Actor Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, West Side Story) will make his professional dance debut in Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia, A Rock Ballet at New York City Center next month.
Directed by Rob Ashford with choreography by the late Paul Roberts, the production will have a four-performance run November 14-16. Elgort will play the role of The Godfather.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Ansel to Quadrophenia,” said Townshend in a statement. “The spirit of Rock n’ Roll was not just my generation. It’s every generation.”
Elgort said, “Rock n’ Roll is not dead. I think it’s having a rebirth right now, downtown NYC you can hear electric guitars squealing through bar doors as people are hungry for live music. Even better, a rock ballet! My roots are in ballet and theatre and to be able to return to the stage in The Who’s Quadrophenia rock ballet feels like a gift from the rock gods. Well, one of them himself, Pete Townshend already wrote me a note welcoming me on board, and I’m framing it.”
Elgort began training as a dancer at the age of nine and studied for five years at the School for American Ballet. In 2012, he made his New York stage in the play Regrets which played New York City Center – Stage I, the Off Broadway venue downstairs from the main stage where he will play The Godfather and dance in Townshend’s iconic song “My Generation.”
Ashford said, “I’ve always been very impressed with Ansel as an actor and knew about his training at School of American Ballet. Quadrophenia seemed like a great opportunity to combine those two talents.”
Elgort’s casting was announced today by producers Sadler’s Wells, Extended Play, and Universal Music UK.
The production of Quadrophenia, A Rock Ballet arrives in New York City from a run of performances at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London and a UK tour. Rachel Fuller’s orchestral version of the Who album, recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is the backdrop for this production, which is costumed by British fashion house Paul Smith.
Townshend wrote Quadrophenia in 1973. Recorded by The Who, it became a multi-million selling album, and in 1979 inspired the feature film of the same name.
Joining Elgort will be Paris Fitzpatrick who performs the lead role of Jimmy Fitzpatrick. Additional casting for the U.S. debut of Quadrophenia will be announced in the coming weeks.
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