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WWRY Vienna

22/11/07
WWRY Vienna

VEREINIGTE BÜHNEN WIEN ARE BRINGING THE ORIGINAL
QUEEN MUSICAL FROM THE LONDON WEST END TO THE
RAIMUND THEATER FROM 24 JANUARY TO 13 JULY 2008

www.wewillrockyou.at

“When I saw the show at the Dominion Theatre in London, I knew at once that I wanted to bring this unique show to Vienna for my audience, and I am absolutely thrilled to be able to do so now in collaboration with WE WILL ROCK YOU producers, Michael Brenner and Dagmar Windisch! So I would like to personally say a special thank you to you both for your great willingness to cooperate in this joint venture,”, says Kathrin Zechner, Artistic and Business Director of Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, who in 2008 will be able to present her visitors with one of the most successful musicals in the history of London’s West End.

The international team behind the sensational original London version – Queen musicians Brian May and Roger Taylor, their long-time manager Jim Beach, director and successful author Ben Elton, set designer Mark Fischer and self-confessed Queen fan Robert De Niro – is also very pleased to be able to stage the exciting show in Vienna, where it will certainly be received by an equally enthusiastic audience.

Numerous number one hits, unforgettable live shows – Queen is without doubt one of the few legendary groups to have written musical history.

With their own musical WE WILL ROCK YOU – named after the eponymous anthem – the band is crowning its incredible history of success in an impressive way. Six years in development and costs of more than £7.5 million have certainly done the trick: since its premiere on 14 May 2002 at the London Dominion, WE WILL ROCK YOU has been considered one of the biggest shows, receiving standing ovations night after night, with guest appearances of celebrated pop greats such as Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink and McFly.

Hailed by the British media as “a new breed of musical” (BBC Newsnight) and as a fascinating “high-tech extravaganza” (The Guardian) the stage event, that is rock theatre through and through, has become a phenomenal audience magnet with sales of over three million tickets. And now in its fifth year, it is the only production to have outperformed by far other productions such as South Pacific or Grease at the Dominion, the largest of all the West End theatres.

The story, written and staged inimitably by Ben Elton, incorporating more than 21 (!) massive hits by the legendary rock band, redefines musical history. Elton, who as screenwriter, playwright and best selling author (The Young Ones, Beautiful Game, Mr Bean), actor, comedian and director is one of the best known creative minds in Great Britain, created an amusing, off-beat and self-mocking epic around the future of the real music: “Rock!”

Listeners to London’s most popular radio station voted WE WILL ROCK YOU the best performance of the year. It was the only musical capable of beating the live concerts by Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams to gain first place. In addition around 16,000 regular theatregoers declared WE WILL ROCK YOU to be indisputably the best musical in five categories and voted it the winner of the renowned Theatregoer’s Choice Award.

As well as the exceptional producers, the show brings together a creative team from behind the scenes of some of the biggest international theatre and rock concert productions. Designers Mark Fisher and Willie Williams have created stage sets for Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and U2’s celebrated multi media shows. Costume designer Tim Goodchild has won awards for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has won three Olivier Awards in the West End so far.

The Musical supervisor Mike Dixon has worked with artists such as Andrew Lloyd Webber in many of his numerous theatrical and TV productions. He is convinced “that in WE WILL ROCK YOU we have a band that is without parallel in theatrical history and which reflects the true spirit of the mighty Queen!”

For choreographer Arlene Phillips, WE WILL ROCK YOU is a return to her earlier collaboration with QUEEN, when she staged Freddie Mercury’s extraordinary performances in the videos “Made in heaven” and “Born to love you”. She has choreographed some of the biggest musical successes in the theatre world over the last few decades.

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