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A local thespian group will bring the Age of Aquarius to Carleton County next week.

The Valley Young Company is gearing up to perform the controversial 1960s Broadway musical Hair from July 2 to July 5 in the Woodstock High School theatre.

Sponsored by Barrett Corporation and Signature Sounds, this will be the third production the young theatre group has brought to Woodstock in the last three years.

The rock musical tells the story of 'the tribe' - "a group of politically active and long-haired hippies of the Age of Aquarius-" fighting against conscription for the Vietnam War. Living together in New York City, they struggle to balance their young lives, love and the sexual revolution with their pacifist rebellion against the war and the conservative impulses of their parents and society.

Written by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, Hair is a product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the '60s. Many of the musical's songs quickly became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement.

The play was deemed unconventional in its day for its use of profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality and its irreverence for the American flag.

Hair debuted off-Broadway in October 1967 and did not appear on Broadway until April 1968. It proved to have a successful run on Broadway - 1,750 performances - and it spawned several songs which became Top 40 hits. The musical's success even spawned a movie adaptation, released in 1979.

The Valley Young Company's version gets underway each night, Monday through Thursday, at 8 p.m.

Tickets for the show are available at the Carleton Civic Centre for $15.

Because of the mature subject matter and themes, parental discretion is advised.