▁– ▁Live ▁on ▁Stage . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁Generation ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁after ▁a ▁short ▁hi atus ▁from ▁tour ing , ▁Jeff ▁Wayne ▁announced ▁a ▁new ▁Musical ▁Version ▁of ▁The ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁World s ▁album ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁entitled ▁The ▁New ▁Generation . ▁The ▁release ▁date ▁was ▁later ▁pushed ▁back ▁to ▁November , ▁due ▁to ▁problems ▁with ▁sched uling ▁record ings ▁with ▁guest ▁artists . ▁With ▁the ▁album ' s ▁release , ▁The ▁New ▁Generation ▁would ▁also ▁cross ▁Europe ▁on ▁a ▁major ▁ar ena ▁tour . ▁ ▁Wayne ▁explained ▁that ▁the ▁idea ▁was ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁album ▁and ▁explore ▁H . ▁G . ▁Well s ' ▁characters ▁in ▁more ▁detail , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁develop ▁the ▁love ▁story ▁between ▁the ▁story ' s ▁main ▁character , ▁George ▁Herbert , ▁and ▁his ▁f iance e ▁Car rie . ▁Wayne ▁also ▁explained ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁allow ▁him ▁to ▁re - inter pret ▁his ▁compos itions ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁production ▁techniques ▁of ▁today . ▁ ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁album ▁would ▁come ▁a ▁new ▁voice ▁of ▁the ▁Journal ist , ▁originally ▁played ▁by ▁Richard ▁Bur ton ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁album . ▁The ▁role ▁would ▁now ▁be ▁played ▁by ▁Irish ▁actor ▁Li am ▁Ne es on , ▁appearing ▁in ▁ 3 D ▁h olog raph y ▁on ▁stage ▁for ▁the ▁Arena ▁tour . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Kaiser ▁Chief s ▁front man