Fri. Dec. 18 - Sun. Dec. 30

Rock opera had its big run in the '70s. Is there a market today? Yes, there is, states Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra. which plays songs from rock operas and, perhaps we should say, theatrically inclined rock songs - songs of drama, trauma and meaning. Songs of content. Songs unafraid of bombast.  Boston Rock Opera kicked up the idea back in the ‘80s with “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and ran a string of successful shows, climaxing with the Kinks’ “Preservation,” blessed by the creator himself, Ray Davies. But BRO folded – they’d run out of productions and gas, but they’d put rock opera in Boston back on the map. With BRO down for the count, Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra has taken over the slot.

URO. It was constructed by Sal Clemente and Alan Ware. Initially, they were putting together a mode modernized version of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Then, they ran into legal trouble from Andrew Lloyd Webber. Long story. The result was “A Night at the Rock Opera,” a live show that ncludes a partial staging of “Superstar” songs alongside their take on the Webber travails, “Will We Rock You?,” and rock-opera-ish tunes from Queen, David Bowie, the Who, the Beatles and others. They – and by they we mean a cast of a couple dozen - started doing this at the Regent Theatre in Arlington in 2006. After a run at a downtown theatre earlier this year, the Regent is where they return Friday Dcc. 18 - Sunday Dec. 20  What to expect? You can be sure the URO will treat the material with both respect and a certain tongue-in-cheek flair. What URO does stands in sharp contrast to post-rock,  minimalism, hip-hop, death metal, emo, and the new wave of the new wave. Which is to say, this is music that existed – gloriously, if sometimes cheesily – back before all of that. It’s up to bang its gong again.

What's new in the URO world? "We'll be performing a whole slew of new material," says Clemente. "In fact, I was just relating to my creative partner, Alan, that we only played 14 songs at the very first URO concert and we now have a repertoire of 51 of the greatest songs ever written - all of them by Queen, The Beatles, The Who, David Bowie, and Led Zeppelin (with a few of our own URO tunes thrown in).  The URO doesn't perform the easy part of those artists' catalogs, either. You'll never hear these songs at the corner bar.

"Unlike the sterile state of rock and pop performance, no two URO gigs are ever the same, because with 51 songs, the URO may switch out up to half of any evening's material.  And not only do we mix up the set lists, but every note is sung and played live, nothing is ever sequenced or recorded, all you get is the naked (figuratively) URO, performing 100% unadulterated, celebratory, rock."And the URO is not a 'tribute' act - there are no costume changes, choreography, spandex, or Freddie Mercury mustaches. What you will hear and see are - loud guitars, thunderous drums, amazing musicians, guyliner, hot women (who can sing like nobody's business), and scads of black leather.

Clemente says they've added three new singers and at least 7 songs we've never performed before, including: "Dear Prudence," "I Am The Walrus," "Band On The Run," "Misty Mountain Hop," "Fame," "Helter Skelter," and "I Can See For Miles." There's also a special promotion going for the upcoming shows at the Regent. You bring one or more friends to the show - call or go to the Regent box office and say "URO Rocks" and you'll receive $5 off of every ticket you buy. Tickets: $28-$23. Friday and Saturday shows at 8, Sunday at 5:30.

7 Medford St., Arlington, 781-646-4849 www.regenttheatre.com