Hair Extension

Considering all the legit reviews were raves (except the old dude from Bloomberg, links to the raves below), and all the bloggers reviews are raves (at least the bloggers I read, though I'm not sure who the haters are on the NYTimes Reader reviews), Hair in the park is THE thing to see this summer (assuming everyone's already seen The Dark Knight).

So thankfully, The Public Theatre announced another extension today where Hair will play at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park New York for an extra week until Sunday September 7th 2008.

So what are you waiting for? Go see the best musical I've seen this year, and one of the two best theatrical productions I've seen this year (and will probably remain in the top spots for my end of the year wrap up) (On a side note, don't forget to buy tickets for Black Watch at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn for its fall return engagement. Not to sound overly dramatic but it was the best play I've EVER seen).

I also realized that Jonathan Groff has now been in two of my favorite musicals ever. My new discovery of Hair and my first awakening in Spring Awakening. Sadly, he will still be leaving after this weekend as previously announced (Christopher J. Hanke will play Claude after that) so that he can join an AMAZING cast in Ang Lee's new movie about, strangely enough, Woodstock. The hippie revolution continues. This is exciting news for Groff's career which is on the up and up! Ang Lee is my FAVORITE director (think about it, who can go back and forth from such diverse movies like Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, The Wedding Banquet, Eat Drink Man Woman, The Hulk, Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) so having Groff land a part in Taking Woodstock with Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix), Liev Shrieber, Emile Hirsch, Mammie Gummer (Meryl's daugther), Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy), Eugene Levy, Demetri Martin (the funny funny comedian), other Broadway vets Kevin Chamerlin, Dan Fogler, and Henry Goodman is super rad!

On Spring Awakening news, the full cast for the National Tour has finally been officially announced with current Broadway cast members Blake Bashoff (Lost), Canadian Kyle Riabko (Instant Star), and Matt Shingledecker going on the road. Interesting note: Steffi D got the role of Ilse and I can't see that at this point since Steffi D might be slightly known to Canadians as a Canadian Idol contestant from Season 4. She was always eccentric but not in the Ilse way but maybe she's a good actor. Let's hope! Can't wait for the tour to stop by Toronto!

For my full review of Hair and all the ways to get the FREE tickets, go here or I repeated the ticket info below.
For my full review of Black Watch, go here.

Here are the reviews for Hair from the big papers:

New York Times is Positive.
Theatremania is Positive.
AMNY 4 out of 4
Variety is Positve.
The New York Observer is Positive.
NY Sun is Positive.
Newsday is Positive.
NY1 is Positive.
New Jersey Star Ledger is Positive.
The Associated Press (via Canada's Macleans) is Positive.
NY Post 3.5 out of 4
New York Magazine is Positive.

Tickets are available (legally) in three ways. (Four if you count the standby line)

1. Make a $165 dontation as a Summer Supporter and get a ticket. (Make a $165 tax-deductible contribution and receive a reserved seat to Hair. These reserved seats are only available for a limited time to ensure that the highest number of free seats are available for the general public on the day of the show.)

2. Line up for free tickets in the park.
IN CENTRAL PARK ONLY THIS YEAR.
Pick up your FREE tickets to Shakespeare in the Park on the day of the performance beginning at 1PM at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The closest entrances to the Delacorte are at 81st Street and Central Park West or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue. There is a limit of 2 tickets per person.
Public Theater staff will begin monitoring the free ticket lines before or by 8:00AM on performance days. The line monitor will explain and enforce the procedures and policies regarding ticket distribution. Such policies were designed to maximize fairness for all fans of Shakespeare in the Park.

• No cutting, jumping, or saving spots in line is permitted. The entire party must arrive together.
• If you leave the ticket line for any extended period of time, for any reason, you will forfeit your place in line
• You must line up along the path designated by Shakespeare in Park and The Parks Department
• Any disagreements about the order or policies of the ticket line will be settled at the discretion of Public Theater management.
• Tickets will be distributed starting at 1:00PM, on performance days.
o Maximum 2 tickets per person
o Subject to availability
• Public Theater management makes every best effort to ensure fair and equal treatment for everyone on the line and has the right to remove any persons who disrupts or negatively affects other patrons’ experience on the lines or in the audience.
• Public Theater management has tried to anticipate all foreseeable situations that require line policies but may need to occasionally issue rules not specified here should an unusual situation arise.

3. ONLINE
While the majority of free tickets for Shakespeare in the Park are distributed via the free line at the Delacorte Theater, a limited number of tickets will be available the day of each performance online. Specific locations for senior and handicapped accessible seats are not available through the virtual ticket line.

Register anytime at PUBLICTHEATER.ORG and then log on between midnight and 1PM on the day of the performance you want to see to submit a request for up to two tickets. You must log-on again between 1PM-6PM to see if you have been selected to receive a pair of tickets. People are chosen at random, not in the order requests are received.

Tickets will be held at The Delacorte Theater Box Office under the name that you used for registration. Pick-up will begin one hour prior to curtain. Tickets not picked up by 1/2 hour prior to curtain will be released to the stand-by line. VALID PHOTO ID OF PERSON WHO REGISTERED/SIGNED IN IS REQUIRED.

Apparently there are only about 50 - 100 tickets available online though and it is harder than you think.

4. STAND-BY CANCELLATION LINE - Any unclaimed lottery tickets or returned tickets will be distributed before the show. It can be at any time but usually happens at about 7:55pm up to 8pm and depending on the day, can be very few tickets or a lot. (Usually days that looks forecasted to rain have more tickets available). I would say start lining up at the theatre around 6pm or 6:30 pm at the latest. Tickets are 1 per person and if you are in groups of 2 or more, the tickets may not be guaranteed to be together.

WARNING: Rain Policy
In the event of rain the start of the performance may be delayed. However, the production will be performed if and when it is possible to do so. If a performance is canceled due to rain or any other reason, tickets are not valid for re-issue or exchange.

WARNING: Ticket Policy: HAIR tickets purchased from unauthorized sources (e.g. Craigslist, eBay, and other resale venues) may have been lost, stolen or obtained improperly. The Public Theater/ Shakespeare in the Park has the right to deny admission to the holder of these tickets. Any ticket purchases from unauthorized sources are at the buyers’ own risk and do not guarantee seats at a performance.