Set to bare all as Hair comes to town

BARING ALL: Rotorua's James White-Hughes will strip down in Rotorua Musical Theatre's upcoming production of Hair. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Rotorua's James White-Hughes will bare all, along with about a dozen other cast members, in Rotorua Musical Theatre's upcoming production of Hair.

The controversial American rock musical set in the 1960s, with its messages of freedom, peace and love, will reveal plenty of skin, bare bottoms and will contain a 20 second full-frontal nude scene.

But that doesn't faze Mr White-Hughes, who said he was "perfectly comfortable" stripping down in front of hundreds of peering audience members for the scene, which was voluntary for cast members. "It [the nude scene] is actually the thing I'm least worried about," he said.

"I mean I'd be worried if when I'm naked, I got booed off the stage, but let's hope that doesn't happen. And let's hope it doesn't get too chilly either."

Mr White-Hughes said he was thrown in the deep end when his wife signed him up to audition for the show, without telling him until a few hours before his audition.

He hasn't looked back since.

"It's a fantastic show to be a part of, there's some amazing ballads and the cast is great. The show's going to be like a psychedelic rock concert."

Director Richard Marshall said the musical was about more than the much-talked about nude scene.

"Often when people think of the musical Hair, they think 'that's the show where everybody gets naked', but it's so much more than that. It's set in a crucial time where things were changing, especially people's attitudes and thoughts about issues like war and conscription, civil rights, human rights and sexuality," he said.

"The show really is a timeless portrait of a movement and an era that changed the world."

Mr Marshall said the show featured about 51 songs, including popular tunes like Aquarius, Let the Sun Shine In, Good Morning, Starshine and Easy to be Hard.

Mr Marshall said the show was not to be missed and assured audiences that the nude scene would be "tastefully done" with minimal lighting. "The show will see months of hard work, wonderful costumes, great songs with an equally great band all come together in one amazing spectacle.

"Get in quick for tickets."

Hair will open at Casa Blanca Theatre on Friday and will run until May 31. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, www. ticketmaster.co.nz. For more information go to: www.rotorua musicaltheatre.co.nz.