Review: Queen: It's A Kinda Magic offers chance to go gaga

Dominic Warren as Freddie Mercury in Queen: It's A Kinda Magic. Photo / Craig Owen

Queen: It's A Kinda Magic
Regent on Broadway
Wednesday, April 14
Reviewed by Damian Thorne

Who actually are Queen in 2021? After years without a frontman, the band finally came out of the wilderness back in 2012 with Adam Lambert taking lead vocals. I'm greeted in the Regent foyer by my friend Cherie's young son, wearing his Queen with Adam Lambert concert T-shirt. Oliver is as excited as I've seen him and it strikes me that he is about to see a version of the classic band, before the line-up change.

Having braved MIQ, with The Wiggles and the cast of The Lion King, we have in front of us a new incarnation of the It's A Kinda Magic show. This is their third lap around New Zealand and it's all change with South African Dominic Warren in charge, and there are times during tonight's show I could have closed my eyes and imagined Mercury himself on stage.

There were also times when my eyes were open, and I saw four men mimicking Queen to the best of their ability. The difference between a tribute act and an act that mimics the original is that these guys are in character and are introduced as Freddie, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. Complete with cheesy wigs and replica costumes they are playing roles, not just paying tribute. There are some lows - Warren's microphone mix gets lost among the noise and at times we have to rely on knowing the lyrics as there's no way we can make them out.

Warren's call in the second number for us to treat the Regent like a stadium has everybody standing. It's a bit of an own goal as it alienates some of the older demographic I'm surrounded by who may not be able to stand for long periods.

There's plenty to love, with the highlight being the quietest moment when Rusty Red's Brian May accompanies Warren on Love of My Life, and Red can play for sure – he's no May, even with the wig, but he doesn't need to be – he's a fine musician.

I must mention the kid who could only have been 10 knocking out all the lyrics to Fat Bottomed Girls, an unexpected treat for those who happened to look away from the stage and catch him thrilling at the number.

Do you judge a book by its cover in a situation like this? The book had Queen on it and we have Queen here in front of us. It's retro Queen. Lambertless Queen. Freddie Mercury Queen, and the audience bloody loves them. As we head predictably towards the Bohemian Rhapsody encore, I'd stopped overthinking and let myself go gaga.