Let the Sun Shine In - Hair, Again!!

What's the best way to spend your birthday morning??

Trying desperately to find out if, on the snowiest day of the year, a day that saw all city services canceled or shut down, your birthday matinee performance of your favorite show currently on Broadway is still going to happen.

Did you know that the direct box office phone lines for the Broadway theaters are listed nowhere!! The only number that's available anywhere is stupid Ticketmaster. So I spent most of the morning of my birthday trying to track down a source (computer and iPhone going simultaneously) that would tell me if the Broadway matinees were going ahead as planned. God bless the Broadway World iPhone app!! There it was at 11:00am. Yes, the show would go on!

Now, will any of the 7 friends I've invited to see Hair be able to brave the record snowfalls and get to the Al Hirschfeld theater on time? (I'm looking at you, lil Marc!) Yes! They all love me!!

Can I just say? If you haven't seen this production of the 60's tribal love musical, run-don't walk!! This was my second time seeing the show (Kevin's 4th, we'll talk about that crazy another time) and I am always amazed at the level of enthusiasm the cast brings to each performance. I firmly believe that they are having the time of their lives bringing each number to us.

Claude (Gavin Creel) is quite possibly the most talented young voice on the Broadway scene today! In his rendition of "I Got Life" he reaches down to his very toes (metaphorically) to wrench forth all the passion of youth that I have ever seen (told you I liked it!). We can talk about his abs at another time...

I have to give a big shout out to my favorite little Hippie, Kacie Shiek. She's a friend of a friend and I just love the performance she gives as Jeanie. So much fun!

I'm not sure if it was the snow, or the fact that it was a matinee, but we were privileged to see the understudy perform the role of Shelia. Jackie Burns is a dead ringer for that annoying chick from Glee, but nothing about this stellar voice is annoying. She belts out her numbers with all the conviction you'd expect from the young NYU activist. Great Job!!

Also in an understudy performance was Nicole Lewis as Dionne. This role has some of the most wailing numbers in the show, so I was a little worried (I've seen Sasha Allen in the role- perfection) but all fears were allayed as she competently handled "Aquarius" and "Walking in Space".

All in all a most enjoyable afternoon at the theater! Go see it. It's on TKTS every day.

Brian