End war before it ends you! Not something most of us thought would be resonating hard here in 2026. History doesn’t repeat itself so much as it rhymes with itself. And you can feel that rhyming resonance in all too relevant way raging through the talent at Small Town Stars Theatre Company’s production of Hair. Yes, that Hair, the one with the hippie-loving ‘be-in’ and the nudity at the end of Act I. It’s a part of life, definitely a part of the show, and in a world where rights are being stripped away from people who are simply existing, they’ve every right to be loud and proud about their nudity, the production, and living. Directed by Miranda Secula-Rosell, with Musical Direction by Amy Heikkinen, and Choreography by Abigail Weinel, this all-too-relevant musical is a ‘fun-freewheeling-feel-good folly’ right up until it’s a gut punch of reality.
Scenically the show is a jumble but I’m not about that. It’s the easy-breezy 1960s— specifically ’68. You’ve got scaffolding and detritus galore and it could be any city where protestors are decrying peace. Simple enough for Director Secula-Rosell, who is once again wearing a quintuplet of hats (not the least of which is directing, but also includes scenic designer, costume designer, producer, and intermission actor!) What makes the set feel special is the lighting design work of William Brown. Rainbow down-shoots stream down the backdrop curtains creating that acceptance vibe. The character of Berger is self-introduced as gender-queer and the lights and scenery do an excellent job of affirming acceptance in that vein. Secula-Rosell also serves are sartorial selectionist for the show and gets all those vibrant colors and patterns, albeit more in the verve of ‘a late 60s-early-70s aesthetic done with modernity in both budget and mind, in play. It engages the imagination to the time of bygone tye-dye, flowing garments and fashion-freedom. And the wigs are pretty on-point too.
Where the show hits some hiccups and bumps, minor though they are, is in the vocality and choreography departments. Abigail Weinel has some great dance routines that are really fun to watch and are executed really cleanly, too cleanly at times, in fact. The problem therein is that they feel rigid, a little ‘over-choreographed’ especially for the opening numbers which feel more like the movements ought to be free-styling and wild. Weinel does an extraordinary job, however, during both the titular number, with letting the ensemble go rogue with their head-swings, and during “Three-Five-Zero-Zero” where the staccato and jarring movements perfectly fit the message and overall emotion of that number. There are a lot of strong vocal performances in the production, under musical director Amy Heikknen’s lead. Some soloists have a better handle on tonality, vocal consistency, and overall sense of pitch than others, but nothing is so off-key or out of sync that it ruins the show. Some of the harmonies in a few of the group numbers sound imbalanced but for the most part when the company sings as one, it’s a good sound that carries with the feel of the song. The most impressive group vocal dynamic is in the show’s finale number, “The Flesh Failures (Let the Sun Shine In)” because of how raw and visceral the emotion is that carries those final words and notes. They nail the sensation of what has happened in that song sublimely and it sends shives up and down the spine.
The show is well-paced, moves easily from number to number, and ultimately it’s a strong show. It’s a bold, though not unjustified, choice that Secula-Roselll makes at the end of Act I with the lighting but it resonates and creates a really powerful moment for those on-stage and those in the audience. The fact that we’re living in a country where something like this, even just ten years ago wasn’t all that big a deal, but any day now could absolutely generate a warrant for arrest is something to consider. Also there’s a toilet seat on the stage that feels like it would like to live life as a bicycle and if anyone out there knows how to help that bidet live up to its fullest bi-wheeled potential, they could scribble that on the backside of one of the awesome protest-posters, which say empowering slogans like “Drop Acid Not Bombs!” and “Black, White, Yellow, Red, Copulate in a King-sized Bed!”
With a cast of 20 moving and grooving all over the stage as well as in and out of the house, you can catch the wave that you’re a part of the experience. With three quarters of the bunch being ‘named ensemble’ the cast features Jordan Wheeler, Phylicia Conley, Kendall Aronow, Collin Graham, Josh Franz, Alexandra Overby, Rebekah Chittenden, Manny Valle, John Spence, Zakiyah Grayson, Emehlia Nelson, Krystal Alexis, Sophia Basso, Monique Quinta, and Tim Beavers as members of the tribe. Playing the role of ‘Ronny’, Alexandra Overby gets the distinguished privilege of opening the show with the tribe as the soloist who leads them through “Aquarius.” You get to hear her bop along with her boisterous vocals during “Black Boys”, where she sings with Rebekah Chittenden and Sophia Basso. This number is immediately followed by the vocal powerhouse of Dionne (Phylicia Conley) and her two accompanying dancer-singers, Zakiyah Grayson and Krystal Alexis for “White Boys.” And you get a really fun song and scene with Collin Graham as ‘Margaret Mead’ standing opposite Hubert (Josh Franz) which brings the dirty ‘H’ word into play… you know, HIPPIE!
Jordan Wheeler as Jeanie, Kendall Aronow as Crissy, and again Phylicia Conley as Dionne get a lot of wonderful moments in the vocal spotlight all throughout the performance, and their breakdown explanations of who’s in love with whom are really fitting for the time period. There’s a quintet of ‘leaders’ of the Tribe, if you will, or at the very least— the leader, the focus, two other dudes, and a chic. It’s all very cozy and groovy, when you think about it. Woof (Mark McAlevey) gets everyone’s favorite cheeky song “Sodomy” and lays into it with that cheeky charm! And has a great explosive ecstasy over the poster of Mick Jagger. Hud (Darryl Warren) rip rolls his way through “Colored Spade” and “I’m Black” and puts a whole bunch of funky fun era appropriate dance moves into place.
The primary trio— or the heightened-focus love triangle evolves-revolves-devolves around Shelia (Olivia Winter) Claude (Michael Bauerlein) and of course the studly and sensational Berger, baaaabyyy (Chiamaka Nwokeji.) Winter’s Shelia is a screaming square, everything from the way she dresses to the way she moves. But she’s got really pretty vocals that alight well on “I Believe in Love” and the anguish painted on her face at the end of “The Flesh Failures (Let The Sun Shine In)” is harrowing beyond compare.
Bauerlein does a fine job of adapting that ‘Manchester’ sound both for his introduction of himself and that song “Manchester England.” Bauerlein really toes the neutral line of being Claude, uncertain as to what he really wants to do and watching him during that ‘bad trip’ sequence is really uncomfortable because he responds so viscerally. His haunting “Where Do I Go?” at the end of the first act really strikes a chord in the gut and keeps you on edge with that sense of ominous foreboding.
Berger, baaabyyy! Chiamaka Nwokeji is just owning that wildly unhinged character, living life and not being afraid of embracing the freedom such a character can bring. He’s got a striking voice, arguably one of the strongest in the production, a sensational sense of spatial existence and awareness, and just oozes authenticity in a way that would make everybody proud. Bauerlein’s Claude may sing “I Got Life” and live it authentically but it’s Nwokeji’s who’s got all the live and is living it all over the dang stage!! “Going Down” and “Hair” (though the latter is shared with Claude) give Nwokeji twice as many chances to shine vocally and physically. And the jack-knife, draft-card-burning leap during “Be-In/Where Do I Go?” is simply sublime!
I am Aquarius! (Not really, I’m Gemini) Destined for greatness! Or madness. And in the Tribe’s case…a little bit of both. Catch Hair with Small Town Stars Theatre company this weekend, for a little bit of greatness, a little bit of madness, a groovy-experience, and a rarely-produced-but-still-unfortunately-relevant musical.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes with one intermission
Hair plays through Sunday July 26th 2026 with Small Town Stars Theatre Company, currently in residence at the Carroll Arts Center— 91 W. Main Street in Westminster, MD. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance online.
