Reviews: WE WILL ROCK YOU national tour at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall (2)

UPDATED with Charles' review.

"We Will Rock You" is fantastic. Fantastic, campy trash that probably sent Freddie Mercury rolling in his grave. At least a few times. Then the checks started rolling in and he realized it was all a glorious acid-fueled music video starring Tina Turner and David Bowie. Oh, you're gonna love it.

Read the complete review...

Really. This is the tremendous, baby boomer-nostalgia-inducing, rock and roll musical that "Mamma Mia!" wishes it could be. This. Thing. RAWKS.

Still, it's total manipulative, cash-a-big-fat-check, sell-out trash, right down to saving "Bohemian Rhapsody" for the unannounced encore. Really?

 It's a fun time, although a half-hour too long. I just wish the concept weren't so nakedly craven, especially in the way the show forces the audience to wait until act two for Queen's most memorable hits.

Read the complete review...

• "We Will Rock You" runs Dec. 17-22. Tickets are $34-$69. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.
• BBMann has a limited time offer - use code CHAMPION and get 50% off your tickets. Buy tickets for "We Will Rock You" online here: http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=555.
  
• Charles Runnells (The News-Press): Queen musical delivers tunes, little else
  The bar is already set quite low for jukebox musicals, but “We Will Rock You” manages to sink even lower. Its bong-hit of a plot combines sci-fi gibberish, desperate pop-culture references, cartoonish characters, obvious jokes and unashamed audience pandering (there’s even a clap-along). All on a cheap-looking set with screen projections that look like something from a bad ‘80s music video — probably intentional, but still not much fun to watch. (read the complete review)

updated with previews | Ticket Special: Half-off tickets to "We Will Rock You" in Fort Myers (plus more photos!)

"We Will Rock You" runs Dec. 17-22. Tickets are $34-$69. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com. For more information on the show, visit wewillrockyou.com and schoolswillrockyou.com.

We've also got a special deal on tickets to "We Will Rock You." BBMann has a limited time offer - use code CHAMPION (now where did that come from?) - and get 50% off your tickets. Now that's a real deal!

Buy tickets for "We Will Rock You" online here:
http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=555.

Here's my preview:
Chris Silk (Naples Daily News)
Music of Queen promises Fort Myers: 'We Will Rock You' next week!
Tracey Flye has loved the music of Queen since high school. "They have such a huge canon," she told me. No surprise then that she's been with Queen musical "We Will Rock You" since its North American debut in 2007. Wait. A Queen .. MUSICAL? (read the full preview)


Charles Runnells (The News-Press)
The Queen musical 'We Will Rock You' opens Tuesday at Mann Hall
He steps into the spotlight, electric guitar in hand, and launches into the face-melting solo from “Bohemian Rhapsody.” At the moment, he’s more than just Tristan Avakian, guitarist. He’s a rock god. Or, more specifically, he’s the Spirit of Rock ‘n’ Roll. (read the full preview)

I'll be there Tuesday night - come find me - and tell me what you think of the show!
In the meantime, enjoy all these photos from the show!

Barbara B. Mann adds second show to Dave Chappelle stop

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall announced Friday afternoon that the venue had added a second performance to comedian Dave Chappelle's Sunday, Dec. 15 stop. Chappelle will now perform sets at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Tickets to the 10 p.m. show will go on sale at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6. Tickets cost $55. Fees are $7 and tax is $3.30 per each ticket. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at bbmannpah.com.

Buy tickets online here: http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=624.

Dave Chappelle to play Fort Myers on Sunday, Dec. 15

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall announced today that Dave Chappelle will perform one night only at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15.

Tickets ($55) went on sale at 10 a.m. today. Fees are $7 and tax is $3.30 per each tickets. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at bbmannpah.com.

Buy tickets online here: http://www.bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=624.

Chappelle will also play the Jackie Gleason Theatre at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Dec. 13 and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Dec. 17.

Chappelle had difficulty during an August event at the Funny or Die Oddball Comedy Tour in Hartford, Conn.  A rowdy crowd and/or an upset Chappelle caused him to abandon his set early.

The music of Queen comes to Fort Myers as "We Will Rock You" hits on Dec. 17

Jacqueline Arnold in the national tour of We Will Rock You. © Paul Kolnik

"We Will Rock You" kicks off the Broadway season at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Really, we don't count "Mamma Mia!" Seriously.

The show uses the songs of Queen - attached to a book from the writer of "Mr. Bean." Yeah. And it is billed as a "rock theatrical." I. Cannot. Wait. It has run for 12 years in the West End. Let's hope Fort Myers is ready for a "Bohemian Rhapsody!"

Here's my preview:

© Paul Kolnik

Music of Queen promises Fort Myers: 'We Will Rock You' next week!
Tracey Flye has loved the music of Queen since high school. "They have such a huge canon," she told me. No surprise then that she's been with Queen musical "We Will Rock You" since its North American debut in 2007. Wait. A Queen .. MUSICAL?

Heroes Galileo and Scaramouche find a statue of Freddie Mercury, which leads to an electric guitar. After a medley of "Tie Your Mother Down," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions," rock music is saved and the evil Killer Queen is defeated.

Flye admits that maybe a jukebox musical with the music of Queen isn't the first thing you might think of as a blockbuster hit. But remember, this one has played five continents. It just hasn't played Broadway. "Nothing surprises me anymore," she laughs. "I worked on 'Mamma Mia!" (read the full preview)

"We Will Rock You" runs Dec. 17-22. Tickets are $34-$69. Call (239) 481-4849 or online at www.bbmannpah.com.  For more information on the show, visit wewillrockyou.com and schoolswillrockyou.com.

Complete press release below.

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Do Christmas the Detroit way with BBMann's Motown Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 13

I like Motown. That is all. Here's a press release. Oh. Here's the hook for the show. "features an all-star line-up of vocalists and musicians assembled from the ranks of the Capitols and the Miracles and former members of the Temptations."

The Motown Holiday Spectacular plays Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13. For tickets ($42, $53, $63) call (239) 481-4849, bbmannpah.com or motownholiday.com. Or you can buy online here.

"Deck the Halls" with Gulf Coast Symphony at BBMann Saturday

Gulf Coast Symphony will "Deck The Halls" at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Carols, Santa, sing-alongs and seasonal favorites from the symphony dot the program. For tickets ($22), call (239) 481-4849 or bbmannpah.com.

Here's the direct ticket link: http://bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=580

Yanni comes to Fort Myers on Dec. 2; tickets start at $49.50

Yanni will hit Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers for one performance only on Monday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets ($49.50, $59.50, $79.50, $99.50 and $125) go on sale at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at the box office, by phone at (239) 481-4849 and via www.bbmannpah.com.

The Fort Myers performance is part of a five-date Florida swing that includes shows in Sarasota (12/1), Clearwater (12/4 & 12/5) and West Palm Beach (12/11). Fans can check yanni.com for the full schedule.

Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel to play Fort Myers in February

Two-time Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel will play Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 25, 2013. Tickets ($39.50) go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. Call (239) 481-4849, bbmannpah.com or at the box office.

Buy tickets online here: http://bbmannpah.com/performance.php?id=571.

Roll tape: Another "Fifty Shades" parody comes to Fort Myers

"Cuff Me! The Fifty Shades of Grey Unauthorized Musical Parody!" plays one night
only at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort
Myers. Tickets ($32, $39.50, $47, $56) go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20.

Sweet mother of Cthulhu, I cannot believe this exists. Actually, yes I can. The awful steaming pile of trash of a "Fifty Shades" thing that passed for entertainment last year left an entire Barbara B. Mann Hall full of panting women screaming for more.