PMT Opens ‘We Will Rock You’; Oakland Restaurant Week Continues (Thurs., 2/1/18)

Freddie Mercury (shown here in 1977) is gone, but his music lives on in ‘We Will Rock You’ at PMT. Photo: Carl Lender, via Wikimedia 

1) Was he the GOAT? Hard to say, as rock music has had many great lead vocalists and songwriters. But Freddie Mercury of Queen excelled at both, mixing sheer energy with rare artistry across a range of styles. That is why Queen’s music keeps winning new fans long after Mercury’s untimely death in 1991. And it’s why We Will Rock You—the stage musical based on Queen’s music—keeps rocking live audiences around the world. We Will Rock You premiered in London in 2002. Despite scornful reviews from critics who deemed the story line (by writer Ben Elton) too silly for refined tastes, the show played to packed houses for 12 years while spinning off many productions elsewhere. The story is set in a dystopian future where a Killer Queen imposes drab conformity on the masses. Her rule is disrupted, and joy restored, by a crew of ragged Bohemians led by Galileo and Scaramouche: Can you say “Bohemian Rhapsody”? Other musical numbers, all from Queen, include hard rockers like “Fat Bottomed Girls” and Mercury’s plaintive swan song, “These Are the Days of Our Lives.” Pittsburgh Musical Theater presents We Will Rock You in the Gargaro Theater. 7:30 p.m. Continues through February 11. 327 S. Main St., West End. (MV)

2) It’s Oakland Restaurant Week and that will garner you $6 lunch specials from 19 participating Oakland establishments. You could also win free lunches for a month when you purchase a $6 special from a food service establishment. There will be chances to win other prizes as well. Thai Hanna, Stack’d Oakland, Prince of India, Pamela’s Diner, Golden Palace Buffet, Nellie’s Sandwiches, and Peter’s Pub are some of the businesses offering specials. Ends Saturday.

Share on Social Media