PERFORMING ARTS 12
We Will Rock You School Edition Queen was a band like no other. A stand-out innovative group of musicians who were never satisfied with coasting on who they were in a given artistic moment, but very interested in what they and their music could become. Driven by Freddie but relying and celebrating the gifts and ideas each brought to the group, they brought music into the world, and ideas of what music could be, that transformed Rock and Roll. I had not realized how deep their song-book was and how much it had permeated the fabric of my life till, listening to the soundtrack of this musical, I found myself going, “Wait that’s a Queen song?” “And that one?!?” “They wrote that one too!?!” I love this piece because it is so very Rock and Roll and so very Priory in its themes. One of our Benedictine Pillars is Individuality and much of this musical follows individuals breaking free from oppression, monotony and group-think to find their Individual voice. Along the way Community, Integrity, Hospitality and, through the transformational magic of Rock, even Spirituality come into play. I love it also because it really is a unified solid musical. Each Queen song drives the action forward, the plot moves like a freight train, the characters are well rounded, fun, comic, dramatic and recognizably human (even the ones that aren’t entirely human). We hope you enjoy the music, the tech and the characters as this incredible adventure launches forth, fueled by Queen, transformed by the imagination of Ben Elton, invested with incredible heart, soul and commitment by our Actors, Techies and Musicians, and presented for your pleasure. John Sugden, Director (excerpt from play program)
