A scene from ‘The Wall Live Extravaganza.”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s classic rock opera about alienation and rebellion, The Wall, which will be performed at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, Feb. 27. The show, which will feature a theatrical presentation of the album in its entirety, is titled “The Wall Live Extravaganza,”
The performers are based in Montreal and led by Richard Petit, who is 46 and was, obviously, still a kid when the album originally came out.
“The Wall could have been written yesterday, and it would be as pertinent and necessary as it was 40 years ago,” Petit told DJ Easy Wind on his “Signpost to New Space” show on HomegrownRadioNJ.com. (You can listen to the entire interview below.)
“It doesn’t get old. The subject doesn’t get old, the music doesn’t get old. The production is just incredible. It is a masterpiece. You don’t sell that many, and you don’t have the same impact on society, if it’s not pure genius.”
DJ Easy Wind mentioned that Roger Waters, the Pink Floyd member who wrote most of The Wall, has an expressed an interest in performing it on the Mexican border, in protest of President Trump immigration policies.
“Sometimes Roger makes me think about (Wall character) the teacher, in the movie … that he created in the story. Sometimes, he should stick to music and let the music talk by itself, and not try to always teach what to think, to the others,” said Petit.
“The main thing about The Wall is, like, think by yourself … I would say, ‘Hey, teacher, leave the kids alone’ (laughs).”
Still, Petit praised “Roger’s engagement to do what he thinks, and to point in the direction where there are things that (he thinks) should be changed. … He’s a giant, he’s a living god of rock ‘n’ roll. So yes, he can influence some thinkers somewhere. But I prefer to stick to the music.”
The Wellmont show was postponed from Jan. 26, and tickets for the original date will be honored. Additional tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
