Hair at University of Pittsburgh Stages: All the vibrancy redoubles the power of the lyrics’ anti-war refrain

I saw Hair at University of Pittsburgh Stages on Nov. 10 — a day when, the show’s joyous opening number notwithstanding, the world actually did not seem to be experiencing “the dawning of the age of Aquarius.” Indeed, for many, two days after the elevation of an ignorant demagogue to the presidency, something other than unbridled optimism loomed.

Yet this touchstone 1967 show — which certainly grapples with its own darkness — still resonates, and Pitt’s spirited production does help to call us back to hope.

Hair (book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, music by Galt McDermot) is an anti-war musical from the perspective of some New York City hippies. Scantily plotted, often scantily clad, it broke Broadway taboos on drugs, casual sex, race relations and more, all while spoofing parents, other authority figures and consumer culture. Pitt’s production, directed by Cindy Croot, features a massive cast of 30 (plus a five-piece rock band) on a stage dominated by scaffolding and tapestry projections.