Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God
Encyclopedia
Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God is a monodrama
written by Charles Messina
about the life and death of Queen
lead singer Freddie Mercury
. It presents Mercury in the moments just after his death, during which he is confronted with self-examination as he "seeks redemption before a God unimpressed by his celebrity."
Theatre in New York City's
Chelsea
district on November 24th, 1997 at 6:48pm - the 6th anniversary of Mercury's death. The part of Freddie was played by Khalid Gonçalves
(né Paul Gonçalves).
On opening night of the play, then-New York City Council
member Tom Duane introduced the show.
The play ran every night until December 7th.
On February 17th, rock musician Billy Squier
, a longtime friend of Freddie's, debuted a song that he wrote in memory of him titled I Have Watched You Fly. He introduced the song by saying, "I knew Freddie as a friend. I'm honored to share the stage with him in the afterlife."
The play was also performed every night during the second run, ending on March 8th, 1998.
Proceeds from the ticket sales of both runs were donated to Gay Men's Health Crisis
and The Mercury Phoenix Trust.
, also in New York City, with Messina again as writer/director and featuring Amir Darvish
in the role of Freddie.
In 2006, the play also had a special, limited engagement from August 30th to September 2nd at The Art House in Provincetown, Massachusetts
.
.
, Time Out New York, Zagat Survey
, and Back Stage
.
On November 26, 2011, the play was recognized by Flavorwire.com in their list of 15 Artistic Tributes to Freddie Mercury.
In a 1997 interview with Playbill.com, Gonçalves said, "All the things I've seen about Mercury focus on the music, career and persona; very little has been discussed about the person. Not only did Charles write a play about Mercury, he captured the humanity." "Charles and I agreed that doing a musical about Mercury would take away from what we're trying to do in getting to the core of this person. The ultimate goal is to make a film of Mercury's life."
Likewise, Darvish, in a 2004 interview with Access Hollywood
, stated that, "We wanted to stray away from the music. We wanted to tell his story. He has a story. Everyone knows the music. People are familiar with the music. It's his story, and where he's come from, and what he's done that people don't know.
A film version of the play is currently in development.
Monodrama
A monodrama is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character.- Monodrama in opera :...
written by Charles Messina
Charles Messina
Charles Messina is an American playwright, screenwriter and director.Messina was born in Greenwich Village, of Italian-American descent...
about the life and death of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
lead singer Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
. It presents Mercury in the moments just after his death, during which he is confronted with self-examination as he "seeks redemption before a God unimpressed by his celebrity."
Premiere
The play debuted at the Sanford MeisnerSanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner , also known as Sandy, was an American actor and acting teacher who developed a form of Method acting that is now known as the Meisner technique....
Theatre in New York City's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Chelsea
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
district on November 24th, 1997 at 6:48pm - the 6th anniversary of Mercury's death. The part of Freddie was played by Khalid Gonçalves
Khalid Gonçalves
Khalid Gonçalves , is an American actor and musician who is best known for his portrayal of rock icon Freddie Mercury in the Off Broadway play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God.The play, written and directed by Charles Messina, debuted at the Sanford...
(né Paul Gonçalves).
On opening night of the play, then-New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
member Tom Duane introduced the show.
The play ran every night until December 7th.
Second run
The play began its second run on February 14th, 1998.On February 17th, rock musician Billy Squier
Billy Squier
William Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No...
, a longtime friend of Freddie's, debuted a song that he wrote in memory of him titled I Have Watched You Fly. He introduced the song by saying, "I knew Freddie as a friend. I'm honored to share the stage with him in the afterlife."
The play was also performed every night during the second run, ending on March 8th, 1998.
Proceeds from the ticket sales of both runs were donated to Gay Men's Health Crisis
Gay Men's Health Crisis
The Gay Men's Health Crisis is a New York City-based non-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based AIDS service organization that has led the United States in the fight against AIDS.-1980s:...
and The Mercury Phoenix Trust.
Revival & tour
On January 11th, 2004, the play experienced a successful revival with a three month run at the The Triad TheaterTriad Theater
The Triad Theatre, formerly known as Palsson's Supper Club and Steve McGraw's, is located on West 72nd Street on New York's Upper West Side...
, also in New York City, with Messina again as writer/director and featuring Amir Darvish
Amir Darvish
Amir Darvish is an American actor who is best known for his portrayal of rock icon Freddie Mercury in the Off Broadway play Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God....
in the role of Freddie.
In 2006, the play also had a special, limited engagement from August 30th to September 2nd at The Art House in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
.
Publication
In 2009, the play was published by Original Works Publishing. Proceeds from the sale of the play will be donated to AmfAR, The Foundation for AIDS ResearchAmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
.
Reviews
Both incarnations of the play have received favorable reviews from Queen fans and from the music and theater press, notably Billboard, The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Time Out New York, Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
, and Back Stage
Back Stage
Back Stage is an entertainment-industry brand aimed at people working in film and the performing arts, with a special focus on casting, job opportunities, and career advice.Back Stage publishes a weekly tabloid-sized trade magazine in the U.S...
.
On November 26, 2011, the play was recognized by Flavorwire.com in their list of 15 Artistic Tributes to Freddie Mercury.
Controversy
There was no Queen or Freddie Mercury music in the play.In a 1997 interview with Playbill.com, Gonçalves said, "All the things I've seen about Mercury focus on the music, career and persona; very little has been discussed about the person. Not only did Charles write a play about Mercury, he captured the humanity." "Charles and I agreed that doing a musical about Mercury would take away from what we're trying to do in getting to the core of this person. The ultimate goal is to make a film of Mercury's life."
Likewise, Darvish, in a 2004 interview with Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, stated that, "We wanted to stray away from the music. We wanted to tell his story. He has a story. Everyone knows the music. People are familiar with the music. It's his story, and where he's come from, and what he's done that people don't know.
Milestone
Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God marked the first time the life of Freddie Mercury had been presented in a theatrical form.A film version of the play is currently in development.