At last year's American Stage in the Park production of Altar Boyz, as I innocently sat in the "front row" of the lawn, sipping cheap wine and eating Cheez-Its, one of the holy boy band members himself pulled me onstage (to both my honor and humiliation) and serenaded me with "Girl, You Make Me Wanna Wait." Unfortunately, there's video. Fortunately, it's that kind of spontaneity that makes live theater in Demens Landing so damn fun.
This year's production of Hair is a perfect choice — for reasons political, social, and most of all, musical. Who can resist the story of America's tumultuous '60s — told by a group of young East Villagers dealing with war, race issues, and most of all, the stigma associated with long hair, man — via songs like "Aquarius," "Let the Sunshine In," and the shaggy-headed anthem, "Hair." Plus, tonight and tomorrow offer pay-what-you-can admission, and leashed pets are invited to tonight's show. (Pictured, L-R: Jonathan Hack, Alison Lea Bender, Clint Harris, Aleshea Harris, Luerne Herrera, Laura Hodos and Dick Baker) April 21-May 16, 8 p.m. Weds.-Sun., Demens Landing Park, corner of First Ave. N. and Bayshore Blvd. SE, St. Petersburg, $11-$16 lawn seating, $21-$27 reserved seating, pay-what-you-can April 21-22, americanstage.org. —Franki Weddington
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2010.