Recently attended: Hair, rock musical

Mixed reactions to seeing HAIR last night. No criticism of the production, which was a first rate NY touring show from top to bottom. Very slick.

Yet Act One left me cold. A bit of nostalgia but it all seemed so dated and irrelevant. If alone, I would have left at intermission.

And missed a fantastic Act Two! Here the story engaged me. Here I was riveted in my seat. Why the different reactions?

I figured this out: act one is topical and act two is universal. All the issues in act one aren't issues any more. Act One used to shock. Used to feel liberating. Now it's, well, a little boring.

But Act Two focuses on war. Nudity and pot and hair length are snoozing issues today but war still matters.

In fact, watching the show, I decided that the quickest way to end the wars in the Middle East is to reinstate the draft. Reinstate the draft! For men AND women! How does this end the wars? By making them relevant again. Making them matter to most people. Today you can be against the war but pass it off as no concern, no personal concern, because it doesn't affect your life directly in an easily understood way.  When a draft notice comes in the mail, that's clear understanding. Reinstate the draft, the kids will return to the streets, the cops will overact and beat them up, and you'll have a mess that results in ending the war.

A curious play from today's perspective but act two is still powerful.