The cast isn't at fault for limp 'Hair'

"HAIR," through July 25, Egyptian Theatre Company, 328 Main, Park City (435-649-9371); running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (one intermission)

PARK CITY — In the late '60s, with a country involved in an unpopular war and the draft forcing young people to make difficult decisions — or giving them no choice at all — the artistic community offered political music, art and theater to help deliver the message of discontent.

"Hair — The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical" was one of those.

The first "rock musical" opened on Broadway in 1968 and was controversial because of its anti-war message, treatment of the flag, profanity, lewdness, nudity and drug use.

The Egyptian Theatre Company just opened its production of the wartime show, responsible for popular songs such as "Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine" and "Let the Sunshine In."

Like with the recent revival now running on Broadway, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a musical, I sat in the theater on Friday night and just thought, "Who cares?" But that's not the fault of this production (more on that later).

As important as the message was in '68, it just doesn't translate to 2010.

The show feels dated and tired.

Though thoughts of peace, love and harmony should always resonate, the show's very loose plot about a ragtag tribe of free-lovin' hippies just leaves me wondering when it's time for intermission so I can get a snack.

Here's the problem, and a lot of this might very well fly in the face of popular theatrical opinion, but when people ask me about "Hair," this is what I'm inclined to say:

The problem is, the show's focus is on the music (of which many songs are just lists of things … "I got my hair, I got my head, I got my brains, I got my ears … etc.") and lacks any character development — or at least very limited characterization.

So, when "Woof" stands up and starts singing "Sodomy," you're smacked in the face with it — 'cause we don't know or care about Woof — rather than being interested in what this man has to say.