So like I said, Steve and I were walking past the theatre where We Will Rock You (the musical based on Queen) was playing. We didn’t have any tickets to any other show that night and there was a crowd of people milling around the outside of the theatre. So we figured that it must be intermission and everyone was outside getting some fresh air while waiting for the second half to begin. It wouldn’t be the first time this was attempted, so we decided to sneak into the show for the second half!

We immediately assumed our new roles as ticket-holding theatre-goers and casually waltzed into the joint. Nobody stopped us (we are actors, after all). I noticed right away that, instead of asking for our tickets, the ushers simply smiled at us as we walked by. This was fine at first, but the more people we passed who greeted us with a big toothy grin, the more uneasy I became. Upon asking him, Steve told me that he had noticed the same and prophetically stated, “Something bigger than us is happening here.”

We were told that there were still some empty seats down at the front and off to the side so we did as we were told and found a seat. The stage had a huge video screen with the phrase “Welcome Home” accompanied by images of young hip people playing music and having fun. The theatre was filling up. Steve estimated there were about 1,500 people there with us filling the entire theatre – with a line of people outside waiting to get in! There were programmes on every seat. Steve picked his up and read it. “Do you know where we are?” Steve asked with eyes wide as saucers. “We’re in church!” Aghast, I picked up my programme and sure enough, the title boasted the name of a local church that I will not write here for fear of random Googlers stumbling across this entry. We were trapped!

Steve tried to make a run for the door. I begged him to stay. This promised to be fascinating. The next thing I knew the lights went down and everyone started cheering, about 30 people ran on stage (all young and good looking), the entire audience – except for Steve and me – stood and applauded, and then the music began. What followed was a half hour of some of the most fun and catchiest rock tunes I had ever heard – all accompanied karaoke-style by the lyrics on that huge video screen on stage so the entire audience could sing along. Even Steve and I stood up and sang along. I really liked it.

Sure, most of the lyrics included lines like, “I’ve got a savior and he’s living in me” and “the world will never take him away”. Maybe it was a little strange that NOT ONE of the people in the audience spoke to the person next to them while they were hypnotically singing along with the bald Australian lead guitarist. Then there were the people who clenched their eyes tight and thrust their open hands towards the heavens while they sang – that was kinda odd. And so what if Steve and I were a couple of Jewish boys amidst a sea of devout Christians praying with all their might – I saw it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

When the music ended, the Australian guy started preaching and leading prayers which Steve and I interpreted as our cue to exit. We slipped out the back door and swiftly made our escape. But darn it if we didn’t find ourselves humming those tunes all night long.