The Theater Equation

The Theater Equation
Live album by Ayreon
Released June 17, 2016
Recorded September 20, 2015
Genre Progressive metal, progressive rock
Producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Ayreon live chronology
Live in the Real World
(2006)		 The Theater Equation
(2016)
Arjen Anthony Lucassen chronology
The Gentle Storm
(2015)		 The Theater Equation (2016)

The Theater Equation is an upcoming 2016 live album and DVD by Arjen Anthony Lucassen's progressive rock/metal rock opera project Ayreon. The Theater Equation consists of a live performance, with cast, choir and small orchestra, of the 2004 album The Human Equation. It marks the first time an Ayreon album was played live entirely, and the first Ayreon live release, although two live albums by other Lucassen projects had previously featured Ayreon songs: Live on Earth by Star One (2003) and Live in the Real World by Stream of Passion (2006). The Theater Equation consisted of four shows, all played in Rotterdam between September 18 and 20, 2015, with the last performance being the one recorded for the album.

Most of the cast of the original album was featured on the tour, including James LaBrie of Dream Theater (Me), Marcela Bovio of Stream of Passion (Wife), former Mostly Autumn member Heather Findlay (Love), Eric Clayton (Reason), and Irene Jansen (Passion).[1] Despite the announcement that he will not take part of the shows due to his reluctance to play live and that he will only support the project as an support advisor, Lucassen was on stage after stepping out of the Dream Sequencer at the very end of the show, thus performing the part of Forever of the Stars. Some other regular collaborators of Lucassen joined the project, most notably Anneke van Giersbergen replacing Mikael Åkerfeldt as Fear.

The project, directed by Lucassen's former manager Yvette Boertje, was originally supposed to be a fan-made project; however, after some of the original cast and musicians showed interest in the project, the organizers decided to make it a greater venture.[2][3]

Synopsis

After a car accident, a man ("Me") falls into a coma, and, in his head, is confronted with his past, his emotions, and his current situation as he lays trapped inside his own mind. The circumstances surrounding the accident are mysterious, as Me ploughed into a tree on a deserted road in broad daylight. Following this, he slips into a twenty-day coma. While each day is represented by a single song on the album the theater show uses stylistic means like several repetitions. Each song follows a slightly different format, though there are major common themes, such as the presence of Me's manifest emotions in his dream world including Fear, Reason, and Pride; the presence of Me's Wife, his Best Friend, a doctor and a nurse at his bedside; and the past events that Me is forced to reflect on.

The plot builds from Me’s early broken state to his eventual rebirth as a new and better man. His own dark past, in which he suffered beneath an abusive Father, was driven to become merciless by school bullies, and eventually betrayed his closest friend for his own benefit; is intertwined with the plot surrounding Wife and Best Friend, eventually revealing the cause of the accident: Me had witnessed the two sharing an intimate moment, and had swerved his car into a tree in his despair. The three eventually come clean and forgive each other, leading Me to conquer his negative emotions and escape his nightmarish prison.

After the final song a computerised voice announces the shut-down of the Dream Sequencer. Later the voice of a Forever (Arjen Anthony Lucassen) then speaks the final words "Emotions… I remember", tying its events into the overall Ayreon plot that began with the album The Final Experiment.

Musical numbers

All lyrics written by Arjen Anthony Lucassen except where noted, all music composed by Lucassen.

Act I
No. Title Length
1. "Day One: Vigil"    
2. "Overture"    
3. "Day Two: Isolation"    
4. "Day Three: Pain" (Lucassen/Devin Townsend)  
5. "Day Four: Mystery"    
6. "Day Five: Voices"    
7. "Pain II"    
8. "Day Six: Childhood"    
9. "Day Seven: Hope"    
10. "Day Eight: School" (Lucassen/Townsend)  
11. "Childhood II"    
12. "Day Nine: Playground" (Adaptation of Edvard Grieg's Morning mood)  
13. "Day Ten: Memories"    
14. "Pain III"    
15. "Day Eleven: Love"    
Act II
No. Title Length
16. "Overture II"    
17. "Day Twelve: Trauma"    
18. "Day Thirteen: Sign" (Lucassen/Heather Findley)  
19. "Day Fourteen: Pride"    
20. "Vigil II"    
21. "Day Fifteen: Betrayal"    
22. "School II"    
23. "Day Sixteen: Loser" (Lucassen/Townsend)  
24. "Day Seventeen: Accident?" (Lucassen/Devon Graves)  
25. "Pain IV"    
26. "Day Eighteen: Realization"    
27. "Trauma II"    
28. "Day Nineteen: Disclosure"    
29. "Day Twenty: Confrontation"    
30. "Finale"    

Personnel

Cast

Returning from The Human Equation
New

Instrumentalists

Returning from The Human Equation
New

References

  1. ↑ Cast and Band at the official site
  2. ↑ "The Human Equation Theater Experience - Coming In 2015, Pre-Registration Starts Today". Metal Storm. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  3. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/ArjenLucassenOfficial/photos/a.114351896151.107682.109887886151/10153111557441152/?type=3&theater

External links

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