A cast of 20launches into the musical with the right attitude, as Jivoff seems to haveinstilled the passionate openness of the era in the tribal ensemble. Many inthe cast are very, very young, which feels appropriate, but a lack of stageexperience sometimes causes the performance to waver. The production appearsvery natural as a whole, but look too closely at any one performer and there’sa chance that he or she might seem a little stiff.
Likewise, theoverall emotion of the work comes across, but the musical end of the show feelssomewhat uneven. The band had a tendency to drown out the singing on openingnight. Lyrics and dialogue are amplified in places that can feel synthetic.
For the most part,the actors in the two leads move fluidly between musical precision and rawemotion. Zach Woods brings charisma as Berger, both in lead vocals and indramatic momentsthis in spite of the fact that he wears a ridiculous-lookingwig. Ryan Stajmiger adds charm and empathy in the role of Claude, although theunevenness in the rest of the production threatens to compromise the impact ofhis fate.
Sunset Playhouse’sproduction of Hair runs through Aug.8.
