Reviews of HAIR
Critic Reviews
"This concert-like musical had the audience whooping and clapping ... Overall, HAIR is a huge amount of fun." —BroadwayWorld
“A delight for the senses.” —ShoutOut
“…this boundary-breaking show manages to tackle incredibly heavy content with a sweetness and joy that should feel incongruous but doesn’t.” —PDX Parent
“It’s a huge, joyous collective energy lift.” —Oregon ArtsWatch
"A gifted cast sings new life into the anti-war Vietnam-era musical" —Portland Mercury
"The connections between 1968 and 2023 are loud and clear." "{HAIR} embodies an aching hopefulness" —Willamette Week
Wigmaker, Jes, helps HAIR weave its own hirsute world at Portland Center Stage. —The Oregonian, interviews Jessica Miller, wig designer of HAIR
Audience Raves
"So glad we saw this. One of my favorite theater experiences ever. 👏👏👏"
"HAIR was 🔥, go see it."
"There's a reason I am still here- this show reminded me of it."
"So hopeful and full of love."
"Loved everything (except my husband's singing)."
"Exceptional!"
"Captured the essence of the first. So well done!"
National Reviews
“HAIR never took itself too seriously, but as the first of many rock musicals to come, it wormed its way into our permanent consciousness. And its anthems became part and parcel of its generation.” –BroadwayWorld
“Their musical perfectly captured the counterculture’s utopian dream. Our grim decade seems ripe for revived hippy happiness. HAIR is back — and alive and kicking.” –Your Observer
“HAIR is celebratory. It’s also satirical, fast-moving, a little raunchy. HAIR conveys its characters’ complicated lives in a unique way.” –Chester Telegraph
Triumphant, glorious, and breathtaking! Hair is a musical for the ages because it's a musical for the now." –New York Post
Tune in, turn on, and be prepared for an exhilarating ride. Hair is transcendent, with a scrumptious rock-candy score and a flawless cast!" –USA Today
“Before cell phones, the internet, and alternate forms of digital communication invited people to text and talk on a computer screen as an alternative to seeing someone in person, Hair highlights the value of in-person camaraderie, especially when things seem to be falling apart. Set in war-torn 1968 and focusing on a tribe of hippies that could possibly be drafted, emotionally and physically holding onto each other helps them cope in a world gone mad.” –The Sleepless Critic
“Sexual freedom and the courage to resist cultural norms exhilarate this tribe of hippies, draft dodgers, drug takers, interracial lovers, protesters, and free-love advocates.” –Seven Day SVT
"Raucous, powerful, exuberant and achingly timely, Hair finds a modern pulse of fury and hope." –Newsday
Current & Upcoming
NASSIM
From Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (creator of the Off-Broadway smash hit White Rabbit, Red Rabbit) comes an audacious new theatrical experiment, presented in collaboration with Boom Arts. Each night, a new, unrehearsed local performer joins the playwright on stage, while the script waits, unseen, in a sealed box... Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, NASSIM is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us.
Coriolanus
Shakespeare’s tragedy about the war hero Coriolanus and the fight between the elite and the deprived masses will be fueled by a dynamic female and non-binary ensemble with a muscular, movement-focused staging.
Pre-Show Music with Chera Chera
As part of BIPOC Affinity Night for Coriolanus at 1:00 p.m. and for NASSIM at 6:30 p.m., join us for a pre-show music performance for both matinee and evening performances featuring Chera Chera, blending Iranian music and Farsi lyrics.
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Improv Comedy: Love, Shakespeare
Witness the Magic of Unscripted Shakespeare! Step into the offbeat world of Love, Shakespeare, where seasoned Portland comedians attempt something audacious: performing a fully improvised Elizabethan play based on your suggestions!
Piano Bar with Courtney Freed and David Saffert
Join us for this monthly event with local songstress Courtney Freed and Portland-based pianist David Saffert as they host a good old-fashioned PIANO BAR.
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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