Over the weekend, I saw HAIR on Broadway with my parents. HAIR was the first show my dad took my mom to when they first started dating in the ’60s. My parents were far from flower children, who are the main focus of the show, but they lived through all of the elements that make up the main story lines of the show. The musical is bringing these story lines back to modern audiences.

The show reflected the generational change in attitudes toward war between parents and children during the Vietnam War era. The main character, a high school student, struggled with many things that all teenagers struggle with, including appeasing your parents and finding your own identity, coupled with vast generational differences, the war and the reality of a draft.

My parents thought the show was well done. I felt that while the singing proved uplifting, the story line was still heavy. Themes ranged from recreational drug use to the burning of the draft card. The themes came through clearly. The audience was a great mix of people, from those who lived through the generation to people my age, locals and tourists alike. At the end of the show, everyone was on their feet, singing and dancing — especially the 100 or so people from the audience they invited to dance on stage!

After the show, my parents recapped how they lived through listening to my father’s draft pick on the radio and leaving their fate to a lottery. Luckily, my father was not picked in the draft, but my uncle was deployed overseas, but not to Vietnam. Today, they speak about it calmly, but I’m sure their nerves ran through them differently then. I came to a new understanding of the “flower power” generation after seeing the show. I can’t imagine the real-life scenarios of people burning their draft cards or the protests and riots that arose.

Whether you lived through the ‘60s or not, HAIR is another Tony award-winning musical that is a must-see your next time through NYC!

–Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher