BWW Interviews: Steel Burkhardt, Berger in Hair at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, May 17 - 22.

Whether you're a flower child of the 60's or an Internet child of the 90's, it is likely that you have heard about the hit musical Hair, or at very least heard some of the iconic numbers from the show like "Aquarius" or "Let the Sunshine In." But regardless of how much audiences come to the theatre knowing about Hair, they leave having experienced something electric, powerful and unique. And leading the "tribe" is free-spirited and energetic Berger, everyone's best friend and resident "bad boy." When Hair arrives at The Fabulous Fox Theatre on May 17^th, wearing Berger's trademark loincloth and "long, beautiful hair" will be Steel Burkhardt, a veteran of five previous versions of the show. We had the chance to chat with Steel about the show, playing Berger, and baring your soul on stage in more ways than one.

BWW: Steel, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today. I am excited to hear about the show and I know our readers will be too. We are really looking forward to Hair in Atlanta!

Steel Burkhardt: Cool!

Let's start by having you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career. Specifically, how did you get into the theatre business??

I actually was following in my brother's footsteps. As a child he started doing shows, and I am five years younger and I kind of followed him. I started singing in the choir at school and that led to voice lessons, and my voice teacher was a professor at a local university and he got me into a show there. I playEd Jerome in South Pacific, when I was just a kid. So I continued doing that in middle school and high school, and then I got to the point where I was looking for colleges and it was the only thing I could imagine doing so I went with it. Right out of college, about three months after I graduated, I booked the Central Park concert version of Hair, I stayed with it for the full production in the park and became equity with the commercial transfer to Broadway, went to London and now I am doing the tour.

Before you got involved with Hair were you a fan/familiar with the show?

I actually did it in college for my freshman production and that was my first introduction to the piece. Now I am a tenured pro! I really didn't know much about it before then, at the time I knew some of the music, but not all of it. 

Let's talk about Berger. He is a bit of an enigma.  He really has no inhibitions.  Do you connect with him personally in any way?

I kind of wish that I had no inhibitions. He really doesn't see consequences to his actions, he just does things the way he wants to do them, he never thinks about the fact that this could be bad and he could get in trouble. But I play it like he is still a mystery at the same point. He is one of those guys who would probably be your best friend forever and people would ask, where did he grow up? And people would be like "I have no idea." Because he runs the conversation and runs the time you are with him. He probably knows everything about you but you know nothing about him.

And was this tour the first time you had the chance to play Berger or did you do that in any of the other productions?

Will Swenson who originated it on Broadway, he left the production in London after two months and when he left I took over. I did the show there with Gavin Creel and Cassie Levy, and from there I decided to continue doing the show and take it on tour.

So, what part of playing Berger do you like the most? What do you look forward to the most each night?

I am always a little nervous about the opening monologue. It really depends on the audience. I go to the front row, to certain people to do the opening. I hope they will be  playful and fun. If they are crazy or ridiculous, you can comment on that, but sometimes they are just not into it. I don't want to pick on them for that so I sometimes I zoom through the monologue and get to the show and get that going. So, that's exciting but also nerve wracking at the same time.

And speaking of the audience, I know for this show, you spend a lot of time interacting with the audience. Any interesting stories? People who really get into that?

During the dance party one time when we were in the park, in 2008, this woman towards the end of "Let the Sunshine In", she got naked. That was pretty cool. We have lots of stories of people who didn't really appreciate you coming up and playing with their hair, but we are always so sensitive to that. We want to make sure if people don't want us to touch them we don't. All you have to do is kind of shake your head or ignore us, we are not going to go to you. We are going to someone else. We don't want people to stay away because of that. It is playful, but if you don't want it we back away. For every person that doesn't want to be touched there's someone dying for you to play with their hair.

You have been part of Hair starting in Central Park, then Broadway, London and now on the road. I am curious if audiences react differently to the show in these differerent locations, especially on the road.

Yes, especially now on tour. On Broadway in the beginning you get  a lot of locals and people are eating it up. People who have lived and loved the show. People who have done the show themselves. Then after awhile you get a lot of tourists in the Christmas and summer months. You get some people who don't know the show, and they just come because it is a hit and won the Tony for a revival, and they come to the show and say "What?","What is this?" and some people think it is Hairspray. But then you have people who come across the continent to see it. In London we had people coming from Germany and Russia who had loved the show since they were younger and flew out just for this purpose, they would see the show four times in three days and go home. In America you get some places where it is extremely conservative, and others where the audiences are hippies and love and need the show, reacting, going crazy and dancing in the dance party.

In terms of the overall show itself, I was lucky to see the show for the first time on Broadway (last January) and really felt it was more of an "experience" that a typical show. Do you agree? 

Well, it is an experience. I think that is one of the reasons the Public producers hired Diane Paulus as the director. She was doing The Donkey Show, which was a very interactive experience. They got her because it is an experience. We are showing you our triumphs, our joys, our heartbreaks as hippies. Also, it is an experience through the music. The music Galt McDermot wrote and the lyrics that Jerome and Jim put down on paper.

So, I think I am obligated to ask about the nude scene. I am sure you get asked about it all the time. So let me ask it this way, tell us about the first time. Does it get easier? It really is such a powerful metaphor for baring your soul and being who truly who you are

I think it is a powerful metaphor. I remember one of the original cast members said this, and Cassie Levy said this as well. It is amazing that people have problems with the nudity and seeing a person naked, but they have no problem with seeing guns and violence. I think that is the reason why we do it. Why it is there. People are shocked by it, but not shocked by seeing coffins laid with the flag. But, it does get easier and the fact that we are all doing it together is what makes it easy. It's not like you yourself are getting naked in front of 2,000 people, it is you plus 20 other beings that you love and work with and live with. You are all together.

Let's talk about the tribe. I know every cast bonds or has a strong connection, but I understand that that it is particularly close with this show.

No matter what cast you get into, you will always walk away with one friend, one good friend, a best friend. I have done a couple shows, and I have walked away with a really great, lifelong friend, but with this show, I seriously feel like I am walking away with 30 – 40 close friends, and you feel like you are always there with each other. With Broadway alone, I built such strong relationships, because we went through so much. Especially with this show you really have to be comfortable with each other, otherwise it really doesn't work.  There are 24 people on stage who have to be comfortable together. You may not like everyone the same, but that's ok, that's real life.

So have you ever been to Atlanta/performed at the Fox?

No, I have never been to Atlanta, never been to Georgia. Looking forward to it.

So thinking toward the future, do you have a dream role that you would one day like to play?

I don't. I really don't. I hope something comes along and hits me in the head. But I am one of those people who floats around to whatever is next, so hopefully something comes along that looks good! 

Steel, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today. Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers?

No, just that we are excited to come to Atlanta!

 -

HAIR will play at the Fox Theatre from May 17 – 22, 2011 as part of the Broadway Across America – Atlanta 2010-2011 season. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. with matinees Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Tickets for HAIR are on sale now. Pricing starts at $18.00. Tickets can be purchased through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-982-2787. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.

Photo by Joan Marcus

 

 

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