One Mann's Opinion: Hair at the Palm Canyon Theater-Review

Kevin Mann recently caught the Sunday matinee of Hair at the Palm Canyon Theater, and it sounds like the "American tribal love-rock musical" is just as electric and provocative today as it was in 1968. Kevin highlights that while the show is famously plotless—focusing on a tribe of hippies navigating the Vietnam draft—this production thrives on the raw energy of its ensemble.

What Shines: The cast really goes for it. Noah Wahlberg (Claude) brings a soulful yearning to the stage, while Scott Clinkscales (Berger) manages to be the "free soul" jerk you can’t help but root for. JT Eberhard shines as well as Katt Atkins, Jackson Enzler, Stefon Martindale and Nicole Kennedy. From Heather Joy’s rousing "Aquarius" to Isabella Morrison’s heartbreaking "Easy to Be Hard," the vocal talent is clearly top-tier. Huge shout-outs to Luke Rainey's direction, the live band and Derek Shopinski’s spot-on 60s costuming.

The Reality Check: It’s not all peace and love; Kevin noted some opening-weekend sound glitches (which the theater is already fixing) and admitted that the non-linear structure can feel a bit disjointed if you’re used to the more cohesive movie version. He also reminds audiences to expect the "full Hair experience"—meaning drug references, graphic talk, and that famous brief nudity.

Ultimately, Kevin sees this as a beautiful time capsule. Seeing a local cast pour this much heart into a "sea change" musical for the pure love of the craft is exactly why community theater is so special.