Dream Theater’s John Petrucci says he’d “love” to make their 2016 concept album The Astonishing into a musical.
Their 13th title, released in January, explores a dystopian future where the power of music is used to wage war against an evil empire – and the guitarist says it would be “awesome” to introduce the story to a completely new audience.
He tells Metal Assault: “There have been many levels of this whole project from the very beginning. I imagined it first as a Dream Theater show, and then of course as a Dream Theater album, but beyond that, there’s a video game that is in development, there’s a novel that is in development.”
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Petrucci continues: “I think it would fit perfectly adapted as a musical, in the same way that The Who did that successfully with Tommy, and Green Day more recently with American Idiot on Broadway. That would be amazing.
“It’s a whole different world from the rock and metal scene, so it’s a different group of people to have to make those relationships with, but that’s something that we’re pursuing and I would love to see that. I think it would be totally awesome.”
The guitarist previously hinted that the album could be made into a film in future.
He adds: “Because the experience of The Astonishing is an album – it’s not a movie, at least not yet – the music is important to guide the listener and conjure up these images as to what’s happening in the story. The music really acted as a score to us. Hopefully when you’re listening to it, you get this visual.”
Dream Theater will tour Europe in 2017.
Dream Theater: Images And Words European tour 2017
Jan 30: Rome Auditorium Parco della Musica, Italy
Feb 01: Padova Gran Teatro Geox, Italy
Feb 03: Zurich Samsung Hall, Switzerland
Feb 04: Milan Mediolanum Forum, Italy
Feb 06: Prague Forum Karlin, Czech Republic
Feb 08: Tilburg 013, Netherlands
Feb 10: Ludwigsburg MHP Arena, Germany
Feb 11: Dusseldorf Mitsubishi Electric Halle, Germany
Feb 12: Paris Zenith, France
Feb 14: Hamburg Mehr, Germany
Feb 16: Malmo Arena, Sweden
Feb 17: Partille Arena, Sweden
Feb 18: Stockholm Fryshuset Arena, Sweden