Nearly 50 years ago, the psychedelic rock musical “Hair” proclaimed to the world that the proverbial “Age of Aquarius” had arrived, a time when we could all expect to see a heightened expression of peace, love, and spiritual enlightenment.

“Harmony and understanding / Sympathy and trust abounding,” sang the tie-dye clad cast during the opening number. “No more falsehoods or derisions / Golden living dreams of visions / Mystic crystal revelation / And the mind’s true liberation / Aquarius, Aquarius.”

As pleasant and as promising as this all sounds, even today, the notion that casual sex and hallucinogenic drugs – two of the musical’s major themes – might somehow play a role in achieving true enlightenment deserves further scrutiny.