A little ‘Lamb’ on the big stage

Rock operas such as the Who’s “Tommy” and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” started as hit albums, yielded hit singles, became hit movies and moved on to bus-and-truck nationally touring theatrical productions.

But “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”? British art-rock group Genesis’ magnum opus couldn’t crack the Top 40 of Billboard’s album chart when it was released as a double LP in 1974, and somehow songs such as “Riding the Scree” and “Colony of Slippermen Medley” never clicked with pop radio.

None of that bothers members of the Musical Box, a Canadian rock band-cum-theater troupe that will stage “Lamb” -- an ambitious work about a young graffiti artist who embarks on a quest for the meaning of life -- on Wednesday in Whittier and Dec. 3 in Hollywood.

“There are a lot of people who saw the show back then and want to see it again,” says Musical Box singer Denis Gagne. “A lot of teens also come to our shows because they’ve become aware of the music and want to see what it looked like.”

The 12-year-old ensemble, which started playing Peter Gabriel-era Genesis songs, first mounted “Lamb” about four years ago in Canada and a few East Coast cities. This will be its first West Coast trip.

“We’re the only band to ever get a license from Genesis to do ‘Lamb,’ ” Gagne says, adding that Gabriel and other members of Genesis have seen it’s the shows. “I think it’s still relevant. They were very ahead of their time.”

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“Lamb,” Musical Box, Center Stage Theatre, 7630 S. Washington Ave., Whittier. 8 p.m. Wednesday. $55 and $65. Also Dec. 3, Henry Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 8 p.m. $35. (323) 464-0808. www.calprog.com