Ben Elton News

Sometimes jukebox musicals need to stay in the jukebox. There are some exceptions where it works. When it's a good review like “Smokey Joe's Café” or when there's a fun book like “Mamma Mia”. But when you take the songs of a classic rock band (such as Queen) and jam them into a completely contrived and nonsensical, thread thin plot the result (as with “We Will Rock You” currently at the 5th Avenue Theatre) is a barely entertaining mish mash of songs that left me less entertained and more embarrassed for those involved. Now I love me some Queen. I'm a little too young to have been aware of them in their hay day but like many others discovered them after their run as their enduring songs continue to live on. Which is why I feel they deserve better than the show they got. A show where we're in a not so distant future and people live their lives online (not so different from now) and because of this, rock and roll has been outlawed. (And there's the main plot hole because what's on the Internet but lots and lots of music.) So when a hunky idealistic dreamer, Galileo (Brian Justin Crum) who keeps hearing the lyrics from long dead rockers meets another outcast Scaramouche (Ruby Lewis), the two set out to escape the clutches of the all powerful Killer Queen (Jacqueline B. Arnold) and find other rebels who want to bring back rock. And how will they do this? Um, play music. Yeah, that's ultimately what drives the bad guys away, music. But then we've had music through out the whole show including from the bad guys. See, plot hole. And if this ridiculous story filled with so much bad, one repeated joke (how many times can we mention that the male leader of the rebels goes by the name Britney Spears?), sitcom humor and clunky exposition laden dialog from book writer Ben Elton weren't bad enough, but then they take these wonderful Queen songs and force them into the narrative often times changing the lyrics to try and make them fit. For example, they take the title song from the movie “Flash Gordon” and bastardize it so it's now all about giving the captured rebels electro shock therapy. Or how about Killer Queen singing “Fat Bottomed Girls” because, well I'm still not certain why she was singing it other than to check that iconic tune off the list. Did no one listen to the lyrics of the songs while trying to write the show? They're all quite narrative to begin with. And Elton couldn't come up with a story that fit in with those narratives? I mean he's even got characters names Galileo and Scaramouche but “Bohemian Rhapsody” (the thing all the bohemian rockers are striving for in the story by the way) isn't even performed until the end of the show as an after thought encore. The cast does what they can. In fact they amp their energy and intent up to about a 17 in order to try and give this story some punch. Crum and Lewis certainly have incredible voices worthy of Freddie Mercury and they completely shred any numbers given to them. Arnold too has a gorgeous voice but doesn't seem as invested in playing the villain in this over the top melodrama. But I have to mention Ryan Knowles who not only lent some incredible pipes to his numbers but some delicious comedic timing and heart to his character making him completely “ROCK”. But even the infectious energy of this amazing cast can't polish away the stench of this turd try as they may. The show is a somewhat fun ride but ultimately weighed down with such a horrible book and bastardized songs that it just feels insulting. Queen deserves better and smarter as do audiences, which is why I give “We Will Rock You” a NAH with my three letter rating system. Others may have enjoyed it but I just found it not worth the effort. “We Will Rock You” performs at the 5th Avenue Theatre through July 13th. For tickets or information contact the 5th Avenue box office at 206-625-1900 or visit them online at www.5thavenue.org.

Tonight's The Night, the hit musical comedy inspired by the songs of Rod Stewart, comes to Canterbury later this month.

Niamh Perry plays the role of Sophie in the MAMMA MIA! International Tour when it plays its exclusive UK Summer Season at the Blackpool Opera House now through 14 September 2014. Niamh previously played the role in the West End in 2009, when the musical celebrated its 10th birthday. The production recently held a gala to celebrate the show's opening, and BroadwayWorld has photos from the festivities below!

DPAC announced today that individual tickets for the Triangle premiere of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage will go on sale June 28 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at the DPAC Ticket Center or by visiting DPACnc.com and Ticketmaster. The staged musical of this worldwide smash-hit film will play DPAC September 16-21, 2014.

The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical', Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits will rock The 5th Avenue Theatre July 8-13. We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.

Book problems? Yes. But there's a really talented group of performers involved in this one.

West End's Queen musical We Will Rock You will perform its final show today, 31 May 2014, shortly after its 12th anniversary.

In advance of the upcoming tour stop in Washington, DC - playing from June 3-8, 2014 - cast member Brian Justin Crum (Galileo) answered a few questions via email for BroadwayWorld.Com about the show, his experience with it, and his musical theatre career more generally.

Niamh Perry will play the role of Sophie in the MAMMA MIA! International Tour when it plays its exclusive UK Summer Season at the Blackpool Opera House from 20 June to 14 September 2014. Niamh previously played the role in the West End in 2009, when the musical celebrated its 10th birthday.

Legendary member of iconic rock band Queen, Brian May has revealed new details on the forthcoming stage musical follow-up to long-running international hit jukebox musical WE WILL ROCK YOU in a new interview.

Ryan Knowles plays 'Buddy' in WE WILL ROCK YOU the smash hit musical by Queen and Ben Elton

Due to a shift in planning, the producers of 'Heartbeat of Home' have delayed their 2014-2015 national tour dates including the previously announced engagement at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, December 9, 2014, through January 18, 2015.

The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical', Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits, opens at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre tonight, May 20, 2014 and will stage seven performances through Sunday, May 25 (a full performance schedule is below). We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.

Tonight's The Night, the smash hit musical comedy inspired by the songs of Rod Stewart, that premiered in the West End in 2003 and went on to play sold-out theatres across the UK, has hit the road again as part of a new UK tour.

Memphis, the 2010 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical, opens at the Capitol Theatre on Tuesday, May 27 for a limited engagement!

Theatre on Fire closes its ninth season at the Charlestown Working Theater with something never before seen on a U.S. Stage: Blackadder Goes Forth: Live! The entire final season of the classic BBC TV series - by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton - will be directed by Artistic Director Darren Evans.

Theatre on Fire closes its ninth season at the Charlestown Working Theater with something never before seen on a U.S. Stage: Blackadder Goes Forth: Live! The entire final season of the classic BBC TV series - by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton - will be directed by Artistic Director Darren Evans.

It's not every rock band or musical act that could successfully create musical based on its many widely varying songs. There has to be a certain uniformity, power and resonance to the music, all of the music, carrying through many songs, rather than just one or two 'greatest hits.' And they have to be songs that can be strung together to create a cohesive whole that works as a musical with a plot, story, characters, etc. If there's any proof that it can be done, and done smashingly well, it's found in We Will Rock You, the 'rock theatrical' created through the combination of British writer Ben Elton and the music of Queen.

The musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, featuring the music of iconic rock band Queen, will take its final curtain call on May 31st at the West End's Dominion Theatre. However WhatsOnStage reports that a follow-up to the production may be in the works.

The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical', Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits, opens at the Fisher Theatre today, April 1 and runs through April 13.