'Hair' at the Playhouse

On Oct. 12 the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre closes its 2019 Season with the iconic musical tribute to the 1960s, “Hair.” Running through Nov. 16, the play was written 50 years ago by Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot. With an infectiously energetic rock beat, the show explores ideas of identity, community and global responsibility. It celebrates a generation who loved peace, hated war and believed they could save the world. It also reveals the inevitable tensions between youthful convictions and the complexities of life and human behavior.

“The 1960s remain an iconic era even today,’ said Madison Mooney, Executive Director for the Long Beach Playhouse. “Hair is a celebration of the era. And now, as we look at it with 50 years’ perspective, we also see the timelessness of the themes and messages.”

It’s always tempting to reduce an era to the trappings that define it; the long hair, the bellbottoms, the beads and memorable refrains like “Make Love Not War.” Hair takes the trappings, wraps them around a story of two young men, the woman they love, hard choices and the realities of war.

“Hair is a show that seems easy on the surface,” said Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse. “But it’s not all brightly colored clothing and memorable songs – there are difficult friendships, heartbreak, family conflict and the ultimate price of war.

“I selected Rovin Jay to direct this show because he’s excellent at finding compassion for all of a story’s characters. He is able to find the truth and the beauty in the difficult situations. He directed two plays downstairs, Seven Guitars and Flight. I felt Hair needed the same sensitivity to humanity that he brought to those shows. I’m very pleased with the chemistry between the cast, the director and the story.”

Tickets ($14-$24) are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling (562) 494-1014, option 1.

Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre with programs and events that cut across age, gender, ethnic and cultural boundaries.