Word: bergeres
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...soldier (James Coburn), the gutless captain who schemes to ride to glory on the bravery of others (Maximilian Schell), the worldly colonel who copes philosophically with futility up and down the ranks (James Mason). There is also a side excursion to a military hospital with a comely nurse (Senta Berger) whose ministrations include hopping into bed with her patient...
...draft card or to march off to Southeast Asia. On a more fundamental level, it examines the relations between youth and the Establishment. Closer to home than the Vietnam War, the real battle occurs between the Hair tribe and its parents and teachers. Once Claude is drafted and Berger (Todd King) is kicked out of school, it becomes evident that the adults hold the upper hand...
...tribe is not a chorale of angels. Drury emphasizes this point at the beginning of the show, when the tribe insults and practically terrorizes the audience. These juveniles are not sweet, innocent, or even well-balanced; their parents' society has twisted them into self-centered bullies. Sheila (Ann Singer), Berger's much maligned and mistreated lover, carries Drury's message in "Easy to Be Hard." In this song, Sheila mourns Berger's misplaced priorities, since he only cares "about the bleeding crowd," not "about a needing friend." The nude scene near the close of the first act also effectively depicts...
Still another key to Hair's success is the strength of the two male leads, King and Comins. King captures Berger's dualistic personality, alternating between sneering malevolence and good-natured dynamism. His feeling for his fellow man constantly grapples with his vanity. A more sympathetic character, Comins is just starry-eyed enough for the visionary Claude, who pretends to be a native of Manchester, England, an alien from another planet, and Aquarius, destined for "madness or greatness." Comins' sublime voice is another asset; judging from his performance, it is hard to believe that he was battling a cold last...
Unlike the choreography, the setting and costumes show little imagination. Berger wears the compulsory red, white and blue flag shirt, and the entire cast is decked out in their most ragged blue jeans. Anti-war symbols and flowers abound; even the tie-dyed backdrop sports a large peace sign. But because the actors do not restrict themselves to the stage, instead mixing with the audience, the low budget scenery is barely noticeable...