On 24 November 1997, a monodrama about Freddie Mercury’s life, titled Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God, opened in New York City. It presented Freddie Mercury in the hereafter: examining his life, seeking redemption and searching for his true self. The play was written and directed by Charles Messina and the part of Mercury was played by Khalid Gonçalves (né Paul Gonçalves) and then later, Amir Darvish. Billy Squier opened one of the shows with an acoustic performance of a song he had written about Mercury titled “I Have Watched You Fly.”