Peace, Love and HAIR!

If your general outlook on life abides by peace and love, head on over to the Eisenhower Auditorium at 7:30 on Friday when the musical “HAIR” brings its peace-loving story to the stage.

The rock musical centers on a group of young hippies (who could probably use some of Valley’s hair tips) living in the East Village in New York called the “tribe” in the wake of the Vietnam War.

“It’s true to that era of peace and love and the Vietnam War time,” says Laura Sullivan, marketing director for the Center for the Performing Arts. “It’s kind of Broadway’s historical look at that time frame.”

Political activism is quite present in the musical as the audience follows the journey and experience of these young flower children as they try to follow their own peaceful outlooks on life in such a turbulent time.

Though it sounds mature, this musical will appeal to all ages. For her, Sullivan says she remembers growing up and hearing the music present in the show. She says the musical is like a little bit of nostalgia for her.

She says the musical crosses generations. That’s thanks in part to movies’ portrayal of the 60s, which she says gives younger people (read: our age) a glimpse into what life was like during the decade.

“It just is cross-generational, and people seem to really enjoy the music and choreography, “she says. “It seems like it never gets old.”

The musical itself has been around for a while, first hitting a Broadway stage in 1968. But just because it’s older than most of us doesn’t mean it’s not something college kids can enjoy.

“I think [students] will like the bohemian feel that ‘HAIR’ has— it’s a free living, free loving, rock musical experience,” Sullivan says. “It’s like a concert but it’s a Broadway show.”

There are definitely some musical gems that students will recognize, such as its famous hit “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In” (which some may have heard in the Venus razor commercials) and others to look out for such as “Good Morning, Starshine” and the titular “Hair.”

The best part of the musical is that unlike others, this one’s message and story is pretty clear, which Sullivan says adds to its appeal.

“It’s not a musical where you have to sit and think and work things out, it’s just entertaining,” she says.

Photo credit: New York Times