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.
Queen and Ben Elton's smash musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, built around 24 of British rock group Queen's biggest hits, including 'Another One Bites The Dust,' 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love,' 'We Are The Champions,' 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' and 'We Will Rock You,' opens at the Warner Theatre (513 13th Street NW) on Tuesday, June 3, and will run eight performances until Sunday, June 8. For tickets ($55-75), visit ticketmaster.com or warnertheatredc.com.
If there's any 'jukebox' musical that should be wildly over the top it would have to be one connected with the 70's and 80's rock group Queen. It just makes sense. Their music always had a sort of 'larger than life', heroic quality to it to begin with. So, it's only natural that WE WILL ROCK YOU (book by Ben Elton), the stage adaptation, delivers a perfectly cheesy science fiction plot that forecasts a dystopian future where instruments and composers have become outlawed. With a thumping ten-piece band pumping out the score, this amusing and undeniably wacky production is rockin' the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
You smell that? That's hiring power, and Jared Zirilli's guest has oodles of it -- it's music supervisor extraordinaire Stephen Oremus (Wicked, Avenue Q, Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, just to name a few)!
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 Music Hall at Fair Park tonight, March 4, 2014. We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.
Jared Zirilli of the current broadway-aimed WE WILL ROCK YOU tour as well the Alley Theatre's A FEW GOOD MEN, off-Broadway's FAT CAMP and BARE, Broadway's LYSISTRATA JONES and WICKED, plus TWILIGHT THE MUSICAL, brings you 'Jared's Broadway Boo's' #63 with Famed Broadway Fitness Trainer- Mark Fisher!
The national tour of WE WILL ROCK YOU, presented by Theatre Under the Stars, is continuing to rock Houston audiences for another week. This high-energy show, with a score made of Queen's hit songs, is sure to have you clapping for hands, stomping your feet, and signing along. Kick your winter blues in the face and check out this fun and frivolous night of theatre before it's too late. Forget the Super Bowl, grab your friends, and go to a party you won't regret.
Theatre Under the Stars is rocking the new year with the National Tour of Ben Elton's book musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, which proudly boats the songs of Queen as its score. The show had its world premiere in London in 2002, and celebrated its 10th anniversary on May 14, 2012 at London's Dominion Theatre. Despite being panned by critics, this raucous, loud, and irresistibly fun rock musical has proven to be an audience favorite. Last night's Houston premiere of the piece was a sparkling example of why this show has had such staying power.
The notoriously harsh London critics predicted a very short lifespan for WE WILL ROCK YOU, a musical centered on the rock band Queen's hits, when it opened May 14, 2002 at the Dominion Theatre in London's West End. The Guardian felt the production came across as 'ruthlessly packaged and manufactured,' with its plot finding 'more unlikely ways to wring out another Queen song' into the two and a half hour performance.
Jared Zirilli of the current broadway-aimed WE WILL ROCK YOU tour as well the Alley Theatre's A FEW GOOD MEN, off-Broadway's FAT CAMP and BARE, Broadway's LYSISTRATA JONES and WICKED, plus TWILIGHT THE MUSICAL, brings you 'Jared's Broadway Boo's' #64 with 'SMASH' and 'First Date' star Krysta Rodriguez!
Jared Zirilli of the current broadway-aimed WE WILL ROCK YOU tour as well the Alley Theatre's A FEW GOOD MEN, off-Broadway's FAT CAMP and BARE, Broadway's LYSISTRATA JONES and WICKED, plus TWILIGHT THE MUSICAL, brings you 'Jared's Broadway Boo's' #63 with Famed Broadway Fitness Trainer - Mark Fisher!
Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) presents the worldwide smash hit "rock theatrical" We Will Rock You, running Jan. 22 - Feb. 2, 2014 at Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall. This hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking musical phenomenon is created by celebrated British comedian and writer Ben Elton (TV's "Mr. Bean" and "The Young Ones"), and boasts 24 of Queen's biggest songs including "Another One Bites The Dust", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and, of course, "We Will Rock You."
It's Saturday, and that means it's time for BroadwayWorld's 'Saturday Intermission Pics' roundup. Today's photos come from the casts of Goodspeed's THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, The Flea's FAMILY FURNITURE, NEWSIES, KINKY BOOTS, THE BOOK OF MORMON in the West End, ANNIE, THE WINSLOW BOY, HELLO, DOLLY!, EVITA, WE WILL ROCK YOU, SHOW BOAT at Asolo Rep, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, GREASE in Manila and more!
Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil Mcintyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations launch the first North American tour of Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You. The 'rock theatrical', built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits, debuted its national tour in Baltimore, MD, at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, in October 2013. The cast features Brian Justin Crum as Galileo, Ruby Lewis as Scaramouche, Jacqueline Arnold as Killer Queen, P.J. Griffith as Kashoggi, Ryan Knowles as Buddy, Erica Peckas Oz and Jared Zirilli as Britney. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
The worldwide smash hit 'rock theatrical,' Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen's biggest hits makes its Minneapolis premiere at the Orpheum Theatre (910 Hennepin Ave.) November 19-24, 2013. We Will Rock You is part of Hennepin Theatre Trust's 2013-14 Broadway Across America-Minneapolis Season and tickets are on sale now. For more information or to buy tickets, call 1.800.982.2787 or visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org. We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.
Jared Zirilli of the current Broadway-aimed WE WILL ROCK YOU tour as well the Alley Theatre's A FEW GOOD MEN, off-Broadway's FAT CAMP and BARE, Broadway's LYSISTRATA JONES and WICKED, plus TWILIGHT THE MUSICAL, brings you 'Jared's Broadway Boo's' #62 with viral internet sensation and Broadway alum of WICKED and MAMMA MIA- Carrie Manolakos! Check it out below!
There are 3 things you should know if you venture to see WE WILL ROCK YOU at The Hippodrome, which I strongly suggest that you do, and quickly, as it's only in town until the 20th:
The first North American tour of Queen and Ben Elton's We Will Rock You will debut its national tour in Baltimore, MD, at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, in October 2013.
On September 12, some of Broadway's brightest talents sang completely new arrangements of the hits of Amy Winehouse in the most recent concert of the BROADWAY SINGS concert series. More than 20 Broadway performers were accompanied by a full band playing brand new, original orchestrations of the English singer's greatest songs. The concert is the fifth of the series; previously honored were Adele, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, and Stevie Wonder. Below, check out a video of Jared Zirilli (We Will Rock You) and Whitney Bashor (Bridges of Madison County) performing 'He Can Only Hold Her' at the concert!
