Pat Dodds writes:

We just got the mailing from Children's Musical Theaterworks about their 2010 schedule, and they'll do "Hair" in March. For years, our family has had a running gag about CMT and their increasingly edgy shows. (Our daughter was in the company's first-ever production - "Annie" - many years ago.) As they've done shows like "Tommy" and "Sideshow" and "Evita," we keep saying things like, "What'll they do next? Chicago? Oh, Calcutta? HAIR???!!!!!"

This gag is no longer going to work. (By the way, did they once do "Gypsy," or am I making that up?)

There must be a new, young people's version of "Hair" out there somewhere, subtracting a lot of language and adding a lot of clothing. Even the song titles will have to change. I can't wait!

My response: I, too, was a little surprised at the "Hair" announcement. (When I originally posted it on the Beehive, I added that I thought of the much-replayed Jane Lynch line from a "Glee" promo in which she says "That was the most offensive thing I've seen in twenty years of teaching, and that includes an elementary school production of 'Hair.' ") Something to keep in mind, however, is that CMT has a community-theater arm, Musical Theaterworks Fresno, which will be presenting "Hair," and I'm presuming the production will be with an adult-dominated cast. Still, I've gotta wonder if even that version will have to be, um, significantly modified in order to play in Fresno.