Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – The legacy of The Who lives on in divergent renditions of TOMMY and QUADROPHENIA

• By drediman
• September 12, 2017
• No Comments

Alfie Boe and Pete Townsend rock in “Classic Quadrophenia”

On recent back-to-back nights (yesterday and Sunday), I had the opportunity to experience two of The Who’s most famous rock operas, Tommy and Quadrophenia, in divergent renditions that made me consider these works all over again.

Tommy  is perhaps the stronger of the two pieces – it’s narrative arc is more compelling and the music writing is more varied and more attuned to storytelling. No wonder that, of the two, it is the concept album that has made the transition to the stage. Yesterday’s concert at Joe’s Pub, entitled “Night of a Thousand Acid Queens: A Queer Concert Version of The Who’s Tommy”, channeled Ken Russell’s psychedelic 1975 film version, and included an eclectic list of performers that included Cheryl Freeman (who fiercely recreated her Acid Queen from the Broadway production), Tony Award winner Cady Huffman (The Producers), and Kenyon Phillips (our emcee and Tommy). For the most part, each performer was able to successfully depict the over-the-top, playful-yet-dangerous feel of the movie. And even in this vaudevillian, variety show-like setup, this raucous version of Tommy engaged as a piece of narrative.

In contrast, Quadrophenia strikes me more as a tone poem, and a sweeping and exquisite one at that. But as a piece of drama or storytelling, it left me a bit cold. I therefore applaud the visionary decision to re-cast this much-loved double album, replacing raging guitar and popping drum solos with the refined surging sound of a large symphonic orchestra and a massive chorus (the lush new orchestrations are be Rachel Fuller). Forget about the story, this version basks in the feelings induced by sheer sound. And in the place of the sultry, raspy-voiced Roger Daltrey, we get opera light superstar Alfie Boe (I think of him as the U.K.’s answer to Josh Groban). Quadrophenia always possessed an operatic essence, but to experience it literally – in a version dubbed “Classic Quadrophenia” at the Metropolitan Opera House, no less – literally was quite a rousing experience. Ironically quite a punk move, in my opinion. Complementing Mr. Boe’s committed performances were crowd-pleasing appearances by icons Billy Idol and the man himself, Pete Townsend.

Both RECOMMENDED

NIGHT OF A THOUSAND ACID QUEENS: A QUEER CONCERT VERSION OF THE WHO’S TOMMY
Concert
Joe’s Pub
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed (one night only)

CLASSIC QUADROPHENIA
Concert
Metropolitan Opera House
2 hours (with one intermission)
Closed (one night only)