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Langley talent performs in Queen musical – under the stars

TUTS audition was Marija Danyluk’s first post-pandemic shot at returning to the stage
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Marija Danyluk is an alumnus of Langley’s R.E. Mountain Secondary. She is part of Theatre Under The Stars’ latest musical production, We Will Rock You. (Special to Langley Advance Times)

COVID brought numerous challenges for Langley’s Marija Danyluk, and a complete shut down of live theatre was a “big and significant” one.

When theatre companies resumed casting calls post pandemic, it was time to head back to the stage for Danyluk. She remembered her first audition post-pandemic.

“The nerves were high,” she explained.

This time she was auditioning for a role in Theatre Under The Stars’ new production, We Will Rock You, a rock-and-roll musical.

The We Will Rock You musical will feature more than 20 hits from the British rock band Queen’s songbook, including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are the Champions, and Another One Bites the Dust.

The characters in the musical reside on a planet known as the iPlanet, 300 years in the future.

Killer Queen, the ruler, has eliminated rock music, but there is still a myth circulating that this old version of music exists.

The musical explores finding oneself through music and the idea of conformity versus individuality.

After a successful audition, Danyluk was called to be a part of the ensemble and an understudy for Scaramouche, a boastful yet cowardly character originating in Italian commedia dell’arte and mentioned in the lyric’s to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

“The experience of this particular audition was so fun. I grew up singing pop/rock, so it felt really cool to be in a musical theatre audition riffing and singing Queen,” she said.

Coming back with live performances, Danyluk is anxious to soak every second of her time on stage.

“After everything that has happened these last few years, my level of gratitude to be performing again and on a stage is through the roof,” said the 22-years-old.

Danyluk said she feels connected with her role. She plays the bohemian version of Cyndi Lauper.

“She [Lauper] is such a blast. I try to take little pieces of her confidence into my everyday life,” Danyluk commented.

Opposite to her real-life personality, playing Killer Queen’s Yuppies and Ga Ga Kids is a “very different vibe” for Danyluk.

“But, it is fun to play something that’s the opposite of you,” she added.

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Danyluk said the audience can expect “the time of their lives.”

Remembering the “fun” rehearsal days, Danlyluk talked about how she once got confused with her part and ended up “screaming” and “cheering” alone at the centre of the stage while the whole cast stood behind laughing.

“I thought we were supposed to run when the fences open and when the fences opened, I came through screaming and cheering. This went on for a bit, until I realized it’s a lot of my voice screaming and nothing else,” she shared.

Danyluk turned around and saw the rest of the cast behind the closed fences staring at her and chuckling.

“I guess we weren’t running it full out, but I was very much ready to give a full performance,” she added.

An alumnus of Langley’s R.E. Mountain Secondary, Danyluk said Langley had a “huge” contribution to her development as an artist.

She was part of three choirs, and under the direction of her teacher, she learned various vocal styles. The teachings were a “huge” help as she transitioned into musical theatre in university.

She was also a member of her high school’s theatre company and competed on the improv team for five years.

“It was the most supportive environment I could have asked for, and having the greatest teachers ever completely inspired me to pursue the arts as a career and truly go for it,” Danyluk said.

Living in North Vancouver before the pandemic, she moved back to Langley to be closer to her family during COVID.

“Things are slowly making their way back now, and I couldn’t be any happier about that,” Danyluk commented.

She was recently in New York, performing in a workshop on musical theatre.

“It was amazing, because leaving the country to do theatre was something 2020 Marija couldn’t have fathomed.”

READ MORE: Shakespeare-inspired play based on popular movie coming to Langley stage

We Will Rock You will run until Aug. 27 on alternate evenings at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park, 610 Pipeline Rd., Vancouver. Alongside will run Something Rotten, a musical comedy.

All shows start at 8 p.m., except on fireworks nights (July 23, 27, and 30), when the show will begin at 7 p.m.

For more information, people can visit tuts.ca.

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Marija Danyluk is an alumnus of Langley’s R.E. Mountain Secondary. She is part of Theatre Under The Stars’ latest musical production, We Will Rock You. (Special to Langley Advance Times)


Tanmay Ahluwalia

About the Author: Tanmay Ahluwalia

Tanmay Ahluwalia is a journalist with a digital mindset and a proud alumnus of the University of Delhi.
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