Friday February 29, 2008
Theatre of dreams
Stories by N. RAMA LOHAN
For Miguel Ayesa, starring in a musical that celebrates Queen’s greatest hits is a dream come true.
THERE’S something poignant, almost poetic when Queen’s We Will Rock You bellows across the stands in a stadium – whatever the sport. The atmosphere is always charged, and crowd and athletes alike are always pumped up and primed for the spectacle that’s about to unfold before them.
Now imagine what this song would do at an actual Queen concert? Actually, you don’t need to imagine that any more because the upcoming stage production, We Will Rock You, celebrates the music of the famed quartet and might just bring fans close to an actual Queen experience.
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Going the whole hog: Miguel Ayesa (middle) takes a ride on the wild side in a scene from We Will Rock You. |
Its Singapore stint follows from spells in South Korea and New Zealand. The show has taken the world by storm, breaking box office proceeds in Germany where it’s the number one musical of all time, and even opened to record advances in Toronto since it first burst onto the London stage in May 2002. To date, more than six million people across the globe have seen the show.
All these accolades stem from the quality of the production itself, the heart of which is a unique storyline and a renowned celebrity playing its lead role.
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Annie Crummer (centre) plays the Killer Queen in We Will Rock You. |
“I’m so excited to be doing this show and touring the world. I’m getting a chance to see new audiences and see their reactions. I had never been to South Korea before this, or even Hong Kong or Bangkok,” reveals the extremely amiable Ayesa.
Ayesa made his appreciation for Queen’s music on Rockstar: INXS known when he performed Bohemian Rhapsody, but eventually lost out to another contestant. “I’ve always been a Queen fan ... in fact, I can barely remember a time when I wasn’t. I feel like I’ve always known the words to Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You.”
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Fab four: Queen, led by the late Freddie Mercury (third from left), in its hedonistic heydey. |
He first saw We Will Rock You after he moved to London with his wife some years ago to be a songwriter and publisher. “That was the first show I saw in London and loved it. It struck me immediately that this was something I could do. These are some of the best rock songs ever written.”
Ayesa has been fortunate enough to have the opportunity of slipping into the shoes of both actor and musician, and while performance remains at the heart of both principles, he draws them apart as two distinctly different disciplines. “In a concert, you have the freedom of doing what you please, there’s no script ... you’re the director and producer of your own show. In a stage performance though, everything is scripted, and you’re guided ... you’re playing someone else and have to hide behind that character.”
Whether it's The Who’s Tommy or Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, translating a musical into a stage production is not exactly a walk in the park and Ayesa is the first to agree.
“You have to get out of the box to do these songs justice and it’s great that the band’s music is so unashamedly bombastic and dramatic. The music of Queen has to be attached to an out of this world concept, which is represented in this storyline. This is a beautiful marriage between script and music ... it’s like Mad Max meets Flash Gordon meets Star Wars.”
We Will Rock You is a futuristic adventure set in the year 2350, a time where live music is banned on earth, but kids are in rebellion, fighting against the all-powerful Globalsoft Corporation, which controls their lives and feeds them a diet of synthesised pop. It’s difficult to overlook the similarities of We Will Rock You to Russian-born American novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, which even Canadian prog rock band Rush adopted in its concept album 2112, but this may just be coincidental.
According to Ayesa, even The Fab Four could have their music translated into a stage production. “I recently saw the movie Across The Universe and to my knowledge, no one has ever done a stage show of The Beatles’ music. I really think it could be great.”
While accolades for the production have bowled critics and fans over, the real ace up We Will Rock You’s sleeve is of course, the music.
“You can’t escape how wonderful these songs are. I think we forget how wonderful Queen was as a band and how flamboyant the songs are. This is the loudest musical you’ll ever see ... it’s more like a rock concert than a musical. People are surprised by the humour in it as well; though there are some really tender moments in it, too. It’s a complete emotional experience ... it’s not just a show, but an event.”
But is this all merely a satisfying trip down memory lane for the baby boomers and 1970s music scribes or a celebration of Queen’s music?
“I think this isn’t just a celebration of Queen’s music but rock music itself. It pays homage to individual expressionism and youthful exuberance. It’s about not letting people tell you what to do.
“I’ve seen kids, who had never heard Queen songs prior to this, come back for the shows, so it’s obvious Queen is gaining some fans with this. I met a four-year old girl in Auckland, New Zealand who came for the show four times!”
When asked to name his three favourite Queen songs, Ayesa throws a curve ball ... for one song at least.
“I think Bohemian Rhapsody is really unique ... it’s pure brilliance, really. I love We Will Rock You because it’s the ultimate battle cry, what with the feet stomping and clapping. It’s a call to arms ... a “bring it on” song.
“I actually did a cover of Who Wants To Live Forever on my album (see sidebar). The message is really beautiful – we need love to survive. There’s actually a very tender moment in the show where that song is played.”
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