As a teenager, I became quite obsessed with a new discovery: the concept of the rock opera. I was an avid listener of classic rock, and when I found out that there was such a thing as a musical featuring such badassery, it rocked my world. I promptly went out and rented the film Tommy [4], based on the album of the same name by British band The Who. I had never seen anything like it before – it is a bizarre film full of acid trips [5], messiah complexes [6], and Elton John in full Elton John get-up [7].
Two years before the album Tommy was adapted to film, they released another rock opera album, which itself would be made into a film in 1979: Quadrophenia. This album told the story of Jimmy, a young man suffering from multiple personality disorder – four personalities, to be exact, each supposedly corresponding to the four members of The Who. The album was very well received, boasting now-classic songs such as “The Real Me [8]” and “Love Reign O’er Me [9].”
Quadrophenia was released in 1973, and that same year a documentary was produced detailing the story behind the album. Tonight, for one night only, Fathom Events [10] presents a screening of Can You See the Real Me? at Rave Stonybrook Theaters. The film takes an in-depth behind-the-scenes look into the album, including musical performances and drummer Keith Moon’s collapse onstage during the first show of the tour.
Can You See the Real Me? screens at 8:00 this evening. Rave Stonybrook is located at 2745 S. Hurstbourne Parkway. Further theater information, as well as advance ticket sales, can be found at the Stonybrook Theater website [11]. Further information about the film can be found at the Fathom Events page [12].
Image: Wikipedia [13]