Scene: The Ministry of Silly Pop Idols, London, some time in the early 21^st century

Background: Workers at this Ministry had been forced into a bunker by the unstoppable advance of an unassailable menace – a musical by the name of

‘We Will Rock You!’, which was once again making the music of Queen accessible to the masses….

Fosbray: I’m afraid it’s not very good news, sir. The threat continues, it appears – I’ve just seen the results of the latest reconnaissance – Melbourne, Sydney, Madrid, Las Vegas, and even Moscow... Conquest after conquest! What next?

Harris (Slamming fist on table): Blast! It might be possible to contain it if we could harbour it within theatres, but people are openly standing on street corners, singing ‘We are the Champions’ at the tops of their voices….

Harris: And if that’s all not enough, I’ve reports that it’s corrupting the youth! Subverting the classroom! (Picks up a piece of paper from his desk) Teachers sympathetic to our cause have been informing us – Look! From Rambourne College: 14-year-old Robert Fielding, whilst in the Humanities department, disrupted a lesson completely with a rendition of

Not to mention the reports of numerous but unrelated outbursts of ‘Radio Gaga’ in Electronics lessons throughout the realm!

Fosbray: Appalling, Sir, absolutely appalling. We HAVE to blame the parents! But I’m afraid I’ve received a report of an even worse case than any of those…

Fosbray: Yes, Sir, this is really extreme…most tragic….a report from the Expressive Arts Department at St. Bartholomew’s School… a 15-year-old, Charlotte Thomas, is said to have stepped forward, apparently with dangerous spontaneity, to deliver a performance of:

Fosbray: She went on to say that it was her hero, known as ‘the hairy one’, who had devised the number whilst on his way home in a car…

Harris (furious): In a CAR! The enjoyment of songs arranged in such an impromptu fashion is supposed to be a thing of the past! I’ve made it my life’s work to enforce strict guidelines that songs should be composed ONLY when sitting at a desk - quite mechanically, with computerised technology where possible…

Harris: As if it hasn’t been endangered enough already with the stress of combating this…this…this..TAKEOVER of people’s hearts and minds…..

Fosbray: Afraid not, sir. Totally transfixed, like all the rest. Here’s a transcript of the de-brief. (Hands transcript to Harris)

Harris (reading transcript): Fear me, you Lords and Lady Preachers: It’s a Kind of Magic when you go Headlong into this Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Do you know, she keeps Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet - Don’t Stop Me Now ‘cos I Want it All; I have One Vision of Somebody to Love. Another One Bites the Dust so I’m Under Pressure but these are the Days of our Lives and we Play the Game though I Want to Break Free – Will you do the Fandango? We ARE the Champions and We WILL rock you…..

Fosbray: Sir, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the earth!

Brian is interviewed in the 4-10 Dec 04 edition of the ‘Radio Times’. The reporter, Andrew Duncan, suggests that the storyline of the musical is immature and can be compared to a shallow shell, and that the songs are arbitrarily ‘slung’ underneath it. What does he know about the story? Does he know anything about the lyrics? What would he expect from an evening at the theatre? If I felt that any Queen songs had been ‘slung’ anywhere, I’d have been out of there in no time!!! What about the talent professionalism of the performers? He doesn’t even mention that!!!

I thought I would copy below the song list for 'We Will Rock You' followed my a brief synopsis of how the songs fit into the plot:

1) Innuendo - Freddie Mercury & WWRY Ensemble
2) Radio Ga Ga - Ga Ga Kids
3) I Want To Break Free - Galileo & Scaramouche
4) Somebody To Love - Scaramouche & Teen Queens
5) Killer Queen - Killer Queen & Yuppies
6) Play The Game - Killer Queen & Yuppies
7) Under Pressure - Galileo & Scaramouche
8) A Kind Of Magic - Killer Queen, Khashoggi & Yuppies
9) I Want It All - Britney, Meat & Offstage Chorus
10) Headlong - Britney, Meat, Galileo, Scaramouche & Offstage Chorus
11) No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)- Meat & The Bohemians
12) Ogre Battle (Instrumental) - WWRY Ensemble
13) One Vision - Ga Ga Kids
14) Who Wants To Live Forever - Galileo & Scaramouche
15) Flash - Police & Captive Bohemians
16) Seven Seas Of Rhye - Khashoggi, Police & Bohemians
17) Don't Stop Me Now - Killer Queen
18) Another One Bites The Dust - Killer Queen
19) Hammer To Fall - Galileo & Scaramouche
20) These Are The Days Of Our Lives - Pop & Bar Patrons
21) We Will Rock You - Galileo & Ensemble
22) We Are The Champions - Galileo & Ensemble
23) We Will Rock You (Fast Version) - WWRY Ensemble
24) Bohemian Rhapsody - Galileo, Scaramouche, Killer Queen, Khashoggi & Ensemble

Innuendo (instrumental intro only): harbinger of doom a backdrop to the catalogue of the decline of real music. The suppression of individuality: Radio Ga Ga showing a world where the internet has brought about a homogenisation of habits. In step two individuals with the message I Want To Break Free. Somebody to Love is sung by the female lead, surrounded by those who taunt her for being different.

Killer Queen and Play The Game are sung to show the power against any would-be rebels are up against, and Under Pressure to illustrate the suffering of anyone who doesn’t comply.

The belief in the power to put down dissent is demonstrated by A Kind Of Magic. The rebels state their quest in the rockers I Want It All and Headlong – the latter expressing a wish to rush towards the desired goal. The ballad No One But You laments the music greats who died young and Crazy Little Thing Called Love is sung to demonstrate the driving force that powers the rebels on.

The second half starts with another tale of conformity in One Vision but with a message of from another voice within it – Who Wants To Live Forever when the two leading characters feel themselves in a state of hopelessness. There is a brief extract from Flash - this and The Seven Seas of Rhye appear to signal the triumph of the evil power. However, Hammer To Fall shows that the rebels don’t intend to give up. A brief extract of Don’t Stop Me Now is sung for comic effect, and Another One Bites the Dust to show that the destruction of the rebels is seen as a game to the powers-that-be.

The wistful These Are The Days Of Our Lives seems to be the swansong of the rebels, but the theme of Headlong re-emerges with a reprise, which in turn brings the rebels to their final destination, and the climax of the finale.

SD: (About Kent-based actor Daniel Carter) I caught up with him earlier this evening before ‘curtain up’ to ask him if he thinks these songs adapt well to the stage.

DC: Yes, I do really, if you look at Queen as a band, I mean you can’t get more theatrical than Freddie Mercury and his costumes. .if you look at the epic of Bohemian Rhapsody, that’s like a mini-opera all in itself - a couple of the songs are kind of adapted to fit their use in the show but by and large they’re all sung in the original keys using the original lyrics and they’ve all got quite strong narrative that goes for each of them which really helps move the plot along in the show, so I think they fit really well into the show.

SD: So for any other musical when you’ve got a song that inherently tells you a little bit about the story or moves the story along, it’s already done for you in Queen’s repertoire.

DC: Yes…Ben Elton when he was writing the script, he kind of juggled the songs around, put them in different places at different times, but there are a lot of quite poignant ones – because the show is all about the struggle against evil and the oppression of live music… especially ‘Who Wants To Live Forever?’ fits perfectly in the show because it’s sung at a time when the rebels, as it were, are facing some real bad adversity, and so most of the songs really do fit well into wherever they’re put.

DC: It’s amazing, we’re still selling out, we’re two and a half years into the run and you can guarantee it’s tough to get a ticket at the weekends and then most of the week as well, because I think we’re kind of spoilt as well - the finale to the show really kinds of builds into a Massive climax – well, I won’t tell you how it finishes-

DC: Everyone gets up cheering and clapping and joining in with the songs because everyone knows them so well. I’ve always actually been a real big Queen fan before I started this job, I kind of grew up on them throughout my childhood so it was kind of like a dream job for me because I do actually get to work with Brian May, he comes in quite a lot and takes an active interest in the show, in fact he’s played on stage for a couple of performances since I’ve been here – he’s played the solo in Bohemian Rhapsody at the end of the show.

DC: It is, and the atmosphere in the auditorium then is electric because no-one knows that he’s going to do it apart from obviously the cast because you have to rehearse it beforehand - and so he comes out of a trap door, all smoke and lights..

DC: Yes, he does, actually. I think it’s the whole theatrical thing, again, of Queen - yhey’re such a kind of theatrical band, Freddie Mercury especially, you could see by his costumes, by the massive stage shows and the stadium concerts that they did, that really their songs do lend themselves to this kind of show, I think, definitely.

SD: Would Bohemian Rhapsody be the one song that really does get the audience going?

DC: Without a doubt, yeah, you can guarantee. There are very few bums on seats by that time, everyone is up joining in and head-banging in, like Wayne’s World style in that guitar solo - it’s quite amazing to see night in night out. It gets the same reaction every day. I think we’re quite spoilt really, the cast you know, I think the next show I go to after this I’ll be a bit disappointed if everyone’s just sitting there clapping at the end..

DC: It’s in the show, it comes as a finale to the show. The actual guitar solo, we don’t actually choreograph anything - we’re kind of free so we’re given the chance to really go for it on stage, and head bang and jump around and do all sorts of things but throughout the show in a lot of the choreography there is kind of the theme of the guitar playing, Freddie’s influence, his dance moves which were quite unique to him, the way he held the mike…and so it is incorporated during the show.

SD: Would you say that the actor who plays Freddie or takes over the character that Freddie created, does he have to sort of step into that role for the night, how do you play a role like that?

DC: The thing is, the show is in no way linked to Queen or the story of Queen, it’s set in a different time - I don’t think anyone could do Queen justice in that way. You needed to break away totally and do something totally different. The guy his name’s Mig Ayesa who plays the role of Galileo..he sings these songs night in night out. He’s got a fantastic voice. I know he’s spent a lot of time with Brian. As I said before, Brian really does take an active interest in everything in the show and he’s in every couple of weeks to see how it’s going, and I know not just for Mig who plays the ‘lead boy’ but for all the principals who have to sing the songs, they’ve worked long and hard about getting it right – and Brian gives them advice – obviously, he wrote a lot of the songs so he knows how he wants his songs performed. They each have worked individually with him and really put a lot of thought into how they put it across…

This was the first time that both Brian and Roger had played at the show. Brian had often provided the audience with a surprise by emerging through a trap door. He talked about the bonding experiences with the cast. He also talked about the fans and the public in general who ensured the success of the show, despite the pasting from the press it received at the start. Roger commented that people know more than critics!

'We Will Rock You' - Freddie Mercury 60th Birthday, Dominion Theatre, London, 5 Sept 06

I think that attending a birthday party when the host is not present could be considered a bizarre idea. Rather unusual I suppose, yes, but still possible. We laughed, cried, danced, shouted – all as in a normal night at ‘We Will Rock You’. The cast – mostly changed since I had last seen the production – more than lived up to the occasion. Meat’s rendition of ‘No-one But You’ was totally stunning, Galileo and Pop handled the ad-libbing made necessary by audience participation brilliantly and Britney now had more of an African flavour to his humour. The only cast member still in her role since my last visit was the Killer Queen, who, spectacular as ever, improvised an extra line or two when she found a McFly in the ointment. Khashoggi, after all, had to be re-directed to the reason for the interruption he was unable to make when the foursome emerged on stage to finish off the song they had just made into a hit all over again: ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’.

Picture: Aero

It was for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody' that Brian emerged, ‘beamed up’ through the trap door front of stage, strangely propelled from the past into the present, but also into the prospective world of a century to come. He looked the part, though, a latter day Time Lord, instantly providing ‘Star Trek’, ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Back to the Future’ all at once, as he played his guitar piece on the Red Special.

Picture: Vivid

Then after the grand finale, there was Brian on his own, and then Roger too, quietly remembering our absent friend, Brian with 'Love of My Life' - when he hit that high note, I went there with him! - and he accompanied Roger singing an impeccably performed 'Say It's Not True', and I also sang along. It was all so incredibly right. Ben Elton had a few words to say, the cast and crew took their bows, the mirror balls exploded, and the night was over. It had belonged both to Freddie, and to us all.

Me at home in my fancy dress - picture: Georgia

October 7 2006 - The 'First Final Matinee'

I took my daughter Georgia along to the Dominion this time - she was reluctant to come, but her verdict by the interval: "This is well good!" It really was a superb show all-round, but special mention should be made of the partnership between Khashoggi and the Killer Queen (Mazz Murray), the latter smiled at us later on - we were on the end of the second row! This was after Brian had appeared through the trap door, hailed by loud cheering - Georgia had wondered what that was all about for a moment! Georgia and I smiled at each other. Then the whole theatre really rocked! It was something of a surprise - I wasn't sure if Brian would do it at this performance - I had booked it back in January at the time of the announcement that it would be the last matinee, but as we know the show has been extended. It was Georgia's first time and the show was fit for the VIP that she is!

Pictures were posted on the Queenonline forum by Headlong 20. Here are my favourites:

__________________________________________________________

Sixth Anniversary Show - The Dominion, 21 May 2008

The story behind this picture: In the normal course of events Brian appears through the trap door but there was a technical fault and it didn't happen this time. So, for the next, 'rocky' bit of Bo Rhap, he hurled himself on from stage right, and I captured the moment just after this happened. I attribute the quality of the picture both to a keen sense of anticipation arising from an innate awareness - after all this time - of the largesse of Bo Rhap, and to a prime position in the centre aisle seat of row three! Normally I'm 'not quite the shilling' when it comes to taking pictures. But I'm proud of this one.

See my collection of pictures here:

http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsmay08.html#34

and another one here:

http://brianmay.com/queen/queennews/newspix/08/WWRY6thAnni/pix03.html

WE WILL ROCK YOU - OUTSIDE OF THE UK!

WWRY Spain

‘We Will Rock You’, performed in Madrid with songs almost entirely translated into Spanish; a recording is available on double CD from www.queenonline.com .

WWRY Australia

Read

for a review of the Perth Show!

WWRY Sydney, (closing Mar 05)

Pictures of the after show party:

http://photobucket.com/albums/v519/the_bushfireblonde/After%20Party%20Sydney%20WWRY/

From www.brianmay.com, Queen News Section:

Amanda Harrison

Cast

Michael Falzon and Kate Hoolihan

Robert Grubb

Ross Girven singing

Annie Crummer

**Sun 19 Dec 04**
OZ CAST PERFORM THANK GOD IT'S CHRISTMAS AS MILLIONS WATCH ...

The cast of Australia's We Will Rock You performed Queen's Christmas hit Thank God It's Christmas to an ocean of waving candles as a record crowd of over a hundred thousand packed The Domain for Sydney's Carols by Candlelight on Saturday night. Millions more around Australia watched the television broadcast with international viewers tuning in via the web.

Carols by Candlelight are an Aussie tradition in every city and town. Last year the cast wowed a huge audience at Melbourne's carols, and earlier this month, Michael Falzon returned briefly to his old home town Brisbane, to perform at their carols.

After a special early performance of We Will Rock You at Sydney's Lyric Theatre, the entire cast arrived at The Domain - still in full costume and make-up - for the finale of the evening. Fittingly they sang Thank God It's Christmas followed by the John Lennon classic Happy Christmas (War Is Over)....

We Will Rock You - Germany (Cologne)

Roger Taylor talking to the German press about the musical 'We Will Rock You':

"We have a Spanish production and a Russian production and the Las Vegas production in America is very 'Vegas', and it's very funny actually. I think it is important that the show should fit each country that it's in and it should have something to do with that country, and not just be just like a rubber stamp product that's gone out of a production line. You know, in London, and this is not that. This is a German show, a German production, with German characters - some German characters - and I think a lot of things that the German people will find very funny. I look forward to the show being there for a very long time."

"It wasn't easy for us to crack Germany. It took about four years and then suddenly when the German people accept you, they don't forget you, and that's what we found - very loyal audience. Always good memories. In fact the first ever record that at we made in Munich took about 20 minutes to make and we were still making the album 6 months later when the record - that record was a single and it was number one in America, and it's called "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - and that was the first thing we did in Munich. Freddie wrote that in 10 minutes in the bath in the Bayerische Hof Hotel. And many memories of tours in Germany, great memories of some fantastic shows we did in Germany - all over Germany - over many years. It was always one of the best audiences and certainly one of the most loyal."

Cologne Premier - December 2004

Extract from Brian's ZDF Interview:

"WE WILL ROCK YOU was born of pain, that's what I would say...’ ‘We have a new canvas to paint on and new area to be creative in, so We Will Rock You was born of that desire to take Queen to the next place.’

Pictures: www.brianmay.com (Media section)

31 Dec 04: Media picture of the show itself:

Also see Thomas Zeidler's pictures from December 2004:

http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbdec04.html#31

Click on the link below for picture showing manager of the venue for the musical in Cologne, Michael Brenner, with Brian, Ben Elton and Roger :

http://www.rp-online.de/public/bildershow/magazin/musik/bildershows/4599?picture_id=0

WWRY GERMANY - 1 YEAR OLD

Happy Birthday WE WILL ROCK YOU

Queen and Ben Elton’s record-musical is celebrating its one year
anniversary. In Germany since December 2004. And only in Cologne!

With 250.000 sold tickets in only eight weeks the original QUEEN musical WE WILL ROCK YOU had the most successful start in the history of musicals in Germany. And the demand is unbowed because the one-of-a-kind show, which was co-produced by the band members Brian May and Roger Taylor and Hollywood star Robert de Niro, has made a huge impact on audience and press. The futuristic, hilarious story is a ton of fun!

The overwhelming demand has convinced the team of producers Phil McIntyre, Robert de Niro and Michael Brenner: the Musical Dome Cologne will be rocking until march 31st. 2007.

---

Heidi Will Rock You!

Heidi Klum congratulates the Queen-Musical WE WILL ROCK YOU on its one year
anniversary and proves that she does not only look good in front of the camera but that she can also rock!

Since the enthusiastic premiere on december 12th. 2004 WE WILL ROCK YOU attracts audience from all over Germany. On its first birthday over 600.000 people will have celebrated the unique show with standing ovations!

On november 29th 2005 the first prominent congratulator passed by: while
visiting Cologne the symathetic top model Heide Klum met the musical stars
from WE WILL ROCK YOU and also proved that she knew her parents’ QUEEN records.

After Heidi signed an original Brian May miniature guitar in a glass case with
best wishes for the second year, the cast surprised her with numerous QUEEN fan merch (including WE WILL ROCK YOU sleepers which were exclusivly produced for her son Henry!).

Afterwards it was time to rock. Together with Alex Melcher (Galileo),
Willemijn Verkaik (Scaramouche), Nicole Rößler (Killer Queen), Martin Berger (Khashoggi), Michaela Kovarikova (Ozzy), DMJ (J.B.) und James Sbano (Bap) Heidi Klum performed the Queen-Hymne WE WILL ROCK YOU.

Heidi knew every word of the rock classic by heart. “I heard my first
QUEEN songs as a teenager. In the US you can hear the song everywhere. The song is catchy and everyone knows it. At every big sports event it’s always responsible for great spirit.”
Heidi quickly learned the typical rock moves such as stomping and “hands
in the air” and even taught the musical stars some new moves: “Have you
ever heard of ‘snake’ oder ‘side kick’? Watch!”

Her favourite song to listen to at home however is the title song of
‘Biene Maja’ “In einem unbekannten Land…”. “I try to sing
the song with Leni and Henry. That sounds pretty funny!” If she would be against a singing career of little Herny? “He has to see for himself what he wants to do.”

Source: www.queenfind.com, Dec 05

Mar 06:

The Baden-Wuerttemburg and internet-based radio station, Radio Regenbogen - Radio Rainbow - is having its ninth award ceremony on at the Schwarzwaldhalle in Karlsruhe on 31 March - 'We Will Rock You' is among the 13 winners. http://www.regenbogenweb.de/presse/pressemitteilung/2006_03_maerz/award/20060323_PM_rocku.html It has won the '2005 Musical' category. Here's the summary: Since its world premier in May 2002 in London and its Cologne premier in 2004, the musical has brought back the myth around Freddie Mercury and co. to millions of Queen devotees. Using the music of the legendary rock mammoths Queen, the well known writer Ben Elton created the script of a futuristic story with witty and whacky humour, couched within the most wonderful Queen songs of all time. Here's the link for the general press releases: http://www.regenbogenweb.de/presse/pressemitteilung/2006_03_maerz/20060323_PM_award_preistraeger.html Other winners are mainly those from German-speaking countries, honoured for music, including charity work, and other media achievements. There is also a talent award for a local band. Also, by way of preview, event organiser Andreas Ksionsek says: 'The performance of the cast of the musical 'We Will Rock You' will be a real treat for eyes and ears. The successful Cologne musical has inspired more than 650,000 people since its premier in December 2004 and has truly earned the accolade of 'Musical of 2005'.

INGREDIENTS

WWRY Moscow (closing Mar 05)

from Russian Show RMA- 17.10.2004, QUEEN with ZEMFIRA (Moscow cast) singing

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

A Picture of the Show

Thanks to August for the above two pictures.

Also on WWRY Moscow from Queen News, www.brianmay.com:

On 8 January 2005 WWRY-Russia Cast gave their first performance on Moscow club scene. The gig at the well-known Moscow's "B2" Club was very SPECIAL!

www.brianmay.com

WWRY Las Vegas

WWRY was performed for the last time at the Paris Las Vegas on November 27 2005, but the show may be undertaking a US tour.

Ben, Roger and Brian in Las Vegas, June 04

200^th Las Vegas Show, 30 January 2005:

We Will Rock You: Full Review

Lowered expectations are not always a bad thing.

I was late to this particular party, what with “We Will Rock You” playing for the last several months now at Paris Las Vegas. But several trusted colleagues had been to the show and told me less than stellar things about it and so I kept putting it off claiming other priorities. I finally got around to it a couple of weeks ago, lowered expectations intact, and I have to tell you I was pleasantly surprised.

Co-written by Brian May, a member of the legendary rock group Queen, “We Will Rock You” features music from the band strung together over a knowingly silly futuristic story about a gang of bohemians attempting to rescue music itself from an evil corporate empire.

The fact that the plot, as it were, borders on ludicrous doesn’t matter really. When you have this much great music done with wink-and-nod gusto from seriously talented performers you’re willing to forgive a lot. Heck, look at "Mamma Mia!"

“Another One Bites the Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “We Will Rock You,” “We Are the Champions,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Under Pressure.” Do I need to go on? Because I can. That’s only about a third of Queen’s hits featured in the show, and while nothing can match the sonic power of the originals, the willing and able cast members do bang up jobs.

The cast of the Vegas show varies but on the night I saw it, Jason Wotten and Apsen Miller as leads Galileo and Scaramouche (Queen fans everywhere are going, “really?”) displayed over the top energy and, in Wotten’s case, eerily spot-on renditions of the late Freddie Mercury’s vocal styling without stooping to the level of cheap Vegas impersonation.

That over-top-ness works well for what they’re doing here. The plot in a nutshell: in the future an evil corporation runs everything, reducing all forms of expression including music to pre-packaged commercialism (we’re talking to you, American Idol). A plucky group of kids live under the radar, appropriating names from musical legends of yore (a world in which Britney Spears is a legend can’t be all bad), and tell tales of the chosen one who will rescue the world (we’re talking to you The Matrix). Enter Galileo and his love interest Scaramouche who set off on a trek to find a possibly mythic guitar that if played by the chosen one will bust the chains of repression and set music free once again.

Like I said, silly. But when served up with the kind of Busby Berkley musical enthusiasm it’s kind of hard to resist.

Many of the songs are shoehorned into the plot with only a passing interest as to whether they fit the moment. When they work, though, they work well. A sweetly exploratory “You’re My Best Friend” between Galileo and Scaramouche perfectly expresses love in first bloom. And if you can make it through “Only the Good Die Young” while images of musical geniuses gone too soon flash above (including Mercury who died from complications of AIDS) without getting a lump in your throat then you’re much less easily manipulated than I am.

This production of “We Will Rock You” has gotten a Las Vegas spin to it, reworking the story line so Galileo and Scaramouche travel through a flooded future Sin City where the people without music in their souls are sent as purgatory. More silly fun but it works.

There are some troubling moments. A surprise twist ending plays up female empowerment only to have said female flash her panties at the audience. For a moment you want to examine what kind of mixed message that sends about the role of women in society but then you realize this is a Vegas musical about a guitar with supernatural powers and you shrug your shoulders and get back to rocking out.

And the audience does rock. The evening I attending the majority of the people in the house were a solid 20 years past the target age of people who hit puberty just before MTV came along and ruined everything. But young and old were standing, cheering, pumping fists, hooting, and head banging to Queen’s greatest hits. Seeing that reminded me of how much the audience enjoys the equally lightweight “Mamma Mia!” in all its ABBA glory.

So go in with expectations fully in check and just enjoy yourself. You can practice your air guitar skills later.

Updated 9/19/05 (Effective 10/2/05)

Review reproduced courtesy of Vegas4Visitors.com

'We Will Rock You' - Tokyo - see links below!

The Tokyo run finished in August 2005. See the link below:

http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsaug05.html#111

How the production inspired a Taiwanese actor:

http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsaug05.html#125

Three clips showing footage concerning the Tokyo show:

Highlight Scene:

http://www3.stream.co.jp/web/amuse/wwly/mm012_of.asx

The Day of Rock:

http://www3.stream.co.jp/web/amuse/wwly/mm013_of.asx

Shiodome Jamboree:

http://www3.stream.co.jp/web/amuse/muute/mm020s.asx

Press Review in 'Japan Today':

Queen rocks Japan

By Dan Grunebaum

A poster of Queen adorns the new-look Koma Theater in Shinjuku.

TOKYO — Born Farrokh Bulsara to Indian parents on the spice island of Zanzibar, Freddie Mercury died of AIDS at 45 in 1991. His statue at the newly refurbished Koma Gekijo theater now stands guard over Kabukicho, Tokyo's sex industry Mecca, offering a warning to those who would partake.

Its placement may be a conscious companion to Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara's efforts to clean up the area, or an unintended irony. But the issue is academic. "We Will Rock You" is not about sexual behavior; it's about paying tribute to a great band, offering a few hours' escapism and, for co-promoters Amuse, Conversation and Koma Gekijo, putting on a good show and launching a new era for one of postwar Tokyo's historic theaters.

The story goes back a few years to just before the Australian production — the version visiting Japan — opened following the 2002 smash London debut of Ben Elton's Queen-inspired musical.

"Conversation was the first to contact us," says producer Louise Withers. "They indicated interest even before we opened in 2003. The task here was to find a theater that was available at the time our production was available, and also a theater that was available for the length of time the production needed to make sense financially."

Amuse CEO Yokichi Osato came on board with a plan to invest in and renovate Koma Gekijo, with "We Will Rock You" to anchor its reopening. Known as the leading venue for performances of enka, Japan's emotionally saturated roots music, Koma had fallen on hard times with the enka audience dwindling.

With a three-month run locked

Queen rocks Japan By Dan Grunebaum

Queen rocks Japan

By Dan Grunebaum