We Will Rock You in Auckland

FIONA GOODALL/Fairfax Media

ROCK ON: Miguel Ayesa stars as Galileo in the Ben Elton-penned musical We Will Rock You.

FIONA GOODALL/Fairfax Media

WE WILL ROCK YOU: Rock Star INXS finalist Miguel Ayesa as Galileo in the Ben Elton-penned musical We Will Rock You.

FIONA GOODALL/Fairfax Media

STIRRING STUFF: Kiwi singer Annie Crummer stars as Killer Queen in the Ben Elton-penned musical We Will Rock You.

FIONA GOODALL/Fairfax Media

UP IN ARMS: Miguel Ayesa stars as Galileo in the Ben Elton-penned musical We Will Rock You.

FIONA GOODALL/Fairfax Media

OUT OF HER WAY: Kiwi singer Annie Crummer stars as Killer Queen in the Ben Elton-penned musical We Will Rock You.

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Kiwi star Annie Crummer shines in We Will Rock You - a Ben Elton-penned musical that pays tribute to rock act Queen. Reviewer Heather McCracken checks it out.

Who knew our Annie Crummer could be so nasty?

She's a formidable Killer Queen, strutting her stilettos around the stage in the musical We Will Rock You.

In leather and leopard skin, she looks a bit like she's been swallowed by Sharon Osbourne.

But the voice is all Annie: that girl can really sing.

The Ben Elton-penned musical, playing at the Civic Theatre in Auckland, imagines a future world where rock'n'roll has all but died.

It's a kind of Orwellian Footloose set-up, where live music and instruments have been banned.

Lucky for Elton that Queen frontman Freddie Mercury had such a theatrical flair for lyrics: The rebel "bohemians" are led by the dreamy Galileo Figaro and sarcastic sidekick Scaramouche.

Crummer's Killer Queen and her henchman Kashoggi crush any resistance.

And Queen are a "rock freedom fighters collective" from the distant past.

Yes, it's all very silly, and really a chance for Elton to slag off everything he hates about modern life: the internet, reality television, manufactured pop stars, chart music.

He would probably like to have a go at the bunch of under-30s sitting next to me who spent most of the show texting too.

But all the not-so-subtle digs about boy bands and American Idol seemed to go down pretty well with the mostly over-40s audience.

And the plot's not so important really, not compared with the real business of churning out Queen hits: Somebody to Love, I Want to Break Free, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Radio Ga Ga, I Want It All, Headlong.

Fat Bottomed Girls was slotted in with no link to the storyline whatsoever, but no one seemed to mind.

Rockstar INXS finalist Miguel Ayesa was in good voice as hero Galileo, and well paired with Talia Kodesh's feisty Scaramouche.

Ageing rockstar Pop, played by Malcolm Terry, stole the show a little in the final act with his cheesy one-liners.

By the time the arm-waving, sing-along hits were rolled out - We Are The Champions, We Will Rock You - even the texters were on their feet.

At three hours, it's a lot of nostalgia in one hit, but judging by the crowd reaction, it still wasn't enough to rock the true fans.

Guarenteed to blow your mind? Well, leave you humming at the very least.

• Heather McCracken is the chief reporter at Auckland newspaper Central Leader.

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  October 26 - November 25: The Civic, Auckland
  Tickets: Ticketek.co.nz
  Official website: www.queenonline.com/wewillrockyou

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  Do you agree with this review? Send us your feedback and we'll publish your comments.

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  Reader's feedback:

  We Will Rock You was the best show I have seen. My daughter, sister and brother-in-law went to the matinee on Saturday and would have loved to be able to go back that night and enjoy it all over again. I thought that it had something for everyone. A good laugh and fantastic music - what more can you ask for?
  -Christine

• We Will Rock You

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