Roger Waters - The Wall on Broadway update
Written by Matt   
Sunday, 08 May 2005

Yesterday's New York Post featured an interview with Roger Waters, conducted by Jamie Schram, in which the former Pink Floyd frontman gave some more updates on the Broadway adaptation of the 1979 classic, The Wall.

You will recall that recently, Brain Damage's Elliot Tayman bumped into Roger outside one of Nick Mason's book signings. Elliot asked him about progress on the adaptation, and Roger told him that it was looking to be a year away.

The New York Post interview went into more depth than Elliot was able to, with Roger en route to a dinner appointment with Nick. The full interview is an interesting update on the production.

Roger's responses cover the development of the musical (and includes a primer on the basic storyline for those unfamiliar with the original piece), some of the songs that might appear in the final version of the stageplay, and the direction he is taking the work.

"My motivation is primarily that both the record and film, proud of them as I am, well, they have depth. They endure. There are no laughs anywhere. There are not many jokes. Humor is very important part of my life. I think it's a part of the life of the central character in the film, Pink. There will be a lot more humor in the Broadway version. ...I think we're trying to illuminate another side of Pink's personality. He was kind of hard to empathize with in the movie. And if you can't empathize with him, he can't help you to understand life."

Roger expresses his excitement at the staging of the show, in a permanent venue, allowing him to "get the lighting and the special effects really perfect". But at the same time, he reveals his nervousness at the project - his desire to get it right, and bring new life to it, as he feels: "the message - what "The Wall" is saying to us - is still important to us 20 years later..."