“We Will Rock You,” a dystopian British musical performed in around 17 countries, is in production at Baruch College under the lead of Zeynep Akça. The show will run from April 23 to 26 at the Bernie West Theater.
Akça is an adjunct lecturer at Baruch with an extensive background working on Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theatrical productions, including a Broadway adaptation of the play “An Enemy of The People” by Henrik Ibsen.
“We Will Rock You,” authored by Ben Elton, combines the idea of the cyber age with songs by Queen. “Bohemian Rhapsody” alone dominated the U.K. charts for nine weeks after being released.
The Baruch production consists of a team of 12 cast members and 12 professionals working backstage. The production is much smaller and has limited space compared to larger productions of the play.
Nonetheless, Akça assures that these differences will not harm “the rock ‘n’ roll spirit” of the production, comparing the musical to a Queen concert.
“We Will Rock You” focuses on various modern-day issues, like authoritarianism, censorship, propaganda, and the absence of social life due to technology addiction.
“A lot of the characters in this show live in the virtual reality world when the real tactile world around them is falling apart, and I feel like that’s very reminiscent of the kind of the world we live in,” Akça told The Ticker.
Akça aspires to bring fun and happiness to the audience through rock music, humor, and a deliberate selection of actors and ensemble members.
Sebastian Garcia, a graduate student at Baruch who will be playing his first leading role as Galileo Figaro, says the connections with his fellow cast members and the enjoyable process of “building up” the musical are the most rewarding parts of his work.
Garcia is also excited to experiment with the portrayal of his rebellious character and contribute his experiences of traveling around the world and “breaking free” from the norms of society.
Alongside the main characters, the ensemble cast will help shape the material and drive the storytelling.
“If an ensemble is bad, it doesn’t matter how good the lead actors are,” Rachelle Hernández, a Baruch alumnus and an ensemble member who will be playing four ancillary characters, said. “The play will be disjointed, and the play will not succeed in bringing the director’s vision to life.”
Hernández draws inspiration from rock music of the 1980s, which enriches the maximalist nature of “We Will Rock You” with its uplifting messages and non-electronic musical instruments.
“We’re here to overstimulate; we’re here to challenge; we’re here to get you out of the box and make you think hard about what you’re seeing in front of you,” Hernández told The Ticker.
Since its debut performance at the Dominion Theatre in London in May 2002, “We Will Rock You” has been seen by over 15 million people worldwide. The American theater stages welcomed the musical during its tours in 2013 and 2019.
The spring performances are scheduled for April 23 to April 25 at 7:30 p.m., and the final performance will show on April 26 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are anticipated to be released in early April and can be purchased online or at the box office at 17 Lexington Ave. Students will be able to see the show for $10, while regular admission is $16.
