After 61 years of smashing guitars and raising the bar on rock music as an art form, The Who wrapped up their farewell tour six weeks ago in California. But even if the song is over, Pete Townshend is far from finished exploring the creative opportunities presented by the band’s sprawling catalog.
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On Friday (Nov. 14), Townshend brought a ballet production of the band’s acclaimed 1973 rock opera, Quadrophenia, to the New York City Center in Manhattan. Directed by Rob Ashford and soundtracked by an orchestral version of the double-album arranged by Rachel Fuller, Quadrophenia, A Rock Ballet—which previously played in London as Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet—made its Stateside debut. The show boasts a remarkably talented cast (including Ansel Elgort as the bare-chested, guitar-bashing Godfather) who deftly split the difference between stunning dance moves and the expressive yet subtle dramatics this story–about a young man struggling to find his place in the world while clashing with friends, family and himself–demands.
Lead performer Paris Fitzpatrick as Jimmy was revelatory, especially in the final scene where he writhes and spins through a near-suicidal emotional breakdown on a cliff overlooking a raging sea. (When it comes to the Who’s rock operas, Tommy, for all its virtues, is campy and outrageous, while Quadrophenia feels gritty and grounded.) Aside from the orchestral score—which includes two full-on rock detours, “My Generation” and “I Can’t Explain,” era-appropriate Who tunes not present on the 1973 LP—Paul Smith’s costume designs for mods, rockers, British soldiers and bellhops are a delight.
But what really makes Quadrophenia, A Rock Ballet land on the right foot is the choreography. A balletic interpretation of a ‘70s rock opera could go astray or painfully wrong in so many ways, yet choreographer Paul Roberts managed to convey the nervous thrills and impotent frustrations of youth with movements that are frenetic yet graceful, jaw-dropping but never showy. Jimmy’s fantasy about a bisexual three-way was a standout moment, marvelously expressing the potent cocktail of erotic longing and societal shame that accompanies adolescence.
Tragically, Roberts, who was also a frequent collaborator of Harry Styles, died of cancer on Sept. 26 at the age of 52. After several bows from the cast, Townshend—who also appears during the show as a guitar-strumming elder statesman (no, Pete doesn’t plié or jeté)—came out to a standing ovation and said a few words about his late collaborator.
“He’s not with us anymore,” Townshend said, dedicating the show to Roberts. “We worked right through to the end of the show in rehearsals and sessions in Sadler’s Wells and London. Then he went off to sadly pass away from cancer. This show, hopefully, we brought it—I brought it to New York out of my own pocket,” he said to appreciative applause. “You know how I feel about the U.S. of A and, in particular, this city. I really wanted to bring it here for him, his husband Phil (Griffin) and everybody in this company. It’s a British company and we brought some of our crew here to New York. It’s not the usual thing and I’m so grateful to all the unions for helping this happen. Thanks for supporting us here.”
Following the show, Townshend joined Elgort, Fitzpatrick and the rest of the cast and crew for tapas, drinks and even a mini The Fault in Our Stars reunion (Shailene Woodley came out to support her former co-star) at the venue’s VIP lounge.
Quadrophenia, A Rock Ballet wraps its New York City Center run on Sunday (Nov. 16), but hopefully this won’t be the last time it graces Stateside stages. While it’s far different from the recent (also excellent) Broadway revival of The Who’s Tommy, both productions demonstrate that the Who’s catalog remains fascinating fodder for a variety of art forms.
