Our Review of HANDS ON A HARDBODY

I wanted to love this show, I really did. Hands on a Hardbody, now running at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre,has all my favorite ingredients in a new Broadway show: an American creative team telling a uniquely American story, a solid cast, brand new music with a country twang, an innovative concept, and a successful out-of-town run at La Jolla Playhouse. There is nothing else like it on stage in New York. However, this new musical stalls on many levels.

The show’s premise is interesting enough. Hands on aHardbody is based on the 1997 documentary of the same name that follows contestants in a cutthroat Texas contest to win a brand new Nissan pick-up truck. The group of tenmust keep one hand on the truck at all times; the last competitor standing takes home the truck, and with it, a whole new lease on life.

This contest brings together a wide range of eccentric characters, skillfully represented by a talented ensemble cast. I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to see actors of all shapes and sizes on stage- it is a story about “normal” Americans after all! Keala Settle as the Jesus-loving, gospel-singing Norma Valverde is the unquestionable stand out of the group. Settle’s earnest, joyful performance is only enhanced by her “knows no bounds” vocal chops. The woman can belt! Hunter Foster is almost unrecognizable playing the goatee-clad, arrogant, intimidating Benny Perkins who has already won a truck in the same contest last year. Foster’s vocal strength and stage presence anchorthe cast throughout the show. Allison Case and Jay Armstrong Johnson are delightfully awkward as the youngest competitors, dreaming of a more exciting life outside of Texas is in the song “I’m Gone.” I love Connie Ray in just about anything (any fellow fans of “TheTorkelsons” out there?), and she adds some much needed humor to the show as the struggling dealership’s marketing director. Honestly, there are no weak acting performances, just weak material.

Despite my affinity for country/pop music, I foundHardbody’s score, written by Trey Anastasio of Phish and Amanda Green, dull and forgettable. The one trueshowstopper is “Joy of the World,” the gospel song turned full cast percussion experience lead by the infectious Settle. I wouldn’t have minded a few more “Joy” moments myself. The lackluster songs come in succession one right after another with very little dialogue in between. Lucky for me, several songs had been cut from the show since the beginning of previews, keeping the run time to 2 hours 20 minutes (which still seemed too long).  The choreography (or should I say “car”eography, since almost all the numbers revolved around the bright red pick-up truck on stage) was just as monotonous. The car-eography was clever at first, but after an hour or so, I think we can ditch the truck for a few numbers.

Ultimately, I wanted to know more about each of the contestants, especially the ones who make it past the first day or so of grueling competition. Each character is written as a vague archetype: the Iraq-war veteran, the first-generation Mexican-American trying to pay his way through college, the mother of five with bills to pay, etc. Thus, I felt no emotional connection to any of the contestants. I didn’t really care who won the truck, which defeats the whole purpose of the show. I wanted someone to root for. Perhaps some extra visits from family members or boyfriends or bar buddies would have given the audience some more insight into the lives of these characters, but as written, the characters are not fully developed. And for a musical set in the parking lot of a Nissan dealership in Longview, Texas, there are very few light moments or joking to be had in such an absurd situation. Instead of jokes, Doug Wright’s book includes random and abruptpolitical commentary on everything from illegal immigrants to veterans’ affairs.

Overall, Hardbody was a nice try. I think it could have benefited from an off-Broadway run where the creative team could have streamlined the story and music numbers, but I’m glad an innovative American musical made it toBroadway nonetheless. The actors’ performances are stellar (again, Keala Settle is a force to be reckoned with), despiteweaknesses in the material. I really wanted to love it, butHands on a Hardbody never makes it out of the parking lot.

My Most Memorable Theatre Experiences: #4 HAIR

For five weeks straight in the summer of 2009 I played the ticket lottery for the Broadway revival of Hair almost everyday. It seemed that I would never win the ticket lottery, oddly enough I rarely lose Broadway ticket lotteries, so I heard about the standing room tickets and decided to go that route. Now I would never recommend standing for a Broadway show because I feel that it takes you out of the performance but for this show, it does the exact opposite. Because the cast members, or the tribe, frequently enter the audience and perform in the aisles, I felt like I was truly part of the performance. As I stood behind the last row of the orchestra, Alison Case (Crissy) gave me a flower and an invitation to a "be-in," Will Swenson (Berger) dove over me to get to the last row of the orchestra, and Darius Nichols (Hud) picked me up and carried me around when he made his Act II entrance.

I really didn't know what to expect when I saw the show for the first time, even though I had heard nothing but positive reactions and I really enjoyed the TONY awards performance. Because Hair is more of a concept musical than a traditional plot-driven show, I must admit that I had a bit of trouble following the story the first time I saw the show and it did not strike me the way I expected it would as I could not find a way to relate to the 1960s characters. Nevertheless I had a great time and loved the energy of the performance, especially when I got to go onstage during the finale dance party.

In the days following the performance, I could not get Hair out of my head and could not stop listening to the soundtrack. Then it hit me that Hair was not just about the 1960s, but rather it was about the power that young people can have when they are united as one. I have never really considered myself an activist but the message of this show, "Letting the Sun Shine In" seemed to relate so closely to many of the issues facing our nation today and I felt so compelled to do something with the passion I felt for this show.

The second time I saw the show on Broadway I was completely invested in everything the cast was doing and the composers were trying to say and I really "got it". When Gavin Creel, Hair's original Claude, began to promote the national march for equality in Washington DC within the Broadway community, I knew I had to be there. Going to the march on the national mall on October 11th, 2009 with all of my theatre friends was one of the most elating experiences of my entire life and it was on that day that I learned what it really meant to "Let the Sun Shine In".

During this time I was also working on my own creative project as a tribute to the youth movement portrayed so artfully in Hair. I was inspired to choreograph Levitating The Pentagon based on my research of the youth culture of the 1960s. While my piece was not meant to be a direct representation of what I saw and felt from Hair, I wanted to capture the show's community and self-empowerment themes in a different medium: postmodern dance.


I saw the Broadway production of Hair for a third time in May of this year with a new cast that was so much different than the original tribe while still maintaining the youthful energy and feeling of community. I was so happy to be back in the Al Hirschfeld theatre where I had been so inspired six months earlier, not only to create my own art, but to join a social movement. Seeing Hair with two friends who were new to the show was a particularly special experience as I again realized how magical this piece of art really is.

The Broadway production played its final performance on Sunday June 27th, 2010. While I, along with thousands of others, was so sad to see it go, I know that as this production embarks on its national tour it will continue to inspire new generations of starshines to become the change they want to see in their own world, whether that is in regard to politics, the environment, equality, or any other issue that they feel passion for. It began in Washington, DC on October 26th, 2011 and continues to spread love to all who are willing to receive it.

When the original production of Hair premiered on Broadway in April of 1968, it was revolutionary and when this revival opened in March of 2009, it compelled an entirely new generation of hippies to stand up for their beliefs the same way that their grandparents did in the 1960s. So I would like to thank James Rado, Gerome Ragni, and Galt MacDermot for having the courage to write a musical that challenged the status quo and Joe Papp and the Public Theatre for believing that theatre could inspire social change. You have taught us all that our differences make us beautiful and that we all possess, within ourselves, the power to change the world around us.

Yip Up the Sun: A Tribute to the Broadway Revival of HAiR

For five weeks straight in the summer of 2009 I played the ticket lottery for the Broadway revival of Hair almost everyday. It seemed that I would never win the ticket lottery, oddly enough I rarely lose Broadway ticket lotteries, so I heard about the standing room tickets and decided to go that route. Now I would never recommend standing for a Broadway show because I feel that it takes you out of the performance but for this show, it does the exact opposite. Because the cast members, or the tribe, frequently enter the audience and perform in the aisles, I felt like I was truly part of the performance. As I stood behind the last row of the orchestra, Alison Case (Crissy) gave me a flower and an invitation to a "be-in," Will Swenson (Berger) dove over me to get to the last row of the orchestra, and Darius Nichols (Hud) picked me up and carried me around when he made his Act II entrance.

I really didn't know what to expect when I saw the show for the first time, even though I had heard nothing but positive reactions and I really enjoyed the TONY awards performance. Because Hair is more of a concept musical than a traditional plot-driven show, I must admit that I had a bit of trouble following the story the first time I saw the show and it did not strike me the way I expected it would as I could not find a way to relate to the 1960s characters. Nevertheless I had a great time and loved the energy of the performance, especially when I got to go onstage during the finale dance party.

In the days following the performance, I could not get Hair out of me head and could not stop listening to the soundtrack. Then it hit me that Hair was not just about the 1960s, but rather it was about the power that young people can have when they are united as one. I have never really considered myself an activist but the message of this show, "Letting the Sun Shine In" seemed to relate so closely to many of the issues facing our nation today and I felt so compelled to do something with the passion I felt for this show.

The second time I saw the show on Broadway I was completely invested in everything the cast was doing and the composers were trying to say and I really "got it". When Gavin Creel, Hair's original Claude, began to promote the national march for equality in Washington DC within the Broadway community, I knew I had to be there. Going to the march on the national mall on October 11th, 2009 with all of my theatre friends was one of the most elating experiences of my entire life and it was on that day that I learned what it really meant to "Let the Sun Shine In".

During this time I was also working on my own creative project as a tribute to the youth movement portrayed so artfully in Hair. I was inspired to choreograph Levitating The Pentagon for my Fall Dance Works 2009 piece based on my research of the youth culture of the 1960s. While my piece was not meant to be a direct representation of what I saw and felt from Hair, I wanted to capture the show's community and self-empowerment themes in a different medium: postmodern dance.

I saw the Broadway production of Hair for a third time recently with a new cast that was so much different than the original tribe while still maintaining the youthful energy and feeling of community. I was so happy to be back in the Al Hirschfeld theatre where I had been so inspired six months earlier, not only to create my own art, but to join a social movement. Seeing Hair with two friends who were new to the show was a particularly special experience as I again realized how magical this piece of art really is.

The Broadway production received its closing notice a few weeks ago and played its final performance last night on Sunday June 27th, 2010. While I, along with thousands of others, was so sad to see it go, I know that as this production embarks on its national tour it will continue to inspire new generations of starshines to become the change they want to see in their own world, whether that is in regard to politics, the environment, equality, or any other issue that they feel passion for. It begins in Washington, DC on October 26th, 2011 and I will be there to see the love continue.

When the original production of Hair premiered on Broadway in April of 1968, it was revolutionary and when this revival opened in March of 2009, it compelled an entirely new generation of hippies to stand up for their beliefs the same way that their grandparents did in the 1960s. So I would like to thank James Rado, Gerome Ragni, and Galt MacDermot for having the courage to write a musical that challenged the status quo and Joe Papp and the Public Theatre for believing that theatre could inspire social change. You have taught us all that our differences make us beautiful and that we all possess, within ourselves, the power to change the world around us.