WE WILL ROCK YOU Opens This Week at the Ahmanson

Queen and Ben Elton's "We Will Rock You," created by Ben Elton with music supervisors Brian May and Roger Taylor, is coming to the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, and with it comes a rock attitude.

"We Will Rock You" opens Wednesday, July 16, and runs through August 24, 2014. There is one preview on July 15.

Audiences are encouraged to wear their concert tees, download lighter apps and bring their drinks from the lobby into the theatre - including the special themed drinks The Bohemian Rhapsody (rum, blue curaçao, orange juice and tonic) and The Killer Queen (Jack Daniels Whiskey, ginger ale, pineapple juice and lemon). For a fun primer on "We Will Rock You" etiquette, please see this video - Great Ready to Rock at the Ahmanson.

The long-running, West End smash hit musical Queen and Ben Elton's "We Will Rock You" is a "rock theatrical," built around 24 of the biggest hits of the rock group Queen, which delivers a show that boasts the scale and electrifying spectacle that marked the band's legendary live performances.

"We Will Rock You" includes such songs as "Another One Bites The Dust," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and, of course, "We Will Rock You."

"We Will Rock You" is set in the future on a planet once called Earth that is now controlled by a big corporation. Computer-generated music reigns, no rock music is heard, all musical instruments are banned and conformity is enforced. A pair of young renegades, Galileo and Scaramouche, dare to break free and bring the power of rock back to the people.

"We Will Rock You" is set in the future on a planet once called Earth that is now controlled by a big corporation. Computer-generated music reigns, no rock music is heard, all musical instruments are banned and conformity is enforced. A pair of young renegades, Galileo and Scaramouche, dare to break free and bring the power of rock back to the people.

"I loved every moment of the evening and so did everybody else in the packed auditorium," said James Whitaker of London's Daily Mirror. "By the end we were all on our feet waving our arms. There were numerous calls for encores and, if we'd had our way, the cast wouldn't have been allowed home until breakfast. The show should run forever."

"We Will Rock You," which received the 2011 Olivier Audience Award, has been playing to enthusiastic crowds for 11 years in London, and has had productions in more than 15 countries.

The North American tour of "We Will Rock You" is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.

Ben Elton, a British comedy star, co-wrote the hit BBC situation comedy "The Young Ones," which won BAFTA's Best Comedy Award, and such TV series as "Happy Families," "Filthy Rich and Catflap" and "The Thin Blue Line" (British Comedy Award). With co-writer Richard Curtis, he created three seasons of "Blackadder," winning four BAFTAs and an Emmy Award. Elton has written three West End plays, "Gasping," "Silly Cow" and "Popcorn" (Olivier Award for Best Comedy), and 13 novels.

Brian May is a founding member of Queen, and world-renowned guitarist, songwriter, producer and performer. He penned 22 of Queen's Top 20 hit singles including "We Will Rock You." Namesake to the worldwide hit "rock theatrical" musical, the track has been declared the most-played song at American sporting events, and was performed by May and Taylor for a TV audience estimated at one billion in the closing ceremonies of London's 2012 Olympic Games.

Roger Taylor, powerhouse drummer for Queen, wrote such landmark Queen hits as "Radio Ga Ga," "A Kind of Magic" and "Days of Our Lives." He has also released five solo albums - "I Wanna Testify," "Fun in Space," "Strange Frontier," "Happiness?" and "Electric Fire." For the musical "We Will Rock You," Taylor worked closely with May and Elton to shape the piece, and has served, along with May, as Musical Supervisor for the first production in London, and subsequent productions throughout the world.

Tickets for "We Will Rock You" are available by calling (213) 972-4400, visiting online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, or in person at the Center Theatre Group box office at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets range from $25 - $120 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Ahmanson Theatre is located at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.

Pictured: Ruby Lewis and Brian Justin Crum in the national tour of Queen and Ben Elton's "We Will Rock You," which will play at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, July 15 through August 24, 2014. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

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