"Our eyes are open wide..."

Let it fly in the breeze
And get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas in my hair
A home for fleas
A hive for bees
A nest for birds
There ain't no words
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder
Of my...

Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it
My hair!

This year marks the 40th anniversary of first performance of the American tribal-love rock musical, HAIR.  My alma mater is putting on a production of it, but I'm hoping to see the show in New York.

I first became a fan of Hair as a child, listening to my dad's Boston Pops record which covered the musical's most popular songs.  Like most kids of my generation, I grew up very interested in the culture of the 1960s and 1970s and immersed myself in the music, clothing, books and other artifacts that would help me better understand the times. 

I've always wanted to see the musical Hair, and I've probably spent hundreds of hours singing along to the soundtrack in my bedroom.  And now, with the anniversary of the musical, I feel that it would be fitting to finally see a live performance.  I know that a production today will never be able to capture the full spirit of the original 1967 off-broadway performance—as that was a truly crazy time of war, rebellion, repression, expression…  But, I think that it will help me gain a better understanding of a masterwork that reflected some of the youthful dreams, hopes, fears, and ideals of my parent's generation.