(Pic: Craig Pesco in action!)
Power and posturing as Craig Pesco recreates the legend that was Freddy Mercury. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Ten years after the death in 1991 of the incomparable Freddie Mercury, Queen It’s A Kind Of Magic was the product of extensive auditions to find the right cast and a painstaking search for every piece of audio and visual history relating to Mercury’s unique rock band, Queen. The pulsating show stays true to Queen’s performance style with magnificent stadium type lighting, rock concert sound and authentic costumes.
Having conducted many sold-out world tours, Queen It’s A Kind Of Magic has returned to South Africa for the second time. Presented in Durban by Showtime Australia in association with East Coast Radio, it has a short run at the iZulu Theatre at Sibaya.
Freddie Mercury is a well-nigh impossible act to follow but Craig Pesco tackles the challenge with gusto and accuracy, giving us the rock star’s posturing, parading, energetic performance and powerful delivery.
Taking the role of Brian May is Travis Hair playing a Brian May signature edition Red Special guitar and using an Australian five cent piece as a pick instead of May’s sixpence. As drummer Roger Taylor, Brett Millican is performing on a drum set-up based on the kit Taylor used on the Queen Live at Wembley DVD. Both Travis Hair and Brett Millican held the audience rivetted with virtuoso solo pieces.
The quieter member of the foursome but providing a solid anchor role is Mitch Cairns as bass guitarist John Deacon.
I doubt the iZulu Theatre will ever be the same again as this show packs a huge punch in terms of sound! From my point of view, far too much sound. The volume would fill the new Stadium being built for 2010, let alone a well-designed theatre! This may be why Craig Pesco had some difficulty in getting the audience going this evening. Often a barrage of sound is intimidating and instead of connecting audience and performers, it can create an invisible wall between them. It also can mean that the songs lose their individuality. However, things improved after interval and the patrons were on their feet and ready to party.
While full-on concert hype is all very well, I yearned for the quieter and more sensitive numbers to be presented in a way where one can hear the words and the singer retains a sense of stillness.
As if Craig Pesco hadn’t worked hard enough during the show, he responded to shouts for an encore and returned to perform what, to me, was one of the highlights of the evening. Straight singing without all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, deadlines called and I had to leave before the show finally finished but as I was walking away from the theatre, I could hear his voice cleanly and clearly through the theatre doors and thought – “yes, that’s the Freddie Mercury sound I want to hear.”
So, nag for an encore!
Queen It’s a Kinda Magic! is the only Queen tribute show to be personally endorsed by Peter Freestone who was Freddie Mercury’s personal assistant for the last 12 years of his life. “Craig captures the thing that made Freddie special,” says Peter Freestone in the programme notes, “which is the presence on stage and the way he connects with the audience and the resemblance between the two performers is uncanny.”
Queen It’s A Kind Of Magic runs at the iZulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom from October 8 to 19. Booking is at Computicket. – Caroline Smart
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