On Friday July 24, 2009 the cast of the Tony Award winning musical, HAIR went to visit Stagedoor Manor, the performing arts program to go to in America. Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore, Zach Braff, Jon Cryer, and Marni Raab all attended Stagedoor Manor when they were kids.

This generation of Stagedoor Manor campers were treated with HAIR cast members, including Andrew Kober and John Moauro as well as HAIR producer Andy Sandberg spending the day performing with the camp kids and taking part in a Q&A. Stagedoor Manor is currently under the direction of Cindy Samuelson, who had a lot to say about what it was like the day that Hair came to visit. “The kids were so excited! The cast of Hair was so generous and so giving of their time. They had such great interest in what the kids were doing. They were so animated and definitely loved seeing themselves in these kids from when they were young with their ambitions and dreams” Cindy said.

HAIR Producer, Andy Sandberg also had a lot to say, “It was a lot of fun. The cast gets such an enormous response at stage door every night but it was nothing like what we experienced there. The Stagedoor kids and the cast sang onstage together so it was cool to see. It was also cool to come back to Stagedoor and look at it from a different perspective as I was a student in the late 90s. I wish we could’ve stayed longer, we were on a tight schedule. It was inspiring for everyone.” Andy is the youngest producer involved with HAIR and has been involved since it transferred to Broadway. He also said, “What is unique about Hair is the cast energy onstage which is what resonates with the kids at Stagedoor. It is about being who you are and figuring out what your place is in the world…Hair is a show that celebrates that and it is what Stagedoor is about as well.“

About 290 kids from all over America come to Stagedoor Manor each session every summer. There are 3 sessions and many campers stay for more than one session. Casting is a 2 day process the first week of each new session, and 15 shows are put into production each summer. As for casting the students, Cindy had this to say, “Everything is taken into consideration when casting. We have the kids fill out forms of what they have been in already because we don’t want to cast someone in the same show again, even if they were a munchkin 10 years ago. We also take into consideration whether they want something dark, comical, more focus on tap or certain style of dance, working with the same director or switching it up…all of that is taken into consideration.“

Hollywood the Write Way was able to speak with 2 of the some 290 Stagedoor Manor students, Al Fallick from Texas and Leah Fishbaugh from Colorado. Neither has yet to see HAIR on Broadway but both have been attending Stagedoor Manor for quite some time now. Al’s dream role is Freddy Benson from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Leah has many dream roles in Hair, Wicked, and Cabaret. Regarding HAIR, Leah mentioned that the camp directors told the kids at lunch that the cast of HAIR would be coming to the camp and it was a big surprise to everyone. Regarding the cast Q&A, Leah said, “The main thing the cast said about being on Broadway is that you are tired all of the time. That was exciting for me because the thing about Stagedoor is that I come here for 6 weeks and when I go home I feel like I went to boot camp. It’s exhausting but it is more fun than anything in the entire universe.“

There is no doubt that the kids learned a lot from this incredible musical cast, but Al had this to add about HAIR in particular, “Everyone was so cool. It was great to see these people that were living my dream. It made it seem tangible. From them I learned that Hair is not about a bunch of hippies but it is about people who are free to be themselves.“

As for what’s in store for Stagedoor Manor… Mickey Rapkin is writing a book about Stagedoor Manor called “Theatre Geek.” It is slated to release in June 2010. Former campers are scheduled to come back and perform for the camp. The facilities will continue to be upgraded. Cindy mentioned, “Last year we took the indoor swimming pool and turned it into a theatre in the round. It worked beautifully.“

HAIR cast members, Andrew Kober and John Moauro talk about their experience visiting Stagedoor Manor below:

What was it like when Hair came to Stagedoor Manor?
Andrew Kober: It was unbelievable. It was like being The Beatles for an afternoon. We were invited by one of our producers, Andy Sandberg. The kids were so excited and so receptive to learning what we had to say. The dedication of these kids is just so exciting to see.
John Moauro: It was great. Everyone was so welcoming and excited for us to be there. We knew that we were going to do a Q&A but we didn’t know that we were going to get a tour, and really meet the kids, see their classes, and see them sing. It was a lot of fun.

Why do you think Stagedoor chose Hair out of all of the Broadway shows to come to the camp?
Andrew: Aside from one of our producers, Andy Sandberg being a Stagedoor Manor alumni, we’ve been reaching a younger audience every night. They are broadened by the message of fighting peacefully for what they believe in and of course the music is amazing,
John: They were doing Hair at the time that we came but also the message that Hair gives…right now it is that musical that is talking to this generation.

What do you have to say to those who want to be on Broadway whether they are at Stagedoor Manor or not?
Andrew: I didn’t go to any performing arts camp. You just have to be passionate about it. You have to embrace your failures and learn from your failures. Go out there to every audition and every class that you can. You also have to be patient about growing and learning and discovering what is right for you.
John: Follow your dreams and your instincts. Take one day at a time and cherish every moment that you are onstage. Take each moment as a learning experience and apply to each new job. Believe in yourself. It can happen!

Can you tell me about your audition for Hair?
John: I had just moved to NY 2 days before the audition for the 3 day concert version in September 2007. I had done Hair before and felt, why not try out, so I did and I booked it. I’ve been with Hair ever since. They called us again last January to do Hair in the park last summer and then 3 months later we were into rehearsals to transfer it to Broadway.

How do you cope with playing a woman and 2 different men every night? You do it fabulously!
Andrew: I call it wig acting. It happens so fast, I have to touch the top of my head to know which character I’m playing at any given moment. I spent a lot of time in rehearsal trying to figure out who each of these characters were and what their ambitions are. It takes a few minutes of technical costume changing and I take that time to re-center myself and remind myself who I am in that moment. I also have to make sure that I am physically and vocally set because each of the characters move a little bit differently and talks a little bit differently.

What was it like on Tony Award night?
Andrew: That was crazy! You do a full on performance the morning of the Tonys. You get into your hair, makeup, and costume at 7/8am and then do a full on performance. Then we had our own matinee back at the theatre and then we had a break right before the Tonys actually began. It was exhausting by the time the Tonys actually started. The opening number…our lead in was Liza Minnelli. During the performance it was wild because you look over there on stage and you see Dolly Parton and then you look over here on stage and there is Shrek. It was so wild. Then, they presented our category right after our performance. After the Tonys we had a big party, so it was the longest and most exciting day in my entire life.
John: It was crazy! That entire day was a blur because we started our day at around 6am and ended at 2:30am. It was such a whirlwind. The rehearsals were just as special as the awards ceremony. It was so nice to talk to Liza Minnelli and Dolly Parton when we were just standing there on stage during rehearsals. The actual ceremony was amazing. I was so excited when we ran onstage. Being able to perform on Radio City Music Hall stage, win the award for Best Revival, and everything that came after The Tonys…I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life.