Since first opening at the Public Theater in 1967, Hair has been associated with free-wheeling flower children, LSD trips, and its radical anti-war nude scene. The musical dove headfirst into the ramifications of the Vietnam War and deep political and cultural unrest. Sound familiar?
Nearly 60 years later, Hair remains both powerful and prescient. The score by Galt MacDermot, with book and lyrics by its original co-stars Gerome Ragni and James Rado, is packed with hits that transcended the stage.
A good production of Hair will inevitably entertain. But a great production will both break your heart and put it back together. Kokandy Productions’ revival nails both.
It wants better content.
What, if anything, do we owe our country?
It’s the late 1960s, and Claude (Gavin Rhys) has just received his draft card. Claude’s hippie pals continue their blissed-out summer, but even those who gleefully burn their cards can’t ignore the outside world, where young men are sent away, returning with debilitating trauma if they come back at all. Does Claude have an obligation to serve his country?
Hair is constantly produced for a reason. War is still a fact of life, basic human rights are threatened daily, and the struggle for democracy remains.
Director and choreographer Brennan Urbi skillfully stages the production in the round, with Eleanor Kahn’s colorful set rife with scribbled entreaties to “Make Love Not War.” (Audience members are encouraged to add to the graffiti during intermission.) What may look like spontaneous gyrating actually requires meticulous thought. Urbi’s attention to detail creates an immersive environment that lures audiences into a world on the verge of tipping.
Standout performances include Zac Richey’s Berger, who begins the show with a saucy striptease and ends it with a mournful resolution to let the sunshine in; Chosen Mitchell, whose powerhouse vocals make “Age of Aquarius” one for the theater history books; and Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, as a committed activist angered by her partner’s oblivious neglect.
Kokandy’s Hair is unmissable, blending flower power nostalgia with a rallying cry for a better world. Utopia may still be out of reach. Kokandy makes the case for trying anyway.
Is ‘Hair’ worth seeing?
From joyful beginning to heartwrenching conclusion, Kokandy’s intimate season opener is, to quote its protagonist, “genius genius.”
- Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago
- Notable performers: Joshua Emmanuel, Chosen Mitchell, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Zac Richey
- Running time: Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission
- Performances through September 13, 2026
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