[Mb-hair] London Gate Theatre adaptation of Hair (SPOILERS!)

[richard haase]

but i applaud the gate with both hands and feet for the attempt
as i have said repeatedly for myself as an auteur
should i be fortunate to direct a second production of HAIR
i would definitely elect to update
my production would take place now
no question
or actually perhaps the near future
?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "richard haase" <hotprojects at nyc.rr.com>
To: <mb-hair at islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 1:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Mb-hair] London Gate Theatre adaptation of Hair (SPOILERS!)


> the trick in adapting
> is when you have something like hair of the finest quality
> the adaptation must be of the finest quality too
> if not the disparity sinks the attempt
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Sean Courtney" <dauber at banana-and-louie.org>
> To: <mb-hair at islandlists.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 1:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [Mb-hair] London Gate Theatre adaptation of Hair (SPOILERS!)
>
>
> > First of all, welcome to the list, Toby!
> >
> > Quoting Toby:
> >
> > >> Hud is now a woman - with a spectacular voice and buckets of
> personality.
> >
> > I think the only requisite for Hud is that Hud be black -- I know that
> > UNC-Chapel Hill had a female Hud in 1996, mainly I think due to a
shortage
> of
> > male black actors.
> >
> > >> Some of the most heavy-handed stuff comes during several music-less
> spoken
> > >> comedy sequences featuring caricatures of George Bush and Condoleeza
> Rice in
> > >> a gameshow environment. These are the worst scenes and, though a few
> cheap
> > >> laughs are raised, they seemed to drag by comparison to the song and
> dance
> > >> sections.
> >
> > Hmmm...sounds like something stolen from Jay Leno!
> >
> > >> In retrospect, I'm fighting to some degree against my love of the
show
> as a
> > >> whole and the movie in particular. But I think that classics like
Hair
> (yes,
> > >> Hair has acquired that status, and the sold-out nature of the Gate
run
> > >> confirms that) should be open to re-interpretation and I applaud the
> Gate
> > >> for giving it a go. My reservations are due to the fact that I don't
> think
> > >> some of the interpretations make a lot of sense; some are
inconsistent,
> some
> > >> are irrelevant, some are just too obvious for their own good.
> >
> > You know...I cringed when I read other reviews of that production, but
the
> way
> > you describe it, it sounds like the rewrites and updates were EXTREMELY
> > well-done with lots of thought, kind of like what it might be had Jim
> > and Gerry
> > written it today. However, if I go to a Hair production, I expect it to
be
> the
> > one we all know and love. I'd be disappointed if I were surprised with
an
> > updated version. BUT -- if I knew in advance it were updated, I'd be
> > interested.
> >
> > -- 
> > dauber at banana-and-louie.org
> > AIM: ddaauubbeerr
> > blog: http://scattered-frog.blogspot.com
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Mb-hair at islandlists.com
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>
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