more open space at San Pedro Square, and 2) this more "two-dimensional" stage-focused presentation makes for a cleaner and, hence, more powerful visual presentation than at the previous venue, esp. in the case of the end of Act I. The energy and cohesiveness of the tribe was terrific, and the individual actors did an equally terrific job of inhabiting and differentiating their characters, no mean feat in a musical whose purpose is more to present the different dimensions of the counter culture of the time than to provide a strong plot through which to develop character. One downside: The singers need louder mics to be heard over the music! Collapse

  • Event Name: Hair
    "Don't believe everything you read....Do see the show!"
    Review posted by: Show Goer from San Francisco, Aug 19, 2007
    

    I saw HAIR the same night as the critic for a major SJ daily. I have also seen the show twice at each venue, with every combination of lead and understudy and can tell you there was nothing missing... Expand

    I saw HAIR the same night as the critic for a major SJ daily. I have also seen the show twice at each venue, with every combination of lead and understudy and can tell you there was nothing missing from the performance last Thursday night or any night. There were indeed great performances by the male leads Claude, Berger and Woof, but since unnamed critic devoted the bulk of his review to his own musings, he failed to acknowledge: an intense, well acted Hud "I'm Black", crooner extroardinaire Tad, "Electric Blues" and a talented female cast that included the understudy for Sheila (wonderfully, heartfelt interpretation of "Easy to be Hard"), Dionne (sultry "Aquarius", the first song is a show stopper), Jeannie (super groovy "Hippie Life" makes you want to dance) and Chrissie (nails the innocent first love feel of "Frank Mills" that should give even jaded critics goose bumps). And look for great comic acting and numbers by tribe standouts Maggie, Esther and Jacqui. Collapse

  • Event Name: Hair
    "Great music and a history lesson."
    Comment posted by: SH from SF, Aug 19, 2007
    

    Almost 40 years later, HAIR shows us the sadly familiar themes of unpopular war, apathy towards the environment, and the sense of helplessness and anger in the face of monumental challenges (then LBJ,... Expand

    Almost 40 years later, HAIR shows us the sadly familiar themes of unpopular war, apathy towards the environment, and the sense of helplessness and anger in the face of monumental challenges (then LBJ, now Dubya). The feeling is perfectly captured by the haunting, recurring lyric "how dare they try to end this beauty". If the opening number doesn't get you excited, if the gunshots in Act 2 don't give you an ominous sense of doom, and if your heart is not in your throat with tears in your eyes by the final number, then check your pulse. And hey, the nude scene and language are tame by today's standards so take your teenage kids and teach them something about trying to make a difference in this world. We need their help. Collapse

  • Event Name: Hair
    "Talented singers & dancers-- GO SEE THIS SHOW!!"
    Review posted by: MS from Los Gatos, CA USA, Aug 17, 2007
    

    The group had such incredible enthusiasm and obviously enjoyed working with each other. We saw the production in SF in the early 70s and quite frankly we enjoyed it much better August 16!! We... Expand

    The group had such incredible enthusiasm and obviously enjoyed working with each other. We saw the production in SF in the early 70s and quite frankly we enjoyed it much better August 16!! We appreciated the close approximation to the original broadway recording. Collapse

  • Event Name: Hair
    "Fantastic!!"
    Review posted by: Palo Alto Mom from Palo Alto, CA USA, Aug 16, 2007
    

    This was a great experience for the whole family.

    This was a great experience for the whole family.

  • Event Name: Hair
    "Wonderful show"
    Review posted by: Tami Garver from San Jose, Aug 14, 2007
    

    "Hair" Is a wonderful show. If you have not gone to see it? you should go it was tastefully done and the cast is great.

    "Hair" Is a wonderful show. If you have not gone to see it? you should go it was tastefully done and the cast is great.

  • Event Name: Hair
    "Hair is a great show!"
    Review posted by: Judy from Mountain View, CA USA, Aug 14, 2007
    

    Enjoyed the show so much. The cast is clearly having a lot of fun performing Hair.

    Enjoyed the show so much. The cast is clearly having a lot of fun performing Hair.

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