Michael Kluch

Michael Kluch nominated for Thálie Award (alternative to Tony award)

Although the band Queenie has already discontinued Prague musical Freddie (we wrote more on the topic here), the exceptionality of the show produced by Karel Janák is now further acknowledged by the nomination of our frontman Michael Kluch for Thálie Award (Czech alternative to the Tony Award) by the Acting Association for his extraordinary performance in the role of Freddie Mercury.

It is a very nice conclusion to our work on Freddie. The musical could not have been made without us, and although in the extended Thálie nomination they nominated me specifically, this means recognition of our whole band for the work we did on the musical. I am proud of us,” comments Michael with excitement in his face.

Congratulations to Michael and the band on behalf of the whole editorial board.

Freddie the musical has closed

On March 19, 2019 the musical performance of Radek Brzobohatý Theater, Freddie, was played for the last time in the completely full theater in Jablonec nad Nisou.

Under Karel Janák direction, a rather sharp script turned into a remarkable work of art, mainly thanks to the superb interpretation of the legendary band‘s songs, which were played live by Queenie, one of the world's most renowned Queen tribute bands. Their frontman, Michael Kluch, starred as Freddie Mercury, and together with the band, Jiří Korn (band manager’s repre­sentative), and other protagonists they presented a fascinating, breathtaking performance full of emotions. The artists on the packed stage were rewarded with a thunderous final applause including a standing ovation. This last performance of the musical, organized outside of Prague, was a somewhat secret but very pompous farewell to the audience.

We have asked Michael Kluch, who plays the lead role as Freddie Mercury: What was behind such an unexpected end?

“I'm very sad about it, both for myself and the band and for the other artists who spent a lot of time and energy preparing this performance and expected the result of their effort to last. It is obvious that none of the performers can influence the copyright factors. That is purely a matter of production.”

Am I to understand that the theater‘s copyright ended with this performance?

“We don't even know exactly how it was done with the copyright. We know only that there was some conflict regarding an infringement of the copyright in this performance, which is why today it was probably the last time we played it. A new version is being prepared. The new script’s concept would not need the approval of the Queen group copyright holders, but for now it does not seem promising.

Is the script not good?

“I don't want to evaluate the script as such, but Queen without Queen?! That's nonsense to me. Culture is supposed to entertain and enrich people, not to look for ways to bypass some rules – that's not how we want to be. With the band, we perform all over the world and we do care how people abroad see us and what they say about us. If we want to be a proud nation, we can't just constantly work around things in some cunning ways.”

So will you and Queenie not take part in the next version?

“I don’t think so at the moment. We are proud of our previous work on the musical, we enjoyed doing it and we would be glad to continue with the original version. However, if it‘s true that the authors‘ consent has never been issued at all, our efforts to carry on with this project would most likely be pointless. As I have already mentioned, we cannot, and indeed do not want to, participate in something that infringes copyright.”

What’s the situation with the copyright and Queenie?

“For organizing concerts, the consent of the authors is not necessary – only the organizer of each event where we play pays the authors royalties according to the rules. We do not need to handle that part.”

What are you preparing in the near future?

“We are planning a lot of concerts both in our country and around the world, even though, unfortunately, we cannot be everywhere. In April we will play in Sweden and Costa Rica, but Prague fans can enjoy our show on April 16, from 19:00, at Retro Music Hall. In May, besides Denmark and Prague, we will bring our Queen Relived show to Olomouc, Pilsen and České Budějovice, where the concert tickets are already sold out. I can't remember all the concerts we've arranged, but we will also play in other cities, so hopefully there will be something for every fan. We are also preparing one special pearl, but that one is still a secret.”

Which concert are you looking forward to most?

“We look forward to all our concerts, and we enjoy them to the fullest. If I should name just one though, I am thinking of our most recent addition – we have been invited to the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, with Sir Elton John as its main star this year.

Michael Kluch as a guest on Všechnopárty

Lately you could read or watch several dozen interviews with Michael in media of various kinds, and this week he‘s appeared on the Czech Television already twice. After the TV show 168 hodin, he accepted Karel Šíp‘s invitation to the cult talk show Všechnopárty!

This was a slightly different kind of interview – see for yourself in the link below :-)

https://www.ceskatelevize.cz/…video/669735

Queenie got main role in a new musical about Freddie

In April this year, the Radek Brzobohatý Theater will present a musical novel called Freddie by the director Karel Janák, inspired by the life story of one of the greatest musical icons of the 20th century that has conquered the whole world with its charisma and unique voice. Speech is about the frontman of the legendary Queen Freddie Mercury, whose genius has brought him to the top of glory, but also on the road to destruction.

Queenie in this newly prepared musical was given the main role. Michael Kluch will perform as Freddie and the rest of the band will perform the rest of the Queen. It will be a completely live musical accompaniment, which is not always a matter of course on the Czech scene, and Queenie will take care of it. In this unique theater show will also perform by Jiří Korn, Rudolf Hrušínský junior, Simona Postlerová and other leading musical actors.

Michael is already performing in another performance about Freddie Mercury. This is the dance musical Freddie: The King of Queen, written by Libor Vaculík with Václav Kopta and Petr Malásek. It is presented in the Theater J.K.Tyl in Pilsen and Michael also performs the role of Mercury. But the new production of Karel Janák is conceived as a musical performance with all the elements that belong to the musical.

The cast of Freddie musical: Freddie – Michael Kluch Manager – Jiří Korn / Ernesto Čekan Journalist – Rudolf Hrušínský junior Brian – Roman Říčař / Roman Tomeš Prenter – Přemysl Pálek / Lukáš Kumpricht Moralist – Simona Postlerová / Tereza Nekudová Mary – Romana Goščíková / Charlotte Doubravová

PREMIERE 14th and 15th April 2018 at Radek Brzobohatý Theater in Prague

Tickets to buy on the websites of Radek Brzobohatý Theaterhttp://divadlorb.cz/…oar/freddie/

source article:

www.tyden.cz

www.expres.cz

www.aplausin.cz

www.musical.cz

www.blesk.cz

Queenie in the Czech Radio - the talk show "Tobogan"

On Saturday 25.11. from 11:00 we accepted the invitation of Czech Radio (Český rozhlas) to the live talk show by Aleš Cibulka „Tobogan“. In the show entitled „About the tribute bands – the best ones!“ you will be able to meet our singer Michael Kluch.

The program can be visited live in the studio, but the tickets are sold out. We hope you do not forget to tune us on a Saturday noon ;-)

http://www.rozhlas.cz/dvojka/tobogan/

Art against AIDS

Libor Vaculík’s accla­imed dance musical Freddie – The King of Queen is a portrayal of the life and artistic career of Queen‘s singer Freddie Mercury, who became one of the most famous victims of AIDS.

The J. K. Tyl Theater will dedicate the repeat performance on October 2 to the prevention and fight against this disease and will support the activities of the Positive Life charitable foundation. The performance on the New Stage will be followed by a few additions from QUEENIE band and the visitors will have an opportunity to see a photo exhibition in the foyer. There will also be an autograph ceremony with the main performers: Michael Kluch, Richard Ševčík, Iva Marešová and soprano Monika Sommerová, who will sing the famous opera duet Barcelona together with the band. The New Theater building will be illuminated in red all night long.

„Freddie Mercury would have been seventy years old this year, and twenty-five years have passed since his death, so we have decided to make this performance special in way and help the good thing at the same time. We want to express our support for the Positive Life foundation, which has focused on preventing and fighting AIDS for a long time,“ says the theater‘s art secretary Michal Lieberzeit.

From September 27 to October 2, an exhibition of black-and-white photographs capturing the everyday life of people infected with HIV will be placed in the New Stage foyer. The exhibition is traveling and besides Pilsen it could be seen in Prague, Munich and Zurich. In addition to photos, there will be information boards dedicated to the aforementioned patients in the foyer, through which they provide an opportunity to look into their private lives afflicted with the malicious disease. „I think the J.K.Tyl Theater contributes enormously to the prevention and fight against AIDS by having a performance about Freddie Mercury on the repertoire,“ said Miroslav Hlavatý, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees. The patronage of the event was taken over by the Minister of Health of the Czech Republic MUDr. Svatopluk Němeček.

Michael Kluch on Noční proud (Night Stream) in the Czech Radio

Yesterday's in­terview with our frontman can be heard here.

Michael Kluch for the biggest Czech musical server Musical.cz

Our singer Michael Kluch talked about himself and more with Musical.cz.

„First of all, I would like to say that we do not even call our project a tribute band. What we do is a musical theater. We have authentic instruments, we play the songs in their original tones, we wear period costumes and on the stage every member has his role. It is not an imitation, we just play Queen. I dare to say that thanks to such a philosophy we are successful and I can thus also state exactly the opposite – thanks to my band I am free, not only because the band is my primary source of income, but also because I do what I really enjoy and I can choose what I'm going to enjoy next. As I have already hinted, money has never been the main priority to us. If you are going into something with pure energy, the rest just accumulates on top of it. We are absolutely independent, no one has made us, we ourselves are our masters and that's what I enjoy so much.“ 

You can read the entire interview here: http://www.musical.cz/…vna-v-kapse/

Personal secretary of Freddie Mercury attended the performance in the Pilsen Theater

Yesterday's per­formance of the musical at the J.K.Tyl Theater in Pilsen, which features the life of Freddie Mercury and in which our lead singer Michael Kluch plays the main role, was visited by Freddie's personal secretary, Mr. Peter Freestone. Just like in April, all the May performances are already sold out. „Freddie: The King of Queen“ will return in September in the new season and a new theater. http://plzensky.denik.cz/…adle-20.html

Interview with Michael for ČT24

On March 15, 2014 our singer Michael Kluch was interviewed live in ČT24's Studio 6.

You can watch a 10-minute interview here on our YouTube channel or in the Czech Television archive here.