Hair At State Theatre Entertains and Moves

Recently, we got the chance to check out “Hair” at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. We had seen “Hair” a number of times on Broadway and adored it. We were curious how it would pan out in a more localized environment. We have to say not only was it as entertaining as it had been on Broadway, but it was also just as moving. 

The State Theatre is a gorgeous, huge theatre that actually looks almost about the size of a Broadway theatre. From the get go our experience was good, with an extremely friendly staff who even escorted us to the bathroom when we asked where it was. They went above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. 

As soon as we took our seats, the first thing we noticed was that the set from Broadway was the same. This excited us, as we figured we were likely in for a similar experience. When the lights went down and “Aquarius” began, we knew it was going to be a fabulous night. 

“Hair,” in case you’re not familiar with it, tells the story of a group of hippies in the 60’s who are vehemently against the Vietnam War. When one of their core members gets drafted- and has an internal conflict of what to do- an interesting story un-rises. Oh, and of course there’s the famous nude scene that “Hair” has been know for since it’s Broadway debut in 1968 (although we must say it makes so much sense in the show and it’s for such a short amount of time it’s really not as much of a to do as people make of it). 

Highlights from the evening included “Hair” where the cast runs through the audience, “Electric Blues” the act two opener where the cast dances with members of the audience, “The Flesh Failures/Let The Sunshine In” which still remains one of the best closings in any musical we have ever seen, and of course the very end of the show where the audience is invited to come up on stage to dance and sing. 

The cast- while not as perfect as the Broadway cast- still put so much heart and soul into the show and it was clear they were bringing their all. They still managed to make this such an energetic, powerful evening, and for this they must be commended. 

Also, we again want to stress how great of an experience seeing something at the State Theatre was and that we hope to be back there soon. If you live locally to New Brunswick and see a show coming there that you may want to see- or missed on Broadway- DEFINITELY buy tickets. You’ll be sure to have a great experience!