I saw one of the original iterations, the sit-down company at the Blackstone Theatre in Chicago in the fall of 1970. The show had a theatricality like no other, which is often forgotten: that score spilled over the dry iced floor (the original set, people forget, was stunningly abstract -- but a set by Robin Wagner) in such a passionate and immediate performance; it's almost impossible to duplicate in any other medium. What surprised everyone: how disciplined the production was; the idea that the show is a free-wheeling improv, a "be-in," has become part of its mythology. Though the companies drew from open calls, the show was tightly maintained, great precision kept it unified and riveting as a result. It was also the first show to be truly diverse, and its leads were ultimately covered by actors of any race. I later saw it in DC with Meatloaf but That Chicago "Hair" has always stayed with me.
The Hud was an unknown named Andre DeShields. He later played Berger, per Ovrtur, and I swear it's who I saw a year after it opened. It was also the first main stem show to do two performances on Saturday nights. |
