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West Bay Community Theater will present a concert version of the original tribal love-rock musical, HAIR on Saturday, August 13th, 2022 in Wickford, RI (NK Town Beach Bandshell).
Following the success of their May production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical, WBCT returns to the North Kingstown Town Beach for a night of musical theater by the water. Featuring a nine-piece rock orchestra and a range of vocal talent from across the RI Theater and Music communities, HAIR - IN CONCERT will be a celebration of the music of HAIR while focusing on the themes that resonate in 2022 as much as they did in the late 60's.
HAIR was a sensation when it premiered in 1967, as it brought the counterculture movement into the world of theater and the national spotlight. The issues the show brings up - civil rights, war, alienation, youthful defiance, civil disobedience - continue to timelessly resonate today. Songs such as "Aquarius", "The Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In)" and the infamous title track will be familiar to most listeners, but those unfamiliar with the soundtrack will be introduced to the depth and breadth of this wide-ranging musical score.
WBCT's production will focus on the music of the piece with minimal staging, aided by multimedia support. While the famed nudity of the original staging will NOT be present, this production does not edit or censor the lyrics, encouraging listeners to confront and embrace the challenging topics that HAIR presents. Due to the nature of the language, this production is not recommended for younger children and parental guidance is suggested.
HAIR - IN CONCERT features Tylar Jahumpa as Director and Alex Tirrell as Musical Director. The cast includes Michael Buck, Remy Thibeault, Tylar Jahumpa, Stephen Kalogeras, Jess Couture, Olivia Sahlin, Shaye Miller, Chris Maxwell, Brooke Shelley, Amina Cunningham, Gabby Rose, Alex Duprey, Noah Pimental, and Susie Chakmakian, among others.
Director Tylar Jahumpa says, "Most musicals on Broadway during the Golden Age [of Musical Theater] in the early 60's tended to be escapism. You had Rodgers and Hammerstein pretty much running the show and an abundance of love stories hitting the Great White Way. The impact Hair had on Broadway cemented not only how we experience live theatre but also the types of stories we can tell as performers. [The music of HAIR] is of a pop culture phenomenon with not only the Broadway Cast Recording, but also the movie and various covers from artists such as The 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, and The Cowsills. Historically, HAIR was also showed what was going on during the 1960's with people still fighting for Civil Rights as well as the Vietnam War and The Draft. The Tribe in this show aren't just people yelling "Free Love" and growing their hair and smoking pot; they are a reflection of the Hippie/Student Protest movement and are real people with emotions and needs. With HAIR - IN CONCERT, we're allowing people who grew up with these songs and vocalists/performers in the RI Theater community to truly come and celebrate the history of what made these songs so memorable with a new Summer of Love, in a time where we truly need it the most."
When: Saturday, August 13th @ 8pm (rain date, Aug 14th)
Where: North Kingstown Town Beach Bandshell
10 Beach St, North Kingstown, RI 02852
Tickets: $25/$20 - (Students and Military as well as holders of a Lifetime Subscription pin)
Tickets may be purchased at the show or on the web at www.wbctheater.org
All patrons are encouraged to bring chairs/blankets and anything else that will enhance the experience of a rock musical on a summer evening by the water. Del's Lemonade and other food truck services will be available prior to the show.
Book: James Rado & Gerome Ragni
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical follows a young group of hippies fighting the establishment, dodging the drafts, getting high, living and loving in New York City. It's 1967: the Vietnam War raging and the Age of Aquarius is dawning. Claude, his best friend Berger, their roommate Sheila, and their Tribe of friends struggle to balance the demands of the harsh and violent world with their dream for a more beautiful and peaceful world. When Claude receives his draft notice, he must decide whether to join his friends in resisting the draft, or bow to the pressures of society and his conservative parents, thereby sacrificing his ideals and, possibly, his life.
West Bay Community Theater is a North Kingstown-based 501 (c) (3) arts organization founded in 2018 by former members of Academy Players and North Kingstown Players in order to re-establish a community theater in the West Bay region of Rhode Island. In May, 2022, WBCT successfully presented The Great American Trailer Park Musical. A future home base is in the works in the heart of Wickford Village at the site of the Old Library on 55 Brown Street.
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