HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
The classic and glamorous spirit of Queen’s masterpieces became the inspiration behind the creation of Opera Prima Rock.
In mid 1997 the band was born in Argentina with eleven musicians (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, lead vocal and six background singers) with the only purpose of interpreting the most popular and rich vocal arrangement songs of the British band. The vocal arrangements were taken from the original versions and even the song tonalities were respected. The choir ensemble, formed by three men and three women, covered the entire vocal voicing in their harmonies with the final idea of reproducing as close as possible the original versions into “live” ones with the vocal and musical arrangements that Queen had recorded in studio. We could say that one of the motifs for creating Opera Prima Rock, was the stubborn idea of reproducing “Bohemian Rhapsody” absolutely live, including their operatic concept, and they did. The show concept started growing with the idea of mixing Queen music with that of Mozart, through “The Magic Flute’s” aria and some of the requiem fragments.
The image aesthetics of the group were inspired by a subjective interpretation of the “A Night at the Opera” album, as well as rescuing and enhancing some of the splendorous images that are shown in their Queen II album particularly the inside picture wardrobe. The group designed several different costume changes with this concept that morphed accordingly to the show’s necessities.
Since 1997 Opera Prima Rock started their debut shows in Argentina and South America. In June 2002 the band made its definitive and official concept show at the “Teatro Margarita Xirgu” in Buenos Aires, Argentina. And with this consolidated show they’ve toured around Brazil in June and July of that same year. Part of this tour run included the closure party show for the World Cup Brazilian soccer team and the Gay Parade Celebration simultaneously at Copacabana on June 30th, playing for over 1,000,000 people.
In Argentina, Opera Prima Rock became a complete success with this kind of live audiences. What was originally created as a Queen tribute band became a first class never before seen show. After this, several other tours took place in several countries including Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil and México.
OPERA PRIMA ROCK TODAY
In 2003, Federico Di Lorenzo producer, original member and lead singer of the band, arrives to Mexico City in search of new opportunities as an actor in the musical theater industry. In 2009 Federico and producer Diego Fainguersch start planning the creation of the Mexican Opera Prima Rock production. Given the infrastructure and previously achieved quality and success of the talented Argentinean production, the new cast of artists and crew that were needed for the Mexican show required many and very meticulous auditions in Mexico City. The actual cast of Opera Prima Rock was selected from several and very diverse top of the line musical and artistic background artists, such as jazz, classical music, musical theater, and from the Mexican rock-pop scene. Outside of their activities with Opera Prima Rock, its cast has excelled as well rounded artists participating in album recordings, international shows and musical theater. In this last artistic area, they have participated in some of the most famous productions of the realm, such as Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, Beauty and The Beast, The Producers, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweet Charity, and many more.
The Mexican run has successfully filled almost six uninterrupted years in theaters such as Voila hall, Teatro Banamex, Teatro Nextel and Teatro Hidalgo, just to mention a few venues in Mexico City, and constant tours all around the country including Musical and cultural festivals, massive concerts as well as private corporate shows taking place in cities like, Chihuahua, Cd. Juarez, Coatzacoalcos, Tequila and Guadalajara Jalisco, Alamos, Merida, Los Cabos, Veracruz, Cancun, Acapulco, Taxco, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, etc. just to mention a few. The quality and energy of Opera Prima Rock always delivers a powerful and positive impact with every show.
OPERA PRIMA ROCK IN 4D
Since it’s debut, Opera Prima Rock has presented their show with a very particular artistic and aesthetic concept that separates them from any other stream of tribute bands or “look a like” groups. Never having any interest in copying or imitating the legendary group, but bringing trough its eleven musicians, a faithful live representation of what the songs sounded like in the original studio recordings, commonly known as “off the record” versions. Its wardrobe makes reminiscence to Louis the XV and allows homogenizing the “on stage” proposal by mixing Mozart’s music with Queen, making use of the vocal quality of its singers, for example, with an aria from “The Magic Flute” opera blended with “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
Those who have seen Opera Prima Rock and have enjoyed for almost two hours of songs could ask themselves, what else can this band bring to the table?
Well, the new show combines its traditional and original concept with a totally new visual proposal based on top of the line technology such as video and mapping projections, allowing the band to share and interact with the audience transmitting their own perspective, meaning and interpretation of Queen’s music through a musical and visual experience. The show includes the best songs from the unstopping repertoire of Mercury, May, Taylor and Deacon. Taking care of the most particular musical demands from the audience, the new show has great musical challenges for the band, playing those songs that were not played by Queen live due to their complex nature, and of course all of the “Greatest hits” classics that transcended trough all the music styles and generations making Queen’s music into what Opera Prima Rock likes to portrait as “The Classical Music of the Twentieth Century”