We Will Rock You
Music and Lyrics by Queen, Story and Script by Ben Elton
Directed by Chris Moore and Scott Miller
Choreographed by Josiah Gunderson
New Line Theatre
June 6, 2026
Adrienne Spann, Chelsie Johnston, Braidy Kirkegaard, Ronmal Mottley
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre
I have to admit that I’ve had the opportunity to see We Will Rock You before, when I’ve been on trips to London while it was running there, but I chose not to see it–even though I love the music of Queen–because I looked up the plot and it seemed silly. Well, now I’ve seen it in the new production at New Line Theatre, and I’ve discovered that I was sort of right and sort of wrong. The show actually is kind of silly, but in a good way. It’s a pleasant surprise, majoring on the joy and fun of rock ‘n’ roll rather than taking itself too seriously, and that makes it especially entertaining to watch. At New Line, with a great cast and excellent production values, it’s a celebration of the pure joy and energy of rock, as well as reflecting some surprisingly timely trends in culture.
The story takes place in an alternate dystopian future society ruled by a corporation. Earth has been renamed “the iPlanet” and original music and musical instruments have been banned, with all entertainment being AI-generated, reducing the population to mandated rule-following “Gaga Girls” and “Gaga Boys”, ruled by the Killer Queen (De-Rance Blaylock), with the rules being enforced by a commander called Khashoggi (Evan Brokema) who is on a mission to stamp out the rebellion led by the “Bohemians”, a group of outcasts who seek to restore rock music after having found “sacred texts” that give them ideas about what rock ‘n’ roll was like in the old days. They also expect the arrival of “the Dreamer”, who will apparently help restore rock music to the people. This prophecy is apparently fulfilled by the arrival of a young rebel who calls himself Galileo Figaro (Braidy Kierkegaard), who soon meets another rebel that he dubs Scaramouche (Chelsie Johnston), who joins him on the quest to find the Bohemians and figure out what the dreams mean. This quest involves a good deal of confused information that leads to a lot of laughs, as well as the earnest striving of the Bohemians who also provide much in the way of entertainment value to the quest. The Killer Queen and Khashoggi also make intriguing and entertaining villains. Although there isn’t much doubt about how this story is going to end, it is certainly a lot of fun getting to its conclusion, providing a glimpse into the gloomy world that an AI-dominated society can provide, as well as the sheer joy of rock ‘n’ roll music and individual expression.
The rapport between Kierkegaard’s Galileo and Johnston’s Scaramouche is a real highlight of this production, as are their fantastic voices. The energy and enthusiasm generated by these two, and by the Bohemians led by Jeff Loeffler as the hippie-ish Buddy, and by Ronmal Mottley’s Brit and Adrienne Spann’s Oz, bring much of the entertainment value and jubilant energy to the production. The rest of the ensemble , played by Michael Kramer, Ian McCreary, Nathan Mecey, Rachel Parker, Reagan Posey-Mank, and Corrinna Redford, is also excellent, and Blaylock and Bronkema both have fantastic stage presence, and Blaylock’s voice combined with the music of Queen is a match made in rock ‘n’ roll heaven. It’s a show full of energy, humor, and heart, and the staging is creative and energetic, with vibrant choreography by Josiah Gunderson and a great rock band lend by music director/keyboardist Brayden Bessette.
The show has a distinctive look, as well, creating a believable post-apocalyptic look and vibe by means of Nathan Mecey’s excellent unit set and Becca Rose Bessette’s eye-catching costumes. The lighting by Eric Wennlund, props by Beth Burton-Livorsi and sound by Ryan Day also contribute much to the overall vibe and mood. It’s a well-defined look and world, inhabited by memorable characters and punctuated by the legendary music of Queen.
Overall, this is an immensely entertaining show, doing justice to its celebrated soundtrack and featuring a fun and excellently sung encore, as well. It holds attention from start to finish with a great theme, a first-rate cast, and of course the sound of Queen, featuring both “greatest hits” and more hidden gems. If you love rock ‘n’ roll, and especially the music of Queen, you should find a lot to like here. It’s a fine tribute to the music, the attitude, and the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll.
De-Rance Blaylock, Evan Bronkema
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre
New Line Theatre is presenting We Will Rock You at the Marcelle until June 27, 2026