WELLESNET MESSAGE BOARD

His original version from 1978 is a disco concept album with Richard Burton, and one of the most embarrassing and unlistenable things I've ever heard in my life. It's a popular piece, despite my lack of taste.

His new version is apparently more of an audio drama than a disco opera, but from the released clip I honestly can't tell the difference, since it still uses the original music throughout.

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/jeff-wayn ... usive-clip

Here's a Covid version, Zooming now:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86855176704#success

Personally, I have no problem with the original Jeff Wayne version and roadshow (though a digital Burton is difficult). Each generation has the right to rework it in its own distinctive manner. Welles did it on radio and Wayne used the tragic Shakespearean tragic narration of Burton to good effect. It worked much better than Liam Neeson's virtual reality narrator in the revised stage version.

I'll be playing the original stage version performance with Burton's image in class this Monday following the 1938 broadcast and preceding the 1953 film version