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Regional Reviews: St. Louis We Will Rock You Also see Richard's review of The Tempest
And the singing is outstanding in this New Line Theatre production, probably the best you've heard from this company, which is saying quite a lot, looking back over the 102-show legacy of company founder (and this production's co-director) Scott Miller. Leading man Braiden Kirkegaard wows us covering Queen's greatest hits in the role of Galileo Figaro, the "second coming" of rock-and-roll in a dystopian future, at the Marcelle Theater. The Brit-writ hagiography does not go all the way back in rock history to Sister Rosetta Tharp. But references to later white rock stars including Elvis Presley and the Beatles crop up like weeds that refuse to die, even in this show's fascistic future. Leading lady Chelsie Johnston is equally great as the chafing, independent girl who feels the same ancient pull of rock in a two hour and twenty-two minute show co-directed by Chris Moore. Once again, Mr. Moore's collaboration with Mr. Miller yields the same admirable results in the heightened physical and psychological dynamics we've witnessed in their recent productions together. Brayden Bessette's musical direction is absolutely unassailable, with a New Line Band that boasts three guitars and two keyboards (the second keyboardist, costumer Becca Rose Bessette, was added during the final days of rehearsal), along with drummer Joe Winters. Josiah Gundersen fills the show with lively choreography. But the libretto seems like a perfect candidate for "mumblecore" theatre, where dialog takes a backseat to the headlong passions of the gutsy, irrepressible Mr. Mercury. Cut-and-paste storytelling, rather than adding depth, actually reinforces the feeling of a nostalgic revue in this case, especially when the audience is already a sea of gray hair, nodding to the tunes of yesteryear. But future archaeologists could still learn a lot about 1970s and '80s counter-culture, revue or no: this staging of We Will Rock You captures a primal sense of rebellion against the growing authority and repression of that time in America. In a show like this, we can easily summarize the post-'60s as "first came Stonewall, then came the backlash, and then came Queen." The secondary leads are just as fantastic as Mr. Kirkegaard and Ms. Johnston. Adrienne Spann plays Oz and Ronmal Mottley is Brit, two of the rebels against "GlobalSoft," a corporation that's taken over the world with high technology and low aspirations. And as we see here, another thing co-director Moore brings with him yet again is a wealth of non-white talent on stage. Ms. Spann and Mr. Mottley maintain the highest standards of humor and power balladeering throughout. Jeff Loeffler is heartwarming as Buddy, the leader of the rebel "Bohemians," with a fine ear for music but a tin-ear for lost Baby Boomer technology, many years after the fact. Evan Bronkema is startlingly great as the henchman of the Killer Queen who rules them all, played by the showstopping De-Rance Blaylock. (A clutch of minor lyric changes put us in the internet era.) The chorus is full of New Line veterans, creating a highly immersive environment, including Nathan Mecey, who also serves as scenic designer and technical director. And the top quality costumes are by Becca Rose Bessette, with very good lighting by Eric Wennlund. We Will Rock You, produced by New Line Theatre, runs through June 27, 2026, at the Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.newlinetheatre.org. Cast: The New Line Band: Production Staff: |
