Although The Wizard of Oz doesn’t hit the Dutch Apple stage until later this summer, I feel it has a lot in common with its current production, We Will Rock You. It took a lot of “courage” for the theater to produce this relatively unknown show. The score and performances show a lot of “heart”, yet the story pretty much lacks any “brains”.
As you can probably discern from its title, We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical based on the iconic hits of Queen. The show features all the biggies, like Another One Bites the Dust, We Are the Champions, and Pressure. The five-piece, off-stage band, led by A. Scott Willaims is vibrant and on-point.
Unfortunately, the way that the story tries to weave those tunes into the plot leaves a lot to be desired. We Will Rock You is not a Queen biography. Stay home and stream Bohemian Rhapsody for that.
Unlike similar shows like Rock of Ages, Jagged Little Pill, or Moulin Rouge, there is nothing especially clever or relevant regarding the incorporation of the songs into the plot. The story is set in some sort of vague dystopian future, where rock music and musical instruments are banned. A group of ragtag renegades fight oppression through the power of rock and roll. It’s a weird choice.
Cameron Nies stars as the lead rebel, named Galileo Figaro who is sort of a Luke Skywalker-type character. Nies has a good voice, and got some audience laughs by randomly referencing pop song titles. He would say things like, “Oops, I did it again!” with minimal context. Amusing at first, it got repetitive after a while.
Remi Veronica plays fellow rebel and “liberated chick”, Scaramouche. Veronica can belt, and uses it to good effect. Craig Smith plays the good-natured Buddy (of Buddy Holly fame). Buddy resides in an underground lair called “Heartbreak Hotel” with rebels dressed up like icons such as Boy George, Cindy Lauper, and Janis Joplin.
The main villains of the show are the big, bad, bald Khashoggi played by Marc Christopher, and Sadie Farmer as boss lady, Killer Queen. To further cement the Wizard of Oz comparisons, Farmer’s portrayal owes a good bit to the Wicked Witch of the West. But instead of flying monkeys, she, inexplicably has a gaggle of pigtailed robots and fan-dancing minions to do her bidding.
I was baffled why the villains hated and feared rock music, yet regularly burst out into full blown Queen production numbers. Huh?
The set by scenic designer, Dominic Lau consisted of a few multi-purpose staircases and platforms in front of a video display projected onto the backwall. It was abstract and futuristic, but not especially interesting.
Overall, We Will Rock You is a strange and uneven show. Dutch Apple’s cast and crew bring ample amounts of enthusiasm and talent, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Hardcore Queen fans might consider buying a ticket, but I think there are much more satisfying ways to celebrate this great catalog of classic rock.
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