SALAMANCA, N.Y. — The Cattaraugus County Living Arts Association has announced its February production of the tribal love rock musical “Hair.”
Auditions will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 20 and from 6 to 9 p.m. on both Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 at the Ray Evans Seneca Theater, 10 Main St., Salamanca. Actors should wear comfortable clothes for a movement session, as well as be ready to read from script and sing a prepared selection from this show or others.
A large, ethnically-diverse cast is needed, mostly of people in their late teens to early 30s, and a few older actors are needed as well. Musicians are also being sought, specifically a guitarist, woodwinds and brass.
Director Todd Wagner notes that this production will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the musical. “In 1967, this musical captured the essence of the cultural and political movement that became known as the hippies. “Hair” is to the ’60s what “Rent” is to the ’90s,” Wagner stated. “And, we’ll work to make this a genuine and realistic production like we did when we did “Rent” a few years ago.”
The musical centers around “The Tribe,” a group of East Side youth in New York City who band together not only to face the normal challenges of growing up, but also to question authority, the war in Vietnam and pretty much everything the older generation stands for. Playful in their childhood innocence, they eventually find that the events of the day — war, conscription and discrimination — can impact them deeply, stripping them of their innocence, but not stripping them of their yearning for Peace, Love, Justice, Freedom and Happiness.
The story is told through song vignettes with very little dialogue in between. Some of the iconic songs from the 33 pieces of music in the show include “Aquarius,” “Easy to Be Hard,” “Let the Sunshine In” and the title track, “Hair.”
