onstageTampa: Any cool story about how you got attached to HAIR? Did you audition for it; were you approached for it?
Josh Lamon: Well, it's kind of funny. I was doing Little Shop of Horrors at the time, an my agent called me and told me they wanted me to go in for it, and at first I turned down the audition. I mean because the show was such a hit and was in the park; it was coming to Broadway and they were looking for swings. You know, swings are normally dancers, and I'm not really a dancer. There was that aspect and from my mind I'm not some young, twinky thing with crazy hair. I'm balding, I'm a character actor; I just didn't want to waste anybody's time. So I turned it down, and they called me back and said they really want to see me. So, I went in and sang 32 bars of a song and literally didn't give a crap. Then a couple of weeks later, there were the final callbacks and there were 50 of us in the room for a total of 5 jobs, and it was crazy. It was like a dance off except it was more a hippie-off. It was a battle. I left there, went home, and I got the call the next morning.
onstageTampa: As I'm sure you know, HAIR is an iconic show. The show has been around for forty-plus years, there's been different ways they've done it and such. But, the further we get away from the time, the references are meaning less and less to the people of my generation and people who are younger and coming up. What do you think it is about the show that keeps people coming to it even though we're further away from the 60's and the free love movement?
Josh Lamon: Because I think it all still resonates today, I really do. I mean, the beautiful thing about the history of the show is how a generation cared so much that they made a movement, a change, they helped stop this war. Granted it's not the same right now, but our world is, you know, we're in so much turmoil right now. With everything, with our own country between Republicans and Democrats, our government and their involvement with the rest of the world. And with this War or Terror in 2011 they did talk about doing a draft. I think if they would have done the draft, then the war would have never happened.
The show is important because it teaches people of our generation and younger that it is important for us to have opinions, fight for those opinions, and believe in our opinions. And that believing in those things is patriotic.
onstageTampa: What do you hope people take away from the show, even though they may not know who LBJ was or understand things of the times. I know you touched on that briefly, but is there anything else that you hope people take away from it?
Josh Lamon: Well, most importantly the show at the end of the day is about love. And I hope people walk away maybe judging a little bit less, maybe a little bit more open to other people who are different from them. It's like at the dance party at the end of the show, one of the beautiful things is seeing strangers hug each other and dance together. I think the show brings that kind of element out in people and they can walk away with that. I hope that it also teaches people, from our generation to younger not to forget the history of what happened and how important it is to learn from our country's past mistakes.
onstageTampa: For however long you're going to be on HAIR, what's next for Josh Lamon?
Josh Lamon: I don't know. There's a lot of stuff in the works, but right now I'm really happy with HAIR. It's the longest I've been with a show.
onstageTampa: Because you were with it on Broadway and you're on tour now correct?
Josh Lamon: Yeah, I've been doing it for two and half years I guess, altogether. So we'll see what happens next.
onstageTampa: Do you have any predictions for the Tony's this year?
Josh Lamon: Yeah! I mean, I don't want to come off as a jerk, but the Tony's are not necessarily a popularity contest as much as it is a publicity contest. Book of Mormon is going to win everything. War Horse is going to win everything. As far as actors I think Josh Gad is going to get it.
Here's what I think about the Tony's this year. In the past years I've been disappointed. This year I'm thrilled with the Tony's, because for the first time in a long time, they have taken shows that aren't running anymore and they're recognizing and celebrating the great work that it is. That to me is what the Tony's should really be about, and unfortunately the Tony's aren't always like that.
onstageTampa: Josh, do have any thanks or plugs you'd like to shout out?
Josh Lamon: Watch Touring with Josh and Allison, it's a lot of fun. And follow me on twitter.
I want to thank Josh Lamon for taking a few minutes out of his day to talk with me about time with HAIR, the Tony's and everything in between. Be sure to catch Josh in HAIR in Tampa this week and be sure to continue supporting the arts in whatever capacity you do.
Music of the Post - Chorale and Shaker Dance
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