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Review of New Jersey Quadrophenia



Forwarded from alt.music.who:

From: "Michael Fitzgerald" <fitzgera@eclipse.net>
Newsgroups: alt.music.who
Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2001 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: Quadrophenia in New Jersey + "Your Face Here"

Like seeing a car crash on the highway, I stayed and watched the
carnage.

An incredibly bloody, stomach-churning, hurts-just-to-think-about-it
wreck. With like three or four cars piled up and actual blood on the
road and severed human limbs visible.

All three interminable acts of it. I think this might well have been
the worst two-and-three-quarter hours I have ever spent in a theater.
I didn't laugh. I didn't cry. It was much worse than Cats. 

If anyone is thinking of producing Quadrophenia as a musical, here are
some tips:

Don't put in Bob Fosse girls (replete with bowler hats and fishnet
stockings) - anywhere. Not even during 5:15.

Don't add a ballet dancer all in white - I think symbolizing heroin -
doing a feature during Drowned. Just don't.

Don't have the female lead be a poet who writes....surprise! Pete
Townshend lyrics (including "Slit Skirts" and "Love, Reign O'er Me").

Don't make all the mod chick characters either lesbian or bisexual. 

Don't use a large quantity of vulgarity and sexual references. It's
not shocking or realistic. It's embarrassing.

Don't have dialects ranging from bad Scottish to bad Australian in
their attempts to be Cockney East End British.

Don't make the Ace/Bell Boy character have a stutter. A really bad
one. Don't force him to then speak the lines, "This is my generation."
Don't have the entire onstage cast sing those lines during "Punk Meets
the Godfather."

Don't add Music Must Change (? - I know, you're wondering) so the drug
pusher can have a feature song. 

Don't have the band use electronic drums turned down low. 

I sure hope I am repressing some of the other things. I am not going
to single out performers or name names. 

If anyone is thinking of seeing the current production, please, I beg
of you. Save yourselves. I am forever scarred. Save yourselves.

How on earth did this get okayed by Townshend and Eel Pie, who is
credited in the program?

Just fix your eyes on the road ahead and drive on. Don't even slow
down. 

Mike

fitzgera@eclipse.net
http://www.eclipse.net/~fitzgera