Queen Extravaganza: ‘Official’ Tribute Show Launches in May

The arena-rock grandeur of Queen can never be duplicated, but nine musicians -- four vocalists and five instrumentalists, all selected through a 12-week online talent search -- are hoping to come as close as possible. May 26 marks the start of the Queen Extravaganza Tour, an "official tribute show" spearheaded by the iconic British band's drummer, Roger Taylor.

"What an amazing storehouse of talent we have unlocked," Taylor says on the Queen Extravaganza website. "The standard is mind-blowingly high, it has really been a thrill to discover them."

Audition videos garnered more than 10 million online views, and among those who took an interest was Ellen DeGeneres, who invited contestant Marc Martel to perform on her show. The Nashville musician landed a spot on the Queen Extravaganza crew, and from May through July, he'll join his fellow chosen ones in performing some 40 tunes each night.

The sets will run more than two hours and include such hits as "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "Under Pressure" and "Another One Bites the Dust."

"The Queen Extravaganza will not be like a traditional tribute show," Taylor adds. "It is a brand new show specially designed to enable these new fans, together with fans of old, to celebrate the music of Queen in a heart stopping event."

A full list of dates is below:

May 26: Quebec, Grand Theatre du Quebec

May 27: Montreal, St. Denis

May 29: Toronto, QE Theatre

May 31: Detroit, Mich., Fox Theatre

June 1: Chicago, Ill., House of Blues

June 2: Minneapolis, Minn., The Brick

June 5: St. Louis, MO The Pageant

June 7: Philadelphia, Pa., Theatre of Living Arts

June 8: Washington, D.C., 9:30 Club

June 9: Wallingford, Conn., Oakdale

June 10: Bethlehem, Pa., Event Center

June 11: Boston, Mass., House of Blues

June 12: Huntington, N.Y., Paramount Theatres

June 15: Tampa, Fla., Louis Lykes Ferguson Hall

June 17: Orlando, Fla., The Plaza Live

June 19: Dallas, Texas, Grand Prarie

June 20: Houston, Texas, House of Blues

June 23: Las Vegas, Nev., House of Blues

June 24: San Diego, Calif, Humphrey's

June 25: Los Angeles, Calif, Club Nokia

June 26: San Francisco, Calif, Regency

June 28: Seattle, Wash., Showbox

June 30: Vancouver, Orpheum

July 2: Calgary, Jack Singer

July 3: Edmonton, Jubilee