By David Gordon
Have a hankering for the 1980s? Then “Rock of Ages,” the new musical that uses the soundtrack of the decade is for you. Starring “American Idol” contestant Constantine Maroulis, “Rock” features the music of Journey, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, Pat Benetar and more.
It’s what “theater people” call a jukebox musical. A script is crafted around the songbook of a group, or, in this case, a whole decade. It was Chris D’Arienzo’s job to script “Rock of Ages,” a daunting task, given all the songs that came out of the 1980s. He’s done a good job of including all the ones people have come to expect: “Every Rose Has its Thorns,” “Cum on Feel the Noize” and more.
The music is better than the script itself; luckily, the script is self-deprecating. The play takes place in the Bourbon Room (an ornate, highly detailed set by Beowulff Boritt), the watering hole for the loveable losers of the Sunset Strip. Drew (Constantine Maroulis) is an aspiring rocker. Sherrie (Kelli Barrett) just landed in there from Kansas. Rocker Stacie Jaxx (Will Swenson) provides complications for their pleasant love story. Father and son Germans (Paul Schoeffler and Wesley Taylor) are planning on tearing the town down. And narrating this tale is Lonny (Mitchell Jarvis), a Jack Black-esque goofball with a mullet and a shocking awareness of the conventions of musical theater.
Like most jukebox musicals, songs provide names for characters. For example, naming our leading lady “Sherrie Christian,” allows author D’Arienzo to include both Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian” and Steve Perry’s “Oh Sherrie.” Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is a protest anthem sung by Regina (Lauren Molina), a protestor. The second act opens with Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” during which the Germans are leveling the Sunset Strip for redevelopment.
The cast is game for all the self-effacing humor and makes the cheese-tastic script work. Maroulis, who’s lost that “I’m better than you” swagger since his Idol days and Barrett are a lovely couple. He has this music in his veins. Barrett is so unassuming and innocent that you’d never realize that she does, too. Swenson steals the show with his comic-timing, long blonde hair (wigs by Tom Watson) and spot-on moves.
A highlight is the on-stage band, clearly having a ball playing the kickin’ score. Director Kristin Hanggi has staged a swift, fast-paced production that leaves the audience cheering for more. In fact, audience participation is not discouraged, though after a few drinks (there’s waiter service to every seat in the orchestra before and during the show), some people participate more than the actors would like.
“Rock of Ages,” set up shop at New World Stages and is such a crowd-pleaser that it looks as though it’ll be around for a long time. The musical is the perfect show for bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations or even if you’ve had a bad week and need some cheering up for two hours.
By the time the band strikes the opening chords of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” the grand finale, the audience is cheering at the top of their lungs. The creative team of “Rock of Ages” has certainly accomplished their mission…
Grade: B