WE WILL ROCK YOU Plays Warner Theatre With New Song, 6/3-8

Washington, DC--Queen and Ben Elton's smash musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, built around 24 of British rock group Queen's biggest hits, including "Another One Bites The Dust," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "We Are The Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody," and "We Will Rock You," opens at the Warner Theatre (513 13th Street NW) on Tuesday, June 3, and will run eight performances until Sunday, June 8. For tickets ($55-75), visit ticketmaster.com or warnertheatredc.com.

WE WILL ROCK YOU-U.S. Tour is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment, and NETworks Presentations. It stars Brian Justin Crum (Galileo Figaro), Ruby Lewis (Scaramouche), Jacqueline Arnold (Killer Queen), P.J. Griffith (Khashoggi), Ryan Knowles (Buddy), Erica Peck (Oz), and Jared Zirilli (Britney).

For this tour, writer-director Ben Elton has revised his original script to resonate with American audiences and to reflect the cultural changes since he first penned the show's narrative in 2002. "Apart from addressing the broader social and technological changes, I also get the chance to update moments of topical humor," says Elton in a statement. New additions to the show include recently most talked about pop culture references, including Miley Cyrus's twerking at the VMAS, and a new musical number called "You're My Best Friend."

"There's a scene where our two leads run away and discuss their loneliness and isolation," says Elton. "In 2013, it seemed ridiculous for two kids to discuss friendship without reference to Facebook. Young people now live in a world where it's possible to have many virtual 'friends' and 'likes' and yet still be entirely isolated and alone. The new dialogue with this changed emphasis brought the song 'You're My Best Friend' into the show."

"With Ben's updates, it's almost like a new show. However, in some ways, it was already ahead of its time when it opened in 2002. The overarching theme is a demand for individualism and intimacy in a world where everything is downloadable," according to Tribeca producer Jane Rosenthal.

Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor remain musical supervisors to the show, who have been on top when casting the singers, actors, and musicians for the show's every production worldwide, including its recent 10th Anniversary World Arena Tour, where rock singer MiG Ayesa reprised his role as Bohemian rebel Galileo Figaro.

Having seen by more than 6.5 million people in a record-breaking-12-year run in London's Dominion Theatre, where the show premiered in 2002, WE WILL ROCK YOU has recently been announced to close on Saturday, May 31. However, the show takes its rightful place in London's West End history: as of press time, WE WILL ROCK YOU is West End's Top 10 longest-running musical of all time. It has also been performed in 28 countries and has been seen by more than 16 million people.

The musical is set in the future, where independent, free-thinking music is not allowed--it is illegal. Everyone listens to the same type of music, and buys only corporate-sanctioned entertainment. Galileo, together with his friends, wants everyone to know that it is OK to be different and to express your individuality.

This show is all about legend," says Elton. "We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the mighty corporation who wants to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two: the dreamer Galileo and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?"

"Creating the show with Ben was very much a three-way thing," says Taylor. "It was great because he was a pleasure to work with and because he has such a fertile mind. He never stops churning out ideas."

May adds, "The amazing bonus is that Ben's script subtly works as a metaphor, too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey."

For more information, visit wewillrockyou.com.

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