nonsensical fun

seems peculiar for the sometimesuptight McGill crowd. Director Abi Sanie clearly attempted to adapt the show for a modern audience. She prioritized a diverse cast and removed specific numbers to ensure that all characterizations remained comfortable and appropriate.

But Sanie did not sanitize the script entirely, so several lines have a significant woke-for-the-60s-butnot-anymore feel (i.e. the song about the sixteen-year-old virgin, and another that references races using colours). While this carries a certain distaste, it also correctly represents Hair’s position as a historically progressive, vulgar, unrelenting representation of counterculture— one that has become dated over time. Sanie maintained the musical’s characteristic obscenity, refusing to alter the frequent references to sex and drugs. The message is political, but also silly and fun, delighting in its own whimsy and nonsense.

Altogether, the cast and crew at AUTS have done a fantastic job with a production as entertaining as it is offbeat, complete with wonderful musical and dance interludes.

Hair ran from McGill’s Moyse Hall from Feb 2-4. Read more about the cast, crew, and orchestra at the AUTS website.