Musical Box to Recreate SELLING ENGLAD BY THE POUND at Ridgefield Playhouse, 11/21

Peter Gabriel-era Genesis's Selling England By The Pound will be recreated by Musical Box at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Thursday, November 21

Then, Genesis and Peter Gabriel redefined the rock concert. Now, The Musical Box returns with a rare performance of Genesis's classic album Selling England By The Pound, re-created by the only band in the world to acquire from Peter Gabriel and Genesis the performing rights and access to archives, audio tracks and original slideshow for Selling England By the Pound. This critically acclaimed rock fest is coming to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Thursday, November 21, at 8 p.m. and will feature songs from the iconic album with all the spectacle, authentic instruments and costumes of Genesis. This is a must-see event for progressive rock and music fans and is part of the Xfinity Rock Series with media sponsor i95fm The Home of Rock 'n' Roll.

Five British musicians, under the name of Genesis, began touring Europe and North America to promote the release of their fourth album, Selling England By The Pound. Both the theatrical imagination of Peter Gabriel and the intricacy and intensity of Genesis' music reached their apex and were enhanced by surrealistic sets and special visual effects, leaving audiences spellbound. For what proved to be one of the first-ever multimedia performances, Selling England By The Pound remains a vivid memory for those privileged to have attended it. The timelessness of the artistry was such that almost 30 years later, the show is still contemporary and enjoys a cult-like following...it's a classic.

To pay homage to the artistic genius of Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, StEve Hackett and Mike Rutherford, this classic is being restaged by the Montreal-based group The Musical Box, a team of musicians, technicians and collectors who invested years of work in reproducing the original Selling England By The Pound concert in painstaking detail. All masks, costumes, make-up, accessories, sets, lighting design, special effects, choreography and musical presentation are meticulously duplicated. The construction of certain scenic elements demanded extensive research, as a number of materials used by Genesis at the time have since become extremely rare. Access to the original slides used by Genesis in their tour completed the visual re-creation. To do justice to the intensity of Genesis' music, the show reproduction was based on the studio versions of the pieces.

In view of the fact that no printed music of Selling England By The Pound exists, there was no choice but to work it all out 'by ear', which proved to be quite a challenge. It also became necessary to acquire the instruments that characterized the Genesis sound: among others, the Mellotron sounds, the Hammond Organ, the Hohner Pianet, Rickenbacker double-neck guitars, bass pedals, Leslie cabinets, etc.

For tickets ($60), call the box office (203) 438-5795, or order online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main St., Ridgefield, CT.

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