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Last Updated: Aug 28th, 2008 - 16:04:52 |
THE RHAPSODY IS SPREADING…
QUEEN & BEN ELTON’S “WE WILL ROCK YOU”
SET TO ROCK THE UK
Regional Tour for 2009 while continuing record-breaking London Dominion Run
Like the band itself, which begins a massive European tour mid-September, the smash Queen & Ben Elton’s hit musical, “We Will Rock You” is set to rock the UK with a 43-week regional tour next year.
Having proved its enormous rapport with the public by achieving the distinction of becoming the longest running musical ever staged at the West End’s Dominion theatre where it is currently playing its seventh year, the musical will rock across the UK from March 2009 while continuing to play in London. The Dominion production is presently booking until October 2009.
The touring production of We Will Rock You opens at Manchester’s Palace Theatre
mid-March for a twelve week season. It will then transfer to play Sunderland Empire, Birmingham Hippodrome, Bristol Hippodrome, and ends 2009 with ten weeks at Edinburgh Playhouse commencing early November.
The tour is a Phil McIntyre Entertainment presentation with Queen Theatrical Productions.
Announcing the tour, Queen’s Brian May said: “We are excited to be able, finally, to send a brand new top class WWRY company out on tour around the UK. We are completely hands on, and will be visiting! The Mother Ship, in the Dominion Theatre, London, will be rockin' on all the while, keeping the home fires burning, until further notice!”
The touring production reaches local UK theatres carrying with it an impressive legacy: when it first became news that one of Britain’s most phenomenally successful comedy writers Ben Elton was teaming up with legends of rock, Queen, for a musical there was much speculation on what such a unique collaboration would turn out. Especially when screen icon Robert de Niro became so impressed after attending the original workshop that his company Tribeca came on board as American partner.
The result was a new chapter in theatre history – “We Will Rock You” - a rock ‘theatrical’ which defied all comparisons and has gone on to rock London’s West End and theatres around the world for the past six years to an audience of well beyond 6 million.
With the London production alone having been seen by close on 4 million people, played over 2300 performances, and grossed more than £100 million at the box office, “We Will Rock You” is well on the way to becoming one of the most successful rock musicals ever.
Says producer Phil McIntyre: “We are bursting with excitement; at last provincial audiences will get a true rock extravaganza. We can't wait to see the first night reactions throughout the country. We Will Rock You will rock the UK; it is the biggest and best rock theatrical!”
The show brings together a production and design team behind some of the biggest international theatre productions and rock tours.
Production designers Mark Fisher and Willie Williams have created set designs for Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, and the acclaimed multi-media shows for U2.
Costume Designer Tim Goodchild has already achieved three Olivier Awards for his work in the West End. Choreographer Arlene Phillips has shown her distinctive style in some of the biggest stage musicals of the past two decades, including Starlight Express, Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Bobby Aitken (Grease and Mamma Mia!) is Sound Designer.
And with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor as music supervisors, and behind the cast “a band without parallel in the theatre, reflecting the true power of the mighty Queen” you’d be right to expect “We Will Rock You” to rock as fiercely as the best of Queen’s concerts.
Writer Ben Elton has fashioned a hilarious futurist comedy around more than 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs delivered in a show that boasts the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances.
“This show is all about legend,” says Ben Elton. “We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the might corporations who want to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two – the dreamer Galileo and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?”
Says Brian May: “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.”
And Roger Taylor: “Creating the show with Ben was very much a three way thing. Which was great, because Ben has such a great active mind and has been a great pleasure to work with. He has a great fertile mind that never ever stops churning out ideas. He’s written a fantastic idea for the sequel. I counted 23 more hits he can put in it. Let’s see if people like this one first!”
Public sale of tickets begins from September 15 – September 22 depending on theatre.
We Will Rock You – not just a show, but a promise!
WE WILL ROCK YOU. A Phil McIntyre Entertainment/Queen Theatrical Productions/ Tribeca production.
www.queenonline.com
We Will Rock You UK Tour 2009:
Theatre Booking Details:
MANCHESTER PALACE THEATRE
Friday 20 March – Saturday June 2009
Tickets on sale: Monday 15 September at 10:00am
Performances: Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Wed & Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Tickets: £16.00-£40.00
Ticketmaster: 0844 847 2275*
www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk*
(*Subject to booking/transaction fee)
Groups of 10+ call freephone: 0800 587 5007 (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm)
SUNDERLAND EMPIRE
Tuesday 9 - Saturday 27 June 2009
Tickets: £12.50 - £37.50
On Sale Schedule:
8 September LiveCard Members 0191 566 1045
8 September Groups 10+ 0800 587 5007 (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm)
15 September General On Sale: Ticketmaster 0844 847 2499*
www.SunderlandEmpire.org.uk*
(*Subject to booking/transaction fee)
BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME
Wednesday 1 July 2009 – Saturday 5 September 2009
On Sale Schedule:
18 August Priority booking for Hippodrome Friends
10 September Groups priority booking: 0844 338 7000
15 September Priority online booking www.birminghamhippodrome.com
22 September Booking fully open: Telephone 0844 338 5000
and personal visits to Hurst Street box office
BRISTOL HIPPODROME
Wednesday 16th September 2009 – Saturday 31st October 2009
On Sale Schedule:
1 September BEP readers/LiveCard/Groups 10+
15 September Booking fully open: Telephone 0844 847 2325
and personal visits to theatre Box Office
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
Tuesday 3rd November 2009 - Saturday 9th January 2010
Tickets on sale: Monday 15th September 2008
24 Hour Telephone Bookings 0844 8471660
Online Bookings - www.EdinburghPlayhouse.org.uk
Editor’s Notes:
In addition to the London West End production We Will Rock You has already completed over 100 shows in Melbourne and in Sydney, and opened in Japan, Spain, Las Vegas, Russia, Germany, South Africa, Switzerland, Austria and throughout Asia. The current Toronto production has become something of a phenomenon. Originally scheduled to play seven weeks, the show was quickly extended again and again ultimately playing 61 weeks at the Canon Theatre before transferring to the Panasonic theatre where it continues to run.
The show has developed an extraordinary devotion from fans: on Tuesday, January 25, 2005, Londoners, Kevin Morrissey and Julie Daw, were married in Las Vegas where they had traveled to see the production there of their favorite musical, “We Will Rock You”. For their honeymoon evening festivities, they again sat through the show at the Paris Resort, Las Vegas. It was the 61st time for Kevin and the 42nd time for Julie seeing “We Will Rock You”. Following the show, the couple shared their honeymoon celebrations with the cast who made their evening by providing a backstage tour. The couple rounded off their honeymoon by spending their final night in Vegas again at the show.
© Copyright 2005 by QueenWorld.com
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