In many ways, I am the target audience for We Will Rock You. I love Queen, I love theatre, and I love me some questionably bad sci-fi plotting. And yet, even I found myself wondering how much I was willing to overlook for the sake of the music.
Ben Elton’s jukebox musical drops Queen’s greatest hits into a dystopian future where Globalsoft has taken over Earth and outlawed original music. The Bohemian rebels wait for a savior: Galileo, a young man who hears mysterious lyrics in his dreams. Along with the rebellious Scaramouche, he must find the lost instruments and defeat the sinister Killer Queen before humanity is reduced to a world of computer-generated pop.
The plot is, to put it kindly, bonkers. We Will Rock You is practically the textbook definition of forcing songs into a story and then asking the audience to pretend it all makes sense. The dialogue can be wonderfully campy, but the narrative frequently feels like a long setup for the next familiar Queen song. Fortunately, those songs are the reason to be here.
New Village Arts’ production, directed by Sheldon Gomabon, embraces the show’s futuristic aesthetic with projections by Jesus Hurtado, transforming otherwise spare walls into the world of iPlanet. It’s a minimalist approach to a musical originally conceived on a much larger concert scale, and the visuals can feel underwhelming at times. The seven-person cast, however, throws itself into the material with infectious enthusiasm.
Sarah Ledesma stands out as Scaramouche, bringing serious power and personality to the role. As Galileo, Cooper Orio offers a sweet, clear vocal quality, while Gaby Ritter’s Oz and Osvaldo Mendoza’s Brit make a particularly pleasing harmonizing team. Juwan Stanford also makes an impression with “These Are the Days of Our Lives.” Samy Berman has a blast as the over-the-top Killer Queen, and Audrey Ward gets plenty of laughs as Khashoggi. Juwan Stanford also makes an impression with “These Are the Days of Our Lives.”
Erica Kahn’s choreography keeps the performers moving, while Erin Vanderhyde Gross serves as music director. Maricela Alaniz’s costumes, Stephanie Ma’alona’s lighting and Malick Ceesay’s sound round out the production.
No, We Will Rock You probably won't convince anyone that Ben Elton has crafted one of musical theatre’s great plots. But that may not be the point. This is a Queen concert wearing a very silly sci-fi costume, and when those opening chords hit, if you’re a Queen fan willing to stomp, clap, sing along, and embrace the camp, New Village Arts’ We Will Rock You offers a nostalgic, if at times baffling, visit to the future.
How To Get Tickets
We Will Rock You is playing at New Village Arts through September 20th. For ticket and showtime information, go to https://newvillagearts.org/
Photo Credit: JEDZANT Photography
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