WHAT can be said about Queen and Freddie Mercury that hasn’t already been voiced? Probably not much but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to talk about them. And fans will never grow tired of hearing the music, or their story. For the older ones among us, it shaped our youth, the soundtrack to our teens; for a new generation it’s the excitement of discovery.
Killer Queen, LAMTA’s new musical showcase at Theatre On The Bay until 20 June, is not only a tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time, but a stage for all the current students — first, second and third years — to bring what they have learned, and are learning, to an enthusiastic audience in 23 numbers crafted and shaped by 11 choreographers.
When you’ve got directors like Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander (also doing choreo duty) it’s not going to be a string of hits trucked out like a Spotify playlist. Oh no. You have Luitingh’s musical direction breathing fresh life into timeless favourites, and when they do shows like this, they dig deep, bringing in plenty of lesser known songs and unexpected surprises. Nothing is predictable. What’s Queen’s most famous song? Arguably Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s teased throughout, but you’ll have to remain tantalised until the end. It’s worth the wait.
We Will Rock You opens the show, with the full company. Killer Queen, Princes Of The Universe, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, Play The Game/Mr Bad Guy, Take My Breath Away, and Body Language follow. That’s just half of Act I. The energy is palpable, coming at you relentlessly. Pauses are filled with AV projections telling the story of Queen, with interview clips with Freddie which make you fall in love with him all over again. Therefore, naturally, his death hits equally as hard.
With a cast and crew of this size it’s perhaps unfair to single anyone out, because they’re all so good. But we must give “Baby Cillian Murphy” Noah Bircher a shout, not only for his uncanny resemblance to the actor but because he’s also a fabulous singer. Isabella Abrahams’s dancing prowess sees her front and centre because that’s where she belongs (see pic at the top). Jared Schaedler’s choreography is spectacular.
Put them all in dozens of dazzling costumes and you have all the ingredients for a fabulous night out. So much so that since it opened last week an extra show has been added on 16 June to accommodate the demand for tickets. Booking details below. Don’t live with regrets.
PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Rutland Manners
