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’Rock Opera’ gets an encore
By Michael Marotta/ Boston Herald
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 - Updated: 04:51 AM EST
"A Night at the Rock Opera" will rock yet again.
The operatic send-up of rock ’n’ roll’s most decadent era will return to the Regent Theatre in Arlington, kicking off a glitter-doused eight-date run on May 31.
And while the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra will remain true to the classics that spawned the local cult hit -- from David Bowie’s "Ziggy Stardust" to Queen’s defining anthem "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- new additions from the Rolling Stones, The Who and a bombastic take on the B-side of the Beatles’ "Abbey Road" ensure a grandiose fist-in-the-air salute to all things rock.
After all, there’s nothing more rock ’n’ roll than the "Rock Opera’s" origins. Spawned from a snub by Andrew Lloyd Webber, it has become a smash hit. In 2004, the English composer’s representatives refused to give URO co-creator, director and singer Sal Clemente permission to stage a modernized take of "Jesus Christ Superstar," instead allowing only five songs to be used. But he had a venue booked, so Clemente and URO partner Alan Ware needed to fill in the blanks.
Enter Freddie Mercury, Bowie and a cast of rock legends from a theatrical era of rock gone by.
"We thought of all the great Queen stuff, and (The Who’s) ’Tommy’ and the Beatles," Clemente said. "We tried to choose stuff you couldn’t hear in a corner bar. . . . It’s turned into something cool."
Where else can you hear original works such as the defiant "Andrew Lloyd Webber Said No" and climactic "Child Thy Name Is Rock" paired up with The Who’s "Pinball Wizard"?
"It’s a fine line," Clemente said of the distinction between being cheesy and being a classic. "Even if there’s a camp factor in the Queen stuff, it’s still powerful. The main criteria is: Does it rock, and does it allow for powerful vocals?"
Armed with 18 singers and nine musicians "from all different walks of life," Clemente said, with many local veterans from bands such as the Luxury, the Irresponsibles and Black Fortress of Opium, the Ultrasonic rock chorus is guaranteed to be powerful.
So much so, you can even take the "Rock Opera" home with you. This latest run will celebrate the release of URO’s "A Night at the Rock Opera Live," a double CD that brings the legends into your bedroom, where everyone is a rock star
Advance tickets to "A Night at the Rock Opera" are $30. Call 781-646-4TIX or go to www.ultrasonicproductions.com for more information.
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