Ben Elton, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen Join Opening of WE WILL ROCK YOU Tour Launch, Tonight

We Will Rock You show creators Ben Elton, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen will be in Baltimore, MD, at the Hippodrome Theatre tonight, Tuesday, October 15th for the opening night of their musical which is launching its first North American tour. May will join the cast on stage and play during the finale number, Bohemian Rhapsody.

The US production of the long-running London hit show kicks off at Baltimore's France-Merrick Performing Arts Center Hippodrome Theatre for the start of a national tour that will ultimately see the musical reach more than 24 US cities.

The show's 11-year-and-counting success at London's Dominion Theatre has spawned local productions in more than 17 countries around the world.

Now the show's producers, which include Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal/Tribeca Theatrical Productions, with Queen Theatrical Productions, Phil Mcintyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations, are taking the show to America's major cities.

The show has been a sell-out in London for more than a decade and recently received the coveted Olivier Award for Best Show as voted by the UK public.

For the US production, writer and director Ben Elton has redrafted his original script to resonate with US audiences as well as reflect the cultural changes since he first penned the storyline.

"Apart from addressing the broader social and technological changes I also get the chance to update moments of topical humor," says Elton on the eve of his tour's opening night.

Tribeca producer Jane Rosenthal says, "With Ben's updates, it's almost a new show. However, in some ways, it was already ahead of its time when it opened in 2002. The overarching theme is a demand for individualism and intimacy in a world where everything is downloadable."

"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."

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."

Contacts:

Baltimore Opening:

Marilyn WARANCH, Director of Public Relations France-Merrick Performing Arts Center.

(443) 703-2426 / Marilyn.Waranch@broadwayacrossamerica.com

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