This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius. OK, not really, but it could be the dawning of the age of ACE.
The Actors Cabaret of Eugene is asking theater-goers to take a little trip back to the days of free love, tie-dye and cannabis with “Hair: the Musical.”
“Hair,” which was pegged as the “American tribal love-rock musical,” is still impressing audiences after four decades of production.
No dictionary in the world could define “American tribal love-rock,” but the show’s director, Michael Watkins, said it summarizes what the ’60s were all about.
“It is basically an anti-war, anti-establishment, anti- all that stuff that was happening at the time,” he said.
“Hair” is a loud and colorful social critique, which centers around the Vietnam War and its effect on a tribe of people.
Watkins said he doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, though, because the show is very fun.
“It’s not a heavy piece, but there are some serious and poignant moments that come out of it in the music and the dialogue,” he said.
It’s not your mama’s “Hair.” This is the first time Watkins has directed the musical, so it has his own unique twist.
“I don’t know that it has any big surprises, but it definitely has a different flavor than productions I’ve seen in the past,” he said.
“Hair” may be new to him, but Watkins is a Eugene-theater veteran.
He graduated from the University with a Bachelor’s degree in music and a Master’s degree in dance.
“I have worked with the theater community here for about 18 years, doing a lot of acting and directing,” he said.
He has directed shows at the Very Little Theatre and the Lord Leebrick Theatre.
There are 16 cast members in the show who are all under the age of 30. Watkins feels that the age of the actors is an important element of the show.
“It is about the disenchantment of youth and the hippie movement which was primarily younger people,” he said.
Watkins said the group is filled with wonderful actors who are all very talented.
“There is a lot of strong singing and good acting,” he said.
Even though the musical was written in 1967, its message is still applicable to today’s society.
“It’s relevant now because we are once again involved in a war of questionable morality,” Watkins said. “For me, the point of doing it was it’s years later and nothing has changed.”
Probably the most memorable aspect of the show is its huge list of song numbers. The original “Hair” production features 30 different songs.
Watkins said he cannot pick a favorite song.
“They are all fun. Some of them are beautiful, some of them are slow ballads, there are lots of up-tempo dance stuff,” he said.
ACE isn’t performing all 30 of the songs, however. Some of them will be underscoring for theme changes.
“The stage isn’t big enough that you need different scene changes,” Watkins said. “The way I’ve directed it, there are some theme changes but no one ever leaves the stage.”
Watkins thinks the primary reason people should come see “Hair” is that it’s entertaining, but the show offers more than just a night of fun.
“For my generation, it will be nostalgic. For a younger generation, it will ring true because all the same issues are still happening,” he said.
“I don’t think the thrust of the show is the issues, but it makes you think about how things haven’t changed for 40 years,” Watkins said.
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