We Will Rock You Original Cast – Where Are They Now?
We Will Rock You has been a smash-hit since opening in 2003, and many of its original cast members have gone on to a number of exciting projects. Here’s what some of them have been up to recently:
Sharon D. Clarke in Ghost the Musical
Sharon D. Clarke (Killer Queen) West End veteran Sharon D. Clarke has appeared in a slew of musicals, including Guys and Dolls, Once on this Island, Rent, Fame, and The Lion King. After receiving a WhatsonStage Award and an Olivier Award nomination for her performance as the Killer Queen in We Will Rock You, she went on to play Mama Morton in Chicago and Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. She currently stars as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost the Musical and was recently nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance.
Nigel Planer (Pop) Nigel Planer has had a long and successful career in the West End, beginning as an understudy in the original West End production of Evita and playing Amos in the original London run of Chicago. Since originating the role of Pop in We Will Rock You, he went on to play the Wizard in Wicked opposite Idina Menzel, as well as roles in Hairspray and The Rocky Horror Show. His recent television credits include The Comic Strip Presents… and Hacks.
Alexander Hanson (Khashoggi) After leaving We Will Rock You, Alexander Hanson has been working consistently in the West End. He played Captain Von Trapp in the revival of The Sound of Music opposite Connie Fisher, the winner of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? He has since starred in the West End revival of A Little Night Music, as well as its subsequent transfer to Broadway, and in An Ideal Husband opposite his wife, Samantha Bond.
Tony Vincent (Galileo) American actor Tony Vincent began his career in the US touring production of Rent, before landing a role in the Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. After he originated the role of Galileo in We Will Rock You, he went on to star in the original Broadway production of American Idiot, for which he won rave reviews. He is currently a contestant on the US series of The Voice, after wowing judge Cee Lo Green with his rendition of Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” You find out more information at his official website.
Here’s a video of Tony performing on The Voice:
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Kerry Ellis (Meat) Kerry Ellis was discovered by Queen guitarist Brian May, who by chance caught her performance as an understudy to Martine MacCutcheon in My Fair Lady. He encouraged her to audition for We Will Rock You, and she won the part of Meat in the original cast. Her performance was widely acclaimed, and she joined the tour of Miss Saigon before playing the role of Fantine in Les Miserables for almost a year. She then served as Idina Menzel’s standby in Wicked, before taking over the role of Elphaba, winning a WhatsonStage Award for Best Takeover of a Role. She recently appeared on the UK series of The Voice, and she was controversially rejected by all four judges. She is set to play a role in a new musical version of The Way of the Worlds, as well as appearing in the film version of Les Miserables.
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Were you surprised to see Kerry lose out on The Voice, or did you agree with the judges’ verdict?
