Hair at the Hollywood Bowl Review Roundup
(click photo for a link to a gallery of more official photos of the production)
This past weekend, Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley performed in Hair with a star-studded cast including Kristen Bell (Frozen), Sarah Hyland (Modern Family), Hunter Parrish (Weeds) and Mario (the original singer of that song with which Artie tried to seduce Sugar). Although rain and a very short rehearsal period challenged the actors, Jenna and Amber managed to get some of the best reviews in the show (although I am not entirely sure what a "pepper pot" is). Other Glee folk involved in the performance were Zach Woodlee and Adam Shankman (co-directors/choreographers) and Matthew Peacock (ensemble cast in Hair, assistant choreographer on Glee).
In attendance from the cast and crew were Kevin McHale (who dragged Variety for leaving Jenna out of the review), Jacob Artist, Becca Tobin, Heather Morris, Telly and someone who, in the spirit of letting one's hair grow, did not shave that day, delighting tinhatters everywhere when people not up on "CC Lingo" tweeted photos of him with his girlfriend and mentioned a "beard."
"Among the ladies, I was struck by how pretty Ushkowitz, Hyland, and Bell sounded in their respective solo ballads. I also want to point out how Ushkowitz in this show proves that she has been sorely underutilized to the fullest extent on Glee. HAIR not only showcased her already known vocal abilities, but it also revealed how wonderfully endearing and, wow, how much of an effortless comic actor she is! ...And speaking of Glee... those already familiar with the beautiful vocal stylings of Ms. Riley through her work on the TV series will not be disappointed by her musical contributions to HAIR. As expected, her impeccable riffs gave me chills throughout the show (and I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the audience members next to me who had to deal with my orgasmic convulsions every time she sang something)."- Broadway World
"Walker effortlessly wields the swaggering authority of a tribe leader - at 33 hippies, make that a platoon - among whom pepper pot Amber Riley of “Glee” stands out with, well, glee."- Variety
"Luckily, individual performances shine bright. As Dionne, Glee‘s Amber Riley initially seems uncomfortable on stage belting “Aquarius” at the top of the show, but she seems more in control by her second-act number “White Boys.” Riley’s Glee costar Jenna Ushkowitz, who appeared on Broadway in Spring Awakening, shines as pregnant pothead Jeanie, completely embracing her character’s wackiness."- EW
"Now that I've made clear that I'm hopelessly behind the pop cultural times, let me drop one last secret: I may be the only theater critic in America who hasn't watched a full episode of "Glee." Thus, I wouldn't be able to identify Amber Riley on a red carpet, but once she took the stage as Dionne for the opening number, "Aquarius," any resistance I may have had to this exercise in commercially packaged nostalgia fell away... In addition to Riley for her rousing vocals, the standouts in the supporting cast were Jenna Ushkowitz for her humorous, well-sung portrayal of Jeanie, Chamberlin for his comic work both in and out of drag, and Mario for his R&B electricity."- LA Times
"UNREAL"- Kevin McHale, who also tweeted this cuteness, confusing a lot of young Instagrammers who apparently think musical theater makes you pregnant in real life. At press time, the only things that can make one pregnant are the successful fusion of sperm and egg, and also Mr. McHale's singing voice.
Catch a glimpse of the performance here:
Click to viewMore video/full audio can be found at UshJenna and Amber Riley News!