Hair, the first rock musical, ran originally for four years and has since played all over the world. Billed as "The American Tribal Love Rock Musical," it flourished during the time of Vietnam and the "Flower Children." The show looked for a way to tie all the conflicting messages in late 1960s society together: the war, the drugs, the assassinations, the youth culture, protest, and rock and roll. The writers, Jerome Ragni and James Rado, found their vehicle in this almost operatic story whose main messages were love, compassion, peace, and understanding.

Hair has been mounted by many groups since then, both amateur and professional, and is a favorite with colleges and high schools. No production I have seen comes as close to resurrecting the spirit of this now iconic musical as the current production at The Met Theatre in Hollywood. Other productions have always seemed to me pale copies, with kids playing dress-up with little or no understanding of the angst of the late sixties. With the Iraq war going on with no end in sight, and the loss of freedom and sense of safety in the country as we have seen our prestige around the world dwindle after 9/11, the spirit of protest is once again with us. I see this current production as a wake-up call, and once again it is rock and roll that sends the message.

The Met is a strong company of actors with many past successes. Membership in The Met or any other 99-seat theater company in LA is like being part of a tribe that, while it may have no money and little prestige in this "company town," has something to say. As a member of that community I found the experience of seeing The Met's production of Hair gratifying, and it made it me proud to be part of the huge but largely unpaid theater community in LA.

The performances were excellent, with just enough roughness around the edges to feel authentic. Lee Ferris, as Berger, makes a great touchstone for the evening. He has just the right rebellious spirit and a voice to knock your socks off. Jordon Segal is very funny as Bam Bam, as is Sara Mann (the understudy) as the political activist Sheila; she has several of the show's great tunes and is an excellent singer. Trance Thompson is a powerful presence as the Black Militant Hud, and Joanna Anderson sings a lovely rendition of "Frank Mills." Actually there's not a weak link in the bunch - every time a new person stepped into the spotlight I was very impressed with his or her abilities as a singer and/or actor.

Bo Crowell, who directed and choreographed with aplomb, is to be given enormous credit for this revival. Michael Butler, one of the original producers of Hair and 30 subsequent productions, has added his vast experience, his love for the piece, and his passion, helping to bring this production to fruition. The band, consisting of drummer Christopher Allis, bassist John Classick, and keyboardist Michael Sherwood, rocks. Tickets at Hairtix. At The Met Theatre through Dec. 30.