Queen’s songs to be basis of new stage musical

Associated Press reports that guitarist Brian May and the other surviving members of Queen are collaborating with British playwright-comedian Ben Elton on a stage show based on Queens songs. Fronted by gay singer Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS complications in 1991, Queen produced several hits during the 1970s and 80s, including Bohemian Rhapsody and We Are the Champions. Young people will be in it, May told London radio station Capital Gold. Therell be a lot of Queen songs with some new ideas in there. Elton most recently wrote The Beautiful Game, a musical about the troubles of Northern Ireland, with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. May said he hoped the Queen musical would reach the stage late this year or in early 2002.