They will rock you: Civic players bring Queen-inspired musical to stage

The Civic Players of Logansport are ready to rock you.

This weekend, the Civic Players bring their summer show to the State Theatre stage, 317 E. Market, when they perform the Queen-inspired jukebox musical “We Will Rock You.”

First performed in 2002 and set 300 years in the future, the world has been taken over by the Globalsoft Corporation and everyone conforms by watching mediocre movies, listening to AI generated music and wearing the same style of clothing.

Only the outcast Bohemians dare to be different. They are driven by a prophecy that hidden musical instruments, which are now illegal, are the key to overthrowing Globalsoft. Two outsiders named Galileo and Scaramouche are needed to find those mysterious instruments.

The play features classic Queen numbers such as “Under Pressure” (which Queen recorded with David Bowie), “Another One Bites the Dust”, “We are the Champions” and, of course, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Evan Vaughan and Emma Click, regulars on the Civic Player stage, get their first chance to shine in lead roles, playing Galileo and Scaramouche.

Vaughan said being a lead in musical was terrifying but he was having a lot of fun with the role.

He described Galileo as a young man who doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life but becomes inspired when he hears rock music for the first time.

Click described Scaramouche as a misfit and a sarcastic goth. She’s also the brains of the heroic team.

“It’s kind of like my life, really,” she said. “In high school I felt like a misfit. For someone to see me up there (on the stage), maybe it will bring awareness of the people who don’t fit in and that it’s ok.”

Vaughan said his parents raised him on music that ranged from Queen to metal bands like Pantera.

“I heard it all and I worshipped it all,” Vaughan said.

Click’s parents, the play’s co-director Sabrina Click and Aaron Click, who works at The Record Farm, also provided her with the childhood soundtrack needed to fully embrace the roll.

Megan Samuels plays Oz, one of the Bohemians searching for rock and roll’s past. She also helped choreograph the show.

“I’m usually the dancer, not the dance teacher,” she said.

Samuels brings a number of experiences with her, having performed in Winter Fantasy musicals at Logansport High School and was part of the IU dance team in college.

“This has been a new and fun experience to sit down and get creative in this way,” she said.

Samuels is often joined on stage by Brenton Hathaway, who plays the Bohemian Brit and provides comic relief.

Sabrina Click and Lorien Stair-Spicer once again lead the musical troupe. While looking for this summer’s performance, they were drawn to the themes in the play.

“The concepts that are in the script and the messages that are coming through the show, we are living this right now,” said Stair-Spicer.

“It parallels today so much it’s scary,” said Click.

Click compared the play to how the internet and social media have taken over large swatches of every day life and how young people interact with both.

She hoped Logansport would come out to the State Theater and see the talent on display.

“I don’t think people realize the talent there is (in Logansport),” Click said. “And not just in our local theater groups, but our bands and other things. This town has a lot of talent.”

The Civic Players will do a second weekend of performances on June 28 and 29. The decision was inspired by the success of last year’s musical “Rock of Ages.” While there are some adult jokes in “We Will Rock You”, parents can feel safe bringing their children to this year’s musical compared to “Rock of Ages.”

“Come see the show,” said Stair-Spicer. “Support theater. For $15 you get at least two and a half hours of entertainment. And there are drinks at the bar, concessions, theater popcorn…”

“…and air conditioning,” added cast member Chris Miller.

And, much like she did with 2022’s “Leader of the Pack” and “Rock of Ages”, Stair-Spicer hoped the audience will sing along.