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Montreal Gazette

Friday on My Mind: A Queen musical, a mini ska fest and a roller-skating bash

Friday on My Mind is a highly subjective, curated rundown of five of the cooler things happening in Montreal on the weekend. We Will Rock You Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. at Théâtre St-Denis Steve Bolton is a big Queen fan and apparently he is far from the only Quebecer who really digs this iconic British rock band. We Will Rock You, a brand-new Québécois adaptation of the hit jukebox musical that opened in London's West End in 2002, has already sold more than 25,000 tickets for its Quebec run. It continues at Théâtre St-Denis until May 18 and then moves down the highway to Théâtre Capitole in Quebec City, where it runs from June 20 to July 13. It will also be playing in the fall at Amphithéâtre Cogeco in Trois-Rivières and Théâtre du Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau. Bolton, who is the director of the show, has loved the band fronted by the late Freddie Mercury since he was a kid. 'I'm a classic-rock fan,' said Bolton, who has worked extensively as a choreographer and director, with the Cirque du Soleil and for numerous TV shows, including So You Think You Can Dance Canada. 'So it worked out that I got this opportunity, because I love classic rock. I grew up on Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Zeppelin, Queen, Genesis, you name it. With my dad, when I was growing up, that's all we listened to. Like Chris de Burgh and Gowan. On road trips, it was Pink Floyd.' Annie Villeneuve portrays the Killer Queen in the show, and yes, she does belt out the Queen song that inspired her character's name. She said she's become a Queen fan because of the musical, admitting that she only discovered many of the deep-catalogue Queen tracks when she began working on the project. 'Every song has its own special particularity, often inspired by different musical genres,' said Villeneuve. We Will Rock You features 25 Queen songs, including all of their biggest successes, notably Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust, We Are the Champions, Under Pressure and Don't Stop Me Now. Villeneuve's Killer Queen, as the name suggests, is the villain, 'a character who is so far from my own personality,' said Villeneuve. 'She's always raging and is super egotistical. It's really not me. But she's a character that's really fun to play.' It's set in a world where music has been banned but there's a rebel group, the Bohemians, fighting to keep the musical spark alive. 'It's about the quest to not be drowned out by what's artificial,' said Bolton. 'It's to appreciate and not forget our past. It's to not forget music, to not forget things that make us feel.' Roller skating All weekend at Esplanade Tranquille During the winter, ice skating's the thing at Esplanade Tranquille, the cool public space on Clark St. just above Ste-Catherine St. in the Quartier des spectacles. But with the warmer weather, it's time to ditch your ice skates and grab a pair of roller skates. Saturday night at 7, it's Skating Back in the Eras, a roller dance party for skaters of all levels. There will be a performance by the students from the Skate With Marly roller dance school and lots of old-school music. On Sunday at 4 p.m. there will be a roller derby demonstration with the folks from Montréal Roller Derby. On Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., there will be roller-skating lessons for beginners. Skates will be loaned out for free, but you are encouraged to bring your own protective gear. Centre Greene carnival Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. at Centre Greene The Westmount community centre will be throwing a big 35th birthday bash Saturday, with arts, crafts, face painting, a silent auction, bake sale, line dancing and a Zumba session. Free entry. Puces POP Friday 3 to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Église St-Denis Head down to the church right by the Laurier métro station to check out POP Montreal's coolster artisanal fair and maybe snare your last-minute Mother's Day gifts. There will be booths selling jewelry, ceramics, body-care products, food, clothes and art. Free entrance. Information: The Planet Smashers Saturday at 7 p.m. at Théâtre Beanfield Astonishingly enough, the Planet Smashers have been rocking their high-energy ska thing for over 30 years now. The Montreal band will be headlining a major punky ska bash Saturday at the place I still call the Corona Theatre, with fellow ska disciples Mustard Plug from Grand Rapids, Mich.; Big D and the Kids Table from Boston; and Faintest Idea from the U.K. So yeah, ska is alive and well (and this is a good thing!).