Salute to Legendary Ladies is the latest triumph for MOSAIC THEATER ON THE STRIP…
In 1984, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT aired a segment that would become one of the most notorious film reviews in history. Critic Leonard Maltin was scheduled to discuss a remake of the beach comedy “Where The Boys Are“. Instead of a detailed analysis, Maltin stood on a beach, tossed a copy of the film into the waves and walked away, wordlessly.
If I were to follow Maltin’s lead for my write-up of QUEENS OF ROCK, I could simply type “It’s perfect!”, hit the “publish” button and then take an afternoon nap. It really is that good. But star Elyzabeth Diaga and a sizzling live band (Alex Papa, James Oleson, Christian Brady, and Zach Throne) deserve a lot more than a stunt review from a lazy critic.
They also deserve an auditorium filled to (legal) capacity with a cheering, enthusiastic audience. But that is far from the norm these days. Las Vegas live entertainment keeps getting kicked in the shins, with increased restrictions making it harder than ever for shows to stay afloat. So credit the team at MOSAIC THEATER for hanging in there and bringing three great productions (along with PIANO MAN and AUSSIE HEAT) to Las Vegas night after night.
QUEENS OF ROCK is a journey through decades of hits by powerhouse female artists. Elyzabeth Diaga walks a perfect line between tribute artist and featured headliner. The chart-toppers she delivers will be forever associated with their original artists, but Diaga flavors each song with her own fiery zest. You’ll be tempted to sing along and dance at your seat, but you might miss the wonderful nuances of this star-making performance.
Like the recently-reviewed PIANO MAN, QUEENS OF ROCK is an non-stop cavalcade of music you know and love. The star, who hails from Quebec, sails across the stage in a wild collection of leather pants, capes, corsets, and boots. A veritable symphony of lights, effects, and heart-pounding music, QoR is the kind of ambitious production that ably replaces the current absence of headlining acts.
It may be surprising to know that female rockers began as far back as the 1930s. That’s when Sister Rosetta Tharpe defied cultural norms, blending gospel, soul and R & B into what we refer to as “Rock and Roll”. A young black guitarist/vocalist who caused quite a furor in her day, Sister Tharpe nevertheless became known as the “Godmother of Rock and Roll”.
QUEENS OF ROCK pays tribute to Tharpe, then powers through decades of favorites from Heart, The Pretenders, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Tina Turner, and Annie Lennox. There are a few unexpected entries like En Vogue, Evanescence, Madonna, and Lady Gaga, that’ll keep you wondering who they’ll conquer next.
Without question, my favorite moment came when Diaga zoomed across the stage on roller skates for a medley of Blondie songs. Check this out:
As Ms. Diaga told me, the Blondie sequence was four decades in the making:
“When I was a little girl, I used to skate in my basement with my disco ball to “Xanadu”, “Master Blaster” and “Kiss On My List “. Then there was BLONDIE! I used to dress up in my purple shiny leggings and my white skates with yellow wheels and skate the streets all day. If you would have told me that 40 years later I would be skating while singing in front of people on a stage and getting praise for it I would have never believed you.”
“When I created the show back in 2012, I did not have skates anymore. It was when I went to Australia to sing in the amazing horse show “Cavalia” that I fell upon a skating store” she continued. “I had not skated for 35 years (at least) but when I put the skates on my feet it was MAGIC!”, a nod to Olivia Newton-John‘s 1980 roller-disco movie XANADU.
“Right there and then I knew there would be skating in my show. A lot of people called me crazy but I had to do it! Just recently I added a disco ball effect because of the amazing setup we have at The Mosaic. So now everybody sees what I see in my head…and it sure is loads of fun!”
Fun is definitely one of the defining elements of Queens of Rock. Everyone involved seems to be having a fantastic time, and you will, too. So when Elyzabeth Diaga takes her throne to close out the show, you’ll agree that Queens of Rock has earned her a place in Las Vegas entertainment royalty.
Follow at @queensofrockofficial
QUEENS OF ROCK performs Thursday through Monday at 7pm. Click here for tickets. MOSAIC THEATER is located at 3765 Las Vegas Blvd, just north of HARD ROCK LIVE and across from PARK MGM Hotel Casino
VEGAS UNFILTERED BLOG by Sam Novak 
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