We Will Rock You (musical)

Infobox Musical
name=We Will Rock You


caption=The Japanese We Will Rock You placard.
music=Queen
lyrics=Queen and Ben Elton
book=Ben Elton
basis=
productions=2002 West End
2003 Melbourne
2003 Madrid
2004 Australia tour
2004 Las Vegas
2004 Moscow
2004 Spain tour
2005 Cologne
2005 Tokyo
2006 South Africa
2006 Japan tour
2006 Zürich
2007 Madrid revival
2007 Toronto
2007 Australasian tour
2008 Vienna
2008 Stuttgart planned
2009 UK tour planned
awards=

"We Will Rock You" (abbreviated as "WWRY") is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by English comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. The musical was produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and Tribeca Theatrical Productions, with Christopher Renshaw as director, Mark Fisher as the production designer, Willie Williams as the lighting designer, Williams & Fisher as co-video directors, Tim Goodchild as the costume designer, Arlene Phillips as choreographer and Bobby Aitken as sound designer.

The musical opened in the West End at the Dominion Theatre on May 14, 2002, with Tony Vincent, Hannah Jane Fox, Sharon D. Clarke and Kerry Ellis in principal roles. The musical was panned by critics, but was an audience favourite and became the longest-running musical at that venue. The story takes place in a tongue-in-cheek dystopian future where originality and individualism are shunned, and a lone "Dreamer" appears who can fulfill a prophecy that will enable the return of rock 'n roll.

A number of international productions have followed the original, and "We Will Rock You" has been seen in Australia, Las Vegas, Moscow, Spain, Japan, South Africa, Zürich, Vienna, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. As of August 2008, productions are still active in Great Britain, Germany and Canada.

As of April 2008, a sequel is in the works. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116795.html We Will Rock You Sequel Being Planned, by Mark Shenton, dated April 15, 2008] - playbill.com]

Development

According to Brian May, Queen's manager Jim Beach had spoken with the band about creating a jukebox musical with Queen's songs since the mid-90s. Initially, the intent was to create a biographical story of Freddie Mercury. About this time, Robert DeNiro's production company Tribeca expressed interest in a Queen musical, but it found the original idea difficult to work with.

In the year 2000, Ben Elton was approached to start talks with May and Queen drummer Roger Taylor on the project. Elton suggested taking the musical down a different path than initially imagined, creating an original story that would "capture the spirit of much of [their] music". He worked closely with May and Taylor to incorporate Queen's songs into the story. Elton has also stated that he was in part inspired by the computer-controlled dystopia of the science-fiction film "The Matrix". The script was eventually completed midway through 2001."We Will Rock You The Musical by Queen and Ben Elton: The Official Book". pp. 10-27] Before working on "We Will Rock You", neither May nor Taylor liked the musical genre.

The original London production began previews on April 26, 2002 and opened on May 14, 2002 at the Dominion Theatre. The show is currently still playing there, and in May 2008 celebrated its 6th anniversary.

Critical reception

London's critics almost uniformly panned the show, criticising the concept and direction. "The Guardian" wrote that the premise "really is as sixth form as it sounds", called the production "ruthlessly packaged and manufactured" and opined that the "sometimes funny" libretto exists mainly to "devise more unlikely ways to wring out another Queen song." [cite web|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,766309,00.html|title="We Will Rock You" Guardian Unlimited Arts] The "Daily Mirror" wrote that "Ben Elton should be shot for this risible story." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1988767.stm [BBC News] . Reviews. "Raspberries for Queen's Rhapsody"] ] However, some individual performances received praise [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1988767.stm [BBC News] . Reviews. "Raspberries for Queen's Rhapsody"] ] and the production remains a popular success.

Productions

West End and UK tour

The original production of "We Will Rock You" opened on May 12, 2002 at the Dominion Theatre in London, England. Tony Vincent played the lead role of Galileo, with Hannah Jane Fox as Scaramouche, Sharon D. Clarke as Killer Queen, Nigel Planer as Pop and Kerry Ellis as Meat. For her performance, Clarke was nominated for "Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical or Entertainment" at the 2003 Olivier Awards.

On August 17, 2005 "We Will Rock You" became the longest running musical at that venue, surpassing the previous record-holder "Grease".cite web|url=http://londontheatredirect.com/information/ltdItem.asp?lngID=69&lngCategory=1&datItem=Wed%20Aug%2017%2000:00:00%20UTC+0100%202005|title=We Will Rock You becomes longest running show at the Dominion.] This is notable because the Dominion Theatre is one of the largest theatrical venues in West End, with a seating a capacity of 2,000 people. The show is currently scheduled to play at this venue until October 3, 2009. Notable cast replacements include Mig Ayesa, who played Galileo; Mazz Murray, who took over the role of Killer Queen from Sharon D. Clarke in April 2004 and as of September 2008 is still playing the part, making her the longest running principal cast member; Rachel Tucker, a semi-finalist in BBC's "I'd Do Anything", took over the role of Meat on September 22, 2008. [cite news | title = IDA's Rachel Tucker Joins Queen We Will Rock You | publisher = Whatsonstage.com | date = 2008-07-10 | url = http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8821215617989&title=IDA%92s+Rachel+Tucker+Joins+Queen+We+Will+Rock+You | accessdate = 2008-07-10]

A national UK tour is planned for 2009, with performances at the Palace Theatre, Manchester (March 20 to June 6), Sunderland Empire (June 9 to 27), Birmingham Hippodrome (July 1 to September 5), Bristol Hippodrome (September 16 to October 31) and the Edinburgh Playhouse (November 3, to January 9, 2010). [cite news | last = Shenton | first = Mark | title = We Will Rock You to Kick Off U.K. National Tour in 2009 | publisher = Whatsonstage.com | date = 2008-08-22 | url = http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120655.html | accessdate = 2008-08-24] [ [http://brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsaug08.html PRESS RELEASE: THE RHAPSODY IS SPREADING… dated August 21, 2008] - Queen Press Release, Official website]

Australia and Japan

The first international production premiered at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia on August 7, 2003. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/wwry/OZ/pressrelease.html We Will Rock You Australia] - Queen Press Release] The cast included Michael Falzon as Galileo, Kate Hoolihan as Scaramouche and Annie Crummer as Killer Queen. Amanda Harrison, who originated Oz in this Melbourne production, had previously been in the ensemble of the original London production. The production closed at this venue on March 4, 2004 to make way for Australian tour stops at Burswood Theatre, Perth (April 27 to June 2004), Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane (July 27 to September 25, 2005), and Star City Lyric Theatre, Sydney (October 9, 2004 to March 13, 2005). [http://www.robertgrubb.com/Credits-Stage.htm Stage Credits, including We Will Rock You Australia tour] - Robert Grubb website] The same production then made an international tour stop at the Shinjuku Koma theater in Tokyo, Japan where it ran from May 27 to August 24, 2005. [http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/586/stage.asp We Will Rock You, by Dave Grunebaum] - Metropolis.co.jp] [http://www.arts.australia.or.jp/english/events/0505/wwry/ We Will Rock You Tokyo] - Arts Australia Japan]

Due to the success of the Japan tour stop, another Australian tour group was put together in 2006. They performed at the same venue: the Shinjuku Koma Theatre in Tokyo, from November 14 to December 17, 2006. [http://arts.australia.or.jp/english/events/0611/wwry/ We Will Rock You returns to Japan] - Arts Australia Japan] Some of the actors of the 2005 tour returned for the 2006 tour, including Peter Murphy as Galileo, Daniel Fletcher as Brit, Ross Givern as Khashoggi and Robert Grubb as Pop. Kate Hoolihan, who had played Scaramouche in the 2005 tour, chose to switch to the role of Oz in the 2006 tour. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsnov06a.html November 2006 archive] - Official Queen news website] The tour group then performed in Osaka from January 5, 2007 at the Umeda Arts Theater. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsdec06a.html WWRY JAPAN MOVES TO OSAKA IN JANUARY, entry December 2, 2006] - Official Queen news website]

pain

A Spanish production opened on November 3, 2003 at the Calderón Theatre, Madrid. The lead role of Galileo was shared by José Luis Cortés and Miguel Fernández. The rest of the cast included María Blanco as Scaramouche, Sheilah Cuffey as Killer Queen and Eva María Cortés (sister of José Luis Cortés) as Meat. [http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbfeb07.html MADRID REVISITED ..., entry February 18, 2007] - Brian May's blog] The Madrid production had all spoken dialogue and the lyrics to "No-One But You" and "These Are The Days of Our Lives", translated into Spanish, while the other songs retained their English lyrics. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/wwry/spain/press.html We Will Rock You Madrid] – Queen Press Release] This production was closed at the Calderón Theatre but began a tour through Spain with stops at Barcelona (November 12 to December 12, 2004), Bilbao (December 17, 2004 to January 16, 2005) and Valencia (February 3 to February 27, 2005) before closing.

In 2007, a Madrid revival opened at the Calderón Theatre with previews from January 23 and an official opening on February 12. [http://www.wewillrockyou.es We Will Rock You Madrid] - Official website] The revival featured an entirely new cast, with Daniel Diges and Julian Fontalvo sharing the role of Galileo, Ruth Calvo and Elena Medina sharing the role of Scaramouche, Maria Lopez and Lara Alcazar sharing the role of Meat, as well as Nieves Val and Tessa sharing the role of Killer Queen. This production closed in July 2007.

Las Vegas, North America

A US tour had originally been planned for 2004, with initially announced stops in Connecticut and Seattle. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/wwry/lasvegas/news.html We Will Rock You Las Vegas press releases] - Official Queen website] However, due to scheduling conflicts of the creative team, the US tour was scrapped and replaced with a production housed at the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is the musical's first North American venue.

The Las Vegas production had previews from August 4 and officially opened on September 8, 2004. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Sept_8/ai_n6184975 Smash-Hit Musical 'We Will Rock You' Premieres at Paris Las Vegas on Sept. 8 with Star-Studded Gala and Special Rock Walk Induction] - Business Wire] Tony Vincent, who had originated the role of Galileo in the London production, reprised the role, which he alternated with Jason Wooten. Aspen Miller and Kacie Sheik shared the role of Scaramouche, Patti Russo was Killer Queen, and Ty Taylor was Brit. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/wwry/lasvegas/cast.html We Will Rock You Las Vegas cast] - Official Queen website] The Las Vegas production "trimmed" down the book into a single act show. This production closed on November 7, 2005. [http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=520513 We Will Rock You to Close on November 27 in Las Vegas] - Broadway.com]

Russia

A Russian production opened in the Estrada Theatre, Moscow on October 17, 2004. The production's dialogue and all songs but three were translated into Russian, by Evgeny Margulis of Mashina Vremeni. [http://context.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/03/04/103.html Unhappy Ending, by Anna Malpas March 4, 2005] - The Moscow Times] This production closed only four months after its opening due to disagreements between the show's producers, despite fan protests to keep the show going.

Germany

A German production opened in the Musical Dome, Cologne on December 11, 2005. The Cologne production had the spoken dialogue translated to German, but the musical numbers consisted of a mix of translated German language lyrics and the original English language lyrics. According to Brian May, the language combination was intentional by writer Ben Elton, with German representing the show's "present day" and English representing the distant past. [http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbdec05.html FIRST ANNIVERSARY WWRY COLOGNE!, entry December 11, 2005] - Brian May's blog] The production closed at this venue on September 30, 2008 to be transferred to Stuttgart. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsmar08a.html WWRY DECEMBER IN STUTTGART, entry March 8 2008] - Official Queen news website] The Stuttgart transfer will open at the Apollo Theatre, with previews starting from November 12, 2008 and an opening night on November 16, 2008. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennews.html WWRY STUTTGART OPENING, entry July 30, 2008] - Official Queen news website] [ [https://www.topticketline.de/tickets.aspx?shop=WWRY We Will Rock You, Stuttgart tickets] - Official ticket vendor website, accessed on August 1, 2008]

outh Africa

A South African production opened at the Civic Theatre in Johannesburg on May 9, 2006. [http://www.artsmart.co.za/miscellaneous/archive/1402.html We Will Rock You (announcement)] - ArtSmart] The production starred Francois Schreuder as Galileo, Helen Burger as Scaramouche, Vicky Sampson as Killer Queen, and Helen Goldberg as Oz. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/wwry/southafrica/cast.html We Will Rock You South Africa Cast] – Queen website] This production made tour stops at the Artscape in Cape Town (from July 25) and the Playhouse Opera in Durban (September 29 to October 29, 2006) before closing. [http://www.artsmart.co.za/drama/archive/1914.html WE WILL ROCK YOU review by Caroline Smart, October 4, 2006] - ArtSmart]

witzerland and Austria

A German-language production opened in Zürich, Switzerland on December 3, 2006 at Theatre Stadthof 11, Oerlikon using the book of the bilingual Cologne production. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsnov06.html WWRY ZURICH PRESS LAUNCH PRESS] - Official Queen news website] The Swiss production starred Jessica Kessler as Scaramouche, Brigitte Oelke as Killer Queen and Rachel Fischer as Oz. This production closed at the end of 2007 to be transferred to Vienna. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsnov07.html ZURICH PRODUCTION MOVING TO ViENNA, entry November 23, 2007] - Official Queen news website] The transfer opened in Vienna, Austria on January 24, 2008, at the Raimund Theatre where it ran until July 13, 2008.cite web|url=http://www.musicalvienna.at/en/shows/t2_756/t2cat369/t6_835|title=We Will Rock You coming to Vienna]

Canada

A Canadian production began previews on March 14 and officially opened on April 10, 2007 at the Canon Theatre, Toronto. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106482.html Queen-Size Musical We Will Rock You Begins Toronto Run, by Kenneth Jones, March 14, 2007] - Playbill.com] [http://www.digitalhit.com/galleries/25 Coverage of WWRY Toronto's Opening Night, April 10, 2007] - Digitalhit.com] Mig Ayesa, who played the lead role in the London production, had been offered the role in the Canadian production by Brian May and Ben Elton, but the Canadian producers wanted an all-Canadian cast and Quebec native Yvan Pedenault was given the role. [http://www.edmontonsun.com/Entertainment/Music/2007/04/10/3970767-sun.html Mig had lead on We Will Rock You role, by Jane Stevenson, April 10, 2007] - Edmonton Sun; reproduced by [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsapr07a.html Queen News April 2007] - Official Queen website] The rest of the cast includes Erica Peck as Scaramouche, Alana Bridgewater as Killer Queen, Suzie McNeil as Oz and Evan Buliung as Khashoggi. McNeil had been a participant of the reality show "", in which she had competed against Ayesa and former Las Vegas "We Will Rock You" cast member Ty Taylor.

This production closed at the Canon Theatre on May 11, 2008 [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115834.html Toronto Hit We Will Rock You Will Close May 11; Canadian Tour Planned, by Kenneth Jones, March 12 2008] - Playbill.com] to be transferred to the Panasonic Theatre, where it opened on July 16, 2008. [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119491.html Rocking On! Toronto Hit We Will Rock You Re-Opens at Panasonic Theatre, by Kenneth Jones, dated July 16, 2008] - Playbill.com] The new Toronto production underwent major rewrites in order to trim the show before its reopening. Changes include: there is no longer any dialogue between "Ga-Ga" and "I Want to Break Free"; "One Vision" has been cut; the Act Two song sequence is now "Fat Bottomed Girls", "Who Wants to Live Forever", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Hammer to Fall" and then "Another One Bites the Dust" before leading to the finale. This production is currently scheduled to run until January 4, 2009.

Australasia-Asian tour

An Australasian tour was launched on at the end of 2007 in New Zealand, in which previous "We Will Rock You" cast members MiG Ayesa (London cast), Annie Crummer (original Australian cast), Neels Clasen (original South African cast) and Malcolm Terry (original South African cast) reprise their roles as Galileo, Killer Queen, Khashoggi and Pop respectively. [http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Features/20080302170447/Article/indexF_html Ayesa will rock you, by Faridal Anwar Farinordin, dated March 2nd, 2008] - New Straits Times] Talia Kodesh, who had played Oz in the South African production, played the role of Scaramouche in the New Zealand tour stop. [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsoct07.html KILLER QUEEN CRUMMER HEADS STELLAR CAST, entry dated October 29, 2007] - Archived by Official Queen News website] After the tour left New Zealand, the role was taken over by Sivan Raphaely, who had been in the ensemble of the original South African production.

The tour performed in Auckland, New Zealand at The Civic, The Edge (October 26 to December 2, 2007), in Seoul, South Korea at the Seongnam Arts Centre (February 2 to February 24, 2008), [http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2007/12/135_16435.html Concerts to Watch for in 2008, December 31, 2007] - The Korea Times] [http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/01/145_17201.html We Will Rock You to Hit Stage in Korean, by Chung Ah-young, January 13, 2008] - The Korea Times] in Singapore at the Esplanade Theatre (March 28 to April 27, 2008), [http://www.lunchbox-productions.com/show_wwry/overview.shtm We Will Rock You tour] - Lunchbox Productions] , in Hong Kong at The Lyric Theatre of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (May 16 to June 22, 2008) [http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsmay07b.html WWRY WITH ANNIE CRUMMER/MiG AYESA - AUCKLAND/SINGAPORE/HONG KONG, entry April 18 2007] - Official Queen News website] and in Bangkok, Thailand at the Muangthai Ratchadalai Theatre (July 12 to July 27, 2008). [http://www.thaiticketmajor.com/performance/we_will_rock_you_eng.php We Will Rock You tickets] - ThaiTicketMajor official website (Thailand)]

Casts

Other productions

From 2006, the show has been licensed for amateur productions in the UK, with proceeds going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust. [ [http://www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com/ The Mercury Phoenix Trust - Initiatives] ]

In early 2007 Queen Theatrical granted the rights for a non-equity production of "We Will Rock You" at the Jedlicka Performing Art Centre in Chicago from April, making it the first North American production since the Las Vegas show closed. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106132.html We Will Rock You Gets Chicagoland Run April 20-May 5, by Kenneth Jones, February 28 2007] - Playbill.com] Another externally-licensed production was staged in Varberg, Sweden from February to July 2007.Fact|date=May 2008

ummary: London version

Act One

The story is set 300 years in the future in a vaguely Orwellian world. Earth has been renamed as "Planet Mall", and is controlled by the Globalsoft Corporation. On Planet Mall, mainstream commercial conformity reigns, in which Ga Ga Kids watch the same movies, listen to computer-generated music, wear the same clothes and hold the same thoughts and opinions. Musical instruments are forbidden, and rock music is unknown. ("Radio Ga Ga")

In the newest graduating class is black sheep Galileo, who has dreams and hears strange words in his head, most of which are lyrics of songs long since lost, though he does not understand their significance. Despite his teacher's advice, Galileo refuses to conform like the rest of his classmates. ("I Want to Break Free") Galileo is captured by Khashoggi, commander of Globalsoft's police. The teacher also reveals a second anomaly, a young goth woman who is openly mocked and derided by her peers. ("Somebody to Love")

Ruling Globalsoft Corporation is the Killer Queen. ("Killer Queen") She has heard of a prophecy that instruments have been hidden someone on Planet Mall in the "place of living rock", and a "bright star" will show the way to them. She orders Khashoggi to get to the bottom of the matter and crush the rebel Bohemians who believe in the prophecy. Killer Queen then basks in her power over Planet Mall. ("Play the Game")

Galileo and the young woman wake up in a hospital. They realise that they are kindred spirits, feared by the rest of their society. ("Under Pressure") They flee together from the hospital.

Killer Queen has blown up all the rocks on Planet Mall, but cannot find any supposed hidden instruments. She insists that they have won, and the prophecy will not come to pass. ("A Kind of Magic")

On the streets, Bohemians Brit and Meat climb out of the sewers, where they have been gathering materials to make musical instruments. Brit is a believer in the Dreamer who will fulfil the prophecy, and insists to the cynical Meat that it's the key to bringing real music back into the world. ("I Want It All") Brit and Meat hear footsteps approaching, and hide.

Galileo and the woman arrive, with Galileo talking about his belief that he has a destiny. He says that he has a name for her: "Scaramouche". Brit and Meat reveal themselves, and accuse Galileo and Scaramouche of being spies, because Galileo keeps spouting words of the "sacred text". Galileo insists that he only hears those words in his head. Brit tests Galileo, singing the first few lines of "Bohemian Rhapsody". Galileo responds correctly with the subsequent lines, and Brit realises that he is the Dreamer of the prophecy. They bring Galileo and Scaramouche to the Heartbreak Hotel, which is located at the ruins of the Tottenham Court Road tube station, where the Bohemians have made their home. ("Headlong") Of note, the original London production is staged at the Dominion Theatre, which is located above the real Tottenham Court Road tube station.

The Bohemians explain that they take their names after singers long gone, and mourn the deaths of those who died young. ("No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)") The group then celebrate the reason rock bands started playing music in the first place, which was for love. ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love")

Khashoggi and his police suddenly arrive at the Heartbreak Hotel, where they round up the Bohemians for capture. Brit breaks free and battles the police in order to enable Galileo and Scaramouche to escape, but in the process is killed. ("Ogre Battle")

Act Two

The Ga Ga Kids of Planet Mall move on in their regular fashion. ("One Vision")

Galileo and Scaramouche have escaped the Heartbreak Hotel, and realise that back at the hospital, tracking devices were installed in their heads. They remove them, and upon realizing that they're all that's left of the rebels, they confess their love for each other. ("Who Wants to Live Forever")

The surviving Bohemians have been rounded up by Khashoggi to be tortured. ("Flash") When he cannot get any information from them about the prophecy, he has them brain-drained. ("Seven Seas of Rhye")

Galileo wakes up, and tells Scaramouche that he had a dream that the Bohemians were sent to the Seven Seas of Rhye. Scaramouche agrees they have to go there, but when Galileo insists that she stay because she's a "chick", to which Scaramouche takes offense. They argue, and decide that both of them will go to the Seven Seas of Rhye, but their relationship will be purely professional.

Back at Globalsoft headquarters ("Fat Bottomed Girls") Khashoggi reports that the Bohemians are no longer a problem. Killer Queen prematurely starts to celebrate. ("Don't Stop Me Now") Khashoggi interrupts her, explaining that Galileo and Scaramouche escaped. Killer Queen declares this the last time Khashoggi has disappointed her, and has him brain-drained. ("Another One Bites the Dust")

Galileo and Scaramouche are making their way to the Seven Seas of Rhye, arguing all the way. ("Hammer to Fall") At the Seven Seas of Rhye pub, Pop the librarian is serving drinks to the lifeless Bohemians. ("These are the Days of Our Lives") When Galileo and Scaramouche arrive, Pop explains the full nature of the prophecy to them as inscribed by the three remaining members of the band Queen just before they were sentenced to death. Scaramouche figures out that the bright shining star of the prophecy is rock star Freddie Mercury's statue, and that it's pointing to Wembley Stadium, the "place of living rock". They travel there by motorcycle. ("Headlong (reprise)")

Wembley Stadium is in ruin, with no instruments to be found. Reconciling, Scaramouche inspires Galileo to perform the opening of "We Will Rock You", and an electric guitar is revealed. Galileo cannot play it, but Scaramouche can. ("Brighton Rock solo") Pop hacks into Globalsoft's network so their music can be heard by everyone on Planet Mall, and Killer Queen is defeated. ("We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions")

After the curtain calls, the entire cast perform "Bohemian Rhapsody" as an encore.

Variations

International productions of the musical feature changes in the story and song line-up in order to better reach target audiences. All the main characters retain their general personalities across productions, but the names vary depending on the production. (See characters section below).

The dialogue contains many references to popular culture, with lyrics from numerous non-Queen songs and albums inserted into the text. These references are constantly changing, and according to writer Elton, this is to keep the show "fresh". Songs that have been referenced include The Beatles' "Help!", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "I Am the Walrus" and "Hello Goodbye", Little Richard's "Tutti Fruitti" and "Long Tall Sally", the theme from The Wombles, The Goodies' "Funky Gibbon", Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run", David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" and "Space Oddity", The Wild Ones' "Wild Thing", Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women", Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando", Oasis' "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?", Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady", Spice Girls' "Wannabe", Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and Black Lace's "Agadoo".

pecial shows

May often performs with the London production on special occasions such as anniversaries [http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbmay06a.html WWRY ANNIVERSARY, entry May 13, 2006] – Brian May's blog] and Freddie Mercury's birthday. [http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbsep06a.html September, 2006] – Brian May's blog]

Hannah Jane Fox, who originated Scaramouche, was the last original principal cast member to remain with the show. She gave her final performance on January 28, 2006, four years after the musical opened at the Dominion Theatre, and the event was celebrated with May appearing on stage to perform the guitar solo during the "Bohemian Rhapsody" encore. [http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbjan06.html HANNAH JANE FOX'S LAST NIGHT, entry January 29, 2006] - Brian May's blog]

On September 5, 2006, the London show celebrated what would have been Freddie Mercury's 60th Birthday. During the song "Don't Stop Me Now", ordinarily sung by Killer Queen, the band "McFly" (who were at #1 with the song on the singles charts the previous week) emerged onto the stage to sing it instead. [http://popdirt.com/we-will-rock-you-charity-performance/52293/] ] Brian May and Roger Taylor joined the encore, performing Taylor's "Say It's Not True" as a duo. Ben Elton also addressed the audience on this special occasion. The following week, tickets to the London show were sold from £19.46, Mercury's birth year.

On May 14, 2007, the London show celebrated its 5th anniversary with a special show featuring both May and Taylor playing in the final section of the show. Writer Ben Elton also made an appearance to present a special plaque to the cast, May and Taylor. During the portion of the show based in Pops bar, the line "But the Pub Landlord has a Bike" was followed by a cameo appearance of British comedian Al Murray, who came up through the stage on a motorcycle. [http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8821179224111 Queen's May & Taylor Rock Fifth Birthday, by Terri Paddock, May 15 2007] - WhatsOnStage.com]

The London show's 6th anniversary performance was held on May 21, 2008, a week after its actual anniversary due to the unavailability of Brian May. For the first time since the show opened, the Killer Queen character performed the entire song "Don't Stop Me Now", a musical number which is normally interrupted by the Khashoggi character. This unique performance is acknowledged by Killer Queen's dialogue: "No, you didn't let me finish, you never let me finish. For six long years, night after night, week after week, year after year. Well, tonight, I'm going to finish." To which Khashoggi replied: "It's not in the script?" Additionally, May joined Killer Queen and the dancers on stage for the performance. After the encore, Elton made a thank you speech, after which the entire cast performed "The Show Must Go On", accompanied by May on guitar.

Characters

Galileo - The central character of the musical; a dreamer who hears strange words in his head. He is eventually revealed to be a reincarnation of Freddie Mercury. The character's name is a reference to the lyrics in the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody".

Scaramouche – A sarcastic, cynical character and Galileo's love interest. In the finale she shows talent playing the electric guitar, and another character declares that she is a reincarnation of Brian May, only this time "he's a babe". The character's name is a reference to the lyrics in the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody".

Killer Queen – The villain of the musical, she rules over Planet Mall with an iron fist. The character's name is a reference to the Queen song "Killer Queen".

Brit (alternately Paris, Duff, Vic and J.B.) – Brit, short for Britney Spears, is the main male Bohemian rebel. In other productions, his name is either Paris (short for Paris Hilton), Duff (short for Hillary Duff), Vic (short for Victoria Beckham) or J.B. (short for Jeanette Biedermann).

Meat (alternately Oz) – Meat, short for Meat Loaf, is the main female Bohemian. In some productions, the character is named Oz after Ozzy Osbourne.

Khashoggi – Killer Queen's second-in-command, Khashoggi is head of Globalsoft's police and carries out Killer Queen's dirty work. The character's name is a reference to the Queen song "Khashoggi's Ship".

Pop – A librarian trying to figure out the "exact date the music died" - believed to be after the creation of something called 'American Idol'.

Other Bohemians – The other Bohemians have constantly changing names following media trends. These have included Paul McCartney,Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Williams, Beyonce, Madonna, Amy Winehouse, Bob the Builder, Boy George, Cliff Richard, Spice Girls, Elton John, John Farnham, Charlotte Church, Crazy Frog, Avril Lavigne and Clay Aiken.

Music

As a jukebox musical, the show's music consists entirely of Queen material. The musical numbers of the original London production are as follows. Act I
* Innuendo – Freddie Mercury and ensemble
* Radio Ga Ga – Ga Ga Kids
* I Want to Break Free – Galileo
* I Want to Break Free (reprise) – Scaramouche
* Somebody to Love – Scaramouche and Teen Queens
* Killer Queen – Killer Queen and Yuppies
* Play the Game – Killer Queen and Yuppies
* Death On Two Legs* (instrumental)
* Under Pressure – Galileo and Scaramouche
* A Kind of Magic – Killer Queen, Khashoggi and Yuppies
* I Want It All – Brit and Meat
* Headlong – Brit, Meat, Galileo and Scaramouche
* No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young) – Meat and Bohemians
* Crazy Little Thing Called Love* – Brit, Meat, Galileo, Scaramouche and Bohemians
* Ogre Battle (instrumental)Act II
* One Vision/Radio Ga Ga (reprise) – Ga Ga Kids
* Who Wants to Live Forever – Galileo and Scaramouche
* Flash – Bohemians
* Seven Seas of Rhye – Khashoggi and Bohemians
* Fat Bottomed Girls* – Killer Queen and Sex Yuppies
* Don't Stop Me Now – Killer Queen
* Another One Bites the Dust – Killer Queen
* Hammer to Fall – Galileo and Scaramouche
* These Are the Days of Our Lives – Pop and Bohemians
* Bicycle Race* – Bohemians
* Headlong (reprise)* – Galileo, Scaramouche and Pop
* Brighton Rock solo* (instrumental)
* Tie Your Mother Down* (instrumental)
* We Will Rock You – Galileo and Bohemians
* We Are the Champions – Galileo and ensemble
* We Will Rock You (fast version) – Ensemble
* Bohemian Rhapsody – Entire cast

Later in the London production, the "One Vision" sequence was changed to include Freddie Mercury's recorded vocals for the bridge. Previously, the bridge had been sung by the ensemble.

In the original London production, "Fat-Bottomed Girls" was a short instrumental interlude prior to "Another One Bites the Dust". Subsequent international productions expanded the song into a full song and dance sequence. Due to the positive response, the change was transferred back to the London production.

For the single-act Las Vegas production, "Who Wants to Live Forever" is replaced by "You're My Best Friend".

For the Australasian tour, "Play the Game" is replaced by "Now I'm Here".

For the revamped Canadian production, "One Vision" is removed.

On special occasions, "The Show Must Go On" is added to the encore.

Recordings

A cast recording of the original London production was released in November 2002. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/73353.html London's We Will Rock You Releases Cast Recording, November 12, 2002] - Playbill.com] Not all songs in the show were included in the album, the omitted tracks have been marked* in the above list. In August 2003, the London cast recording was given an Australian edition re-release, containing a bonus track of the original Australian Killer Queen, Annie Crummer, singing a studio version of "Another One Bites the Dust".

In 2004, Kerry Ellis, who was the original Meat in the London production, worked with Brian May to record an instrumental studio version of "No One but You (Only the Good Die Young)". This version is available through the official Queen website and in Ellis' limited-release CD single titled "Wicked in Rock".Kerry Ellis performs No-One But You. [http://queenonline.com/kerryellisdownload/] ] [ [http://www.dresscircle.co.uk/product.asp?StockID=33943 Kerry Ellis' "Wicked in Rock" single] - Dress Circle website, exclusive distributor]

A Madrid cast recording was released in 2004. The recording includes a bonus second disc containing an extended Spanish-translated studio version of "No-One But You" ("Solo Por Ti") sung by the original Oz, Eva Maria, and video clips of the original Madrid production.

A Cologne cast recording was released in 2005. As of February 2008, the Cologne cast album is the only "We Will Rock You" cast recording to contain "Fat Bottomed Girls".

Awards and nominations

;2003 Olivier nominations
* Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical or Entertainment - Sharon D. Clarke

;2003 Theatregoers' Choice Awards nominationscite web|url=http://www.queenworld.com/artman/publish/article_499.shtml|title=WE WILL ROCK YOU TORONTO!]
* Best New Musical (WINNER)
* Best Actor in a Musical - Tony Vincent (WINNER)
* Best Actress in a Musical - Hannah Jane Fox (WINNER)
* Best Supporting Actress in a Musical - Sharon D. Clarke (WINNER)
* Best Director - Christopher Renshaw (WINNER)

;2004 Helpmann Award nominations
* Best Musical
* Best Direction of a Musical - Ben Elton
* Best Choreography in a Musical - Arlene Phillips
* Best Male Actor in a Musical - Michael Falzon
* Best Female Actor in a Musical - Kate Hoolihan (WINNER)
* Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical - Robert Grubb (WINNER)
* Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical - Amanda Harrison (WINNER)
* Best Music Direction - Mike Dixon, Brian May and Roger Taylor (WINNER)
* Best Sound Design - Bobby Aitken (WINNER)

;2006 Naledi Theatre Awards nominationscite web|url=http://www.litnet.co.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news_item&cause_id=1270&news_id=8092&cat_id=305#*|title=Finalists 2006 Naledi Theatre Awards] [http://www.naleditheatreawards.org.za/winners2006.htm Naledi Theatre Awards 2006 winners] - Naledi Theatre Awards]
* Best Performance in a Musical (Male) - Neels Calsen
* Best Performance in a Musical (Female) - Helen Burger
* Best Comedy Performance (Male) (Play, Musical or Revue) - Malcolm Terrey
* Best Musical Director / Score / Arrangement - Bryan Schimmel
* Best Theatre Sound Design - Mark Malherbe (WINNER)

;2007 Dora Mavor Moore Awards nominations [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109113.html Scorched, We Will Rock You, Four Horsemen Are Among 2007 Dora Winners in Toronto, by Kenneth Jones, June 25 2007] - Playbill.com]
* Outstanding Production of a Musical (WINNER)
* Outstanding Direction of a Musical - Ben Elton
* Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role (Musical) - Yvan Pedneault
* Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role (Musical) - Erica Peck
* Outstanding Costume Design - Tim Goodchild
* Outstanding Sound Design/Composition - Bobby Aitken
* Outstanding Musical Direction - Rick Fox
* Outstanding Choreography in a Play or Musical - Arlene Phillips

References

External links

* [http://www.queenonline.com/wewillrockyou Official website]
* [http://www.wwry-london.co.uk Unofficial Fan-Site]