Review: HAIR at Musicalfare At SHEA’S 710 Theatre

The psychadelic musical HAIR that put rock music onto the Broadway stage in 1968 may feel dated to some but that time capsule will always be fully recognizable. With such musical hits as “Let the Sun Shine In ”  and “Aquarius,” the musical that shows  hippies burning their green cards in New York’s Central Park in  protest of the Vietnam War,  has found it’s was to the Shea’s 710 stage in a spectacular hippie-dippie production presented by Musicalfare.


Galt MacDermot  wrote a score in the early 1960’s that is rough, melodic, sacrilegious and raucous that would eventually open the new Public Theatre in 1967  run by Joseph Papp. It would soon  move Off- Broadway and later to Broadway in 1968. The self  proclaimed “American Tribal Rock Musical” broke down barriers of social topics, sexuality, race relations, drug usage and on stage nudity. The  stage show went on to become a major motion picture in 1979 making Treat Williams a star. A 2009 Broadway revival directed by Diane Paulus had it’s roots again in a version that began at The Public Theatre in 2007. The book by Gerome Ragni and James Rado is often gritty and does not sugar coat the life of a group of drug using street teens who believed in free love, drugs, sex and rock and roll. 

 Alex Reiser as Claude is perfectly cast as the beautiful confused Polish boy who yearns for  a life of purity and innocence, but is torn by the pangs of the draft and his parents traditional American views. Reiser   sings with clarity and relishes every single body part in “I Got Life.” His inner demons are exposed as he sings “Where Do I Go” with raw emotions that brings Act I to a brilliant climax. 

 Nicholas Mastrodomenico as Berger is full of neurotic energy, sometimes to his detriment. His Berger is the Peter Pan boy who never grew up, and while this take often works, his frenetic speech often was jumbled. His singing was strong and when he joined with Reiser to sing the title song, the two sizzled with chemistry. 

Danielle Nodelman as Sheila sings  those lovely beloved ballads like “Easy to be Hard” and “Good Morning Starshine” tenderly in a calm contrast to much  of the rest  of the score. Her smooth plaintive delivery seemed tailor made for the role. It was easy to see why Berger and Claude would both fall in love with her. 

Jalen Dalton as Hud does fine work with some of the weightier race issues in the score, as he belts out the racially charged lyrics of “I’m Black/Ain’t Got No” and “Colored Spade.”

Lily Jones’ bold and brassy delivery of “Aquarius” had the audience electrified, as she belted that song emanating joy behind a large afro bedazzled with flowers and a rainbow colored bodice top. She truly was the physical embodiment of HAIR.

There are so many fabulous short numbers in the score that audiences look forward to, and the members of this tribe did not disappoint.  “Frank Mills” was sweetly sung by Emma Theriot, while “Air” was comically delivered by Stevie Lou Kemp. Aaron Gabriel Saldana as Woof  gets to deliver the oh so taboo song “Sodomy” to loosen up the audience’s ears, while  Bobby Cooke got his moment to shine in the drag role of Margaret Meade and effectively milked ever comic note out of “My Conviction.”

Jasmine Fiero, Andrew Giandomenico, Talia Rose Mobley, Brittney Leigh Morton, Kendric Warrick, and NJ Wingo IV make  up the rest of the fabulous tribe. They all play multiple roles while living an onstage love fest, a hashish party, a draft card burning party and any  other reason  to commune with each other and nature. This uber talented group are the picture of optimism without a care in the world.

Costuming by Kari Drozd is fabulously colorful with pops of color, low riding pants, fringed vests, crocheted tops, sandals and plenty of flouncy blouses. The all important hair and wigs by Susan Drozd are just what are called for, often adorned with flowers and hats.

Set, Lighting and Sound Design by Chris Cavanagh is bohemian at every turn with faded tapestries, Oriental carpets draped over multiple walls and platforms, and a large rear wall of warehouse windows. The onstage band  is tucked underneath a platform and sliding warehouse doors give an industrial edge to the playing area.

Director and choreographer Deeb Weaver, alongside Co-Director Alexandria Watts have  done excellent work that shows a constant swirling of action and focus without becoming distracting. Deeb Weaver’s free form dancing oozes liberation that only a beatnik would employ. The large tribe are nimble and living their best lives, while effortlessly extending arms, twirling in their own cosmic spheres, or united as a single being.

The fine band is led by Music Director Theresa Quinn and gives an edgy rock sound when called for, but also that airy mother earth winsome feel when required. The vocals among the entire cast were uniformly strong and well prepared, which is not always an easy task when they are often performing off the stage scattered among the audience. 

HAIR demands a youthful exuberance of optimism  to counter the darker reality of war, and this production beautifully captures those themes. The edginess is there in the story and the lyrics, and performers do the show great credit. HAIR is and  always will be an important piece of musical theatre history and American history. 

HAIR is presented by Musicalfare at Shea’s 710 Theatre through October 4, 2026. Contact sheas.org  formore information.