'We Will Rock You,' Queen musical plays the Fabulous Fox Theatre through Sunday

 

 

The time is the future, in a place that was once called Earth. Globalisation is complete.

Everywhere, the kids watch the same movies, wear the same fashions and think the same thoughts. It’s a safe, happy, Ga Ga world. Unless you’re a rebel. Unless you want to Rock. On iPlanet all the musical instruments are banned. The Company Computers generate tunes and everybody downloads them. It is an age of Boy Bands and of Girl Bands. Of Boy and Girl Bands. Of Girl Bands with a couple of boys in them that look like girls anyway. Nothing is left to chance, hits are scheduled years in advance.

Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.

But Resistance is growing. Underneath the gleaming cities, down in the lower depths live the Bohemians. Rebels who believe that there was once a Golden Age when the kids formed their own bands and write their own songs. They call that time, The Rhapsody.

Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see.

Legend persists that somewhere on iPlanet instruments still exist. Somewhere, the mighty axe of a great and hairy guitar god lies buried deep in rock. The Bohemians need a hero to find this axe and draw it from stone. Is the one who calls himself Galileo that man?

He’s just a poor boy. From a poor family.

But the Ga Ga Cops are also looking for Galileo and if they get him first they will surely drag him before the Killer Queen and consign him to Oblivion across the Seven Seas of Rhye. Who is Galileo? Where is the Hairy One’s lost axe? Where is the place of living rock?

Any way the wind blows.

 

The ‘rock theatrical’, built around 24 of Queen’s biggest hits delivered in a show that boasts the scale and electrifying spectacle that marked the bands’ legendary live performances, will launch a national tour in Baltimore, MD, at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, in October 2013.
This hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon is created by celebrated British comedian and writer Ben Elton (TV’s "Mr. Bean" and "The Young Ones"), and boasts a fantastic score of Queen’s biggest songs including "Another One Bites The Dust", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and, of course, "We Will Rock You".
Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor are musical supervisors to the show, taking an active role in casting the singer/actors and musicians for every production worldwide. On occasion, they have made surprise appearances with the cast to uproars of delight from the audience.
Unprecedented success around the world has now paved the way for We Will Rock You to launch its first North American tour.
The show is in its 11th year at The Dominion in London’s West End, one of London Theatreland’s biggest theatres, making it the venue’s longest-running production ever. The previous record holder was the original production of Robert Stigwood’s Grease which ran at the Dominion for 3 years and 3 months. We Will Rock You is now officially the 9th longest running show in the West End.
At the 2011 Olivier Awards, the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards, We Will Rock You was crowned the UK’s favorite show. In the only award category voted entirely by members of the public, the musical came out on top, beating a shortlist including Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys and Les Misérables.
Outside of the UK, the show has now been seen in local productions in 17 countries, playing to an audience of over 15 million people.
The complete North American tour route will be announced in the coming months.
We Will Rock You takes place in a future age on a planet once called Earth that is now controlled by a mighty corporation. Globalization is complete. Individuality is taboo. Everyone watches the same movies, wears the same clothes and thinks the same thoughts. Music is generated by the corporation’s computers, rock music is unheard and all musical instruments are banned. The hope of breaking free rests with an unlikely resistance – an alliance of rebel Bohemians, waiting for a hero to lead the battle to bring the power of rock back to the people.
"This show is all about legend," says Ben Elton. "We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the mighty corporation who wants to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two – the dreamer Galileo, and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?"
"Creating the show with Ben was very much a three-way thing," says Roger Taylor. "It was great because he was a pleasure to work with and because he has such a fertile mind. He never stops churning out ideas."
Elton updates his book regularly, keeping the satirical edge of his script totally relevant to the time and location of the production.
Brian May adds, "The amazing bonus is that Ben's script subtly works as a metaphor too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey."

In a future age of mindless manufactured music, where everyone dresses the same, thinks the same, is the same, hope of breaking free rests with an unlikely resistance - an alliance of rebel Bohemians deep below iPlanet, waiting for a hero to bring the power of Rock back to the people. And in Galileo they may just have found their man… that is, unless the terrifying Killer Queen gets to him first, or even worse, he's actually found somebody to love…
WE WILL ROCK YOU features the greatest hits of the legendary British rock group, Queen. Now in its 11th year in London and seen by a staggering 15 million people worldwide, this hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon is written by celebrated British comedian Ben Elton and boasts a fantastic score of killer Queen tunes that you just can't resist singing along to, such as “Another One Bites The Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are The Champions,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, of course, “We Will Rock You.” It's the world champion of musicals and the show that rocks harder than any other, so don't miss the party - book your tickets now at www.wewillrockyou.com

Show and tickets information is available at www.fabulousfox,com