Do you like crackers? I like crackers; Wheat Thins in particular. I buy these big 40 oz. bulk boxes at Costco which makes them quite inexpensive compared to the grocery store boxes. Costco has been inconsistent in stocking them and so when they are in stock, I buy several boxes so I don't run out. The reason I'm mentioning this is because I wish I'd brought one of those big ol' boxes of Wheat Thins to the Fisher Theater during Rock of Ages because they had about 600 megatons of cheese on the stage!
And I mean that as a compliment. Sincerely.
Rock of Ages (running through Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012) is a rollicking hoot of a time at the theater that promises to "melt your face" and damn near accomplishes its mission. Stringing together a melange of hair metal tunes from the Eighties, the show is the bittersweet story of Drew (Dominique Scott) and Sherrie (Shannon Mullen), two kids far from home on the Sunset Strip (of L.A., duh) with dreams of stardom. They meet at The Bourbon Room, a venerable club that is facing demolition at the hands of a rapacious German developer. In the hopes of saving his club, Dennis (Matt Ban) calls in a favor from Stacee Jaxx (Matt Nolan), who suffers from a terminal case of Lead Singer's Disease and is about to quit his band, Arsenal (who are the house band at the back of the stage). One thing leads to another and Stacee gets his hooks into Sherrie and the young lovers are torn apart and the club is doomed and all is lost.
Or is it?
Come on! It's the Eighties and it's hair metal and Rock of Ages literally has "Don't Stop Believin'" in its rock & roll heart! My last trip to the rock musical theater was the dour Green Day's American Idiot and I went into the show with fairly low expectations. All I really knew was that the Constantine guy from American Idol starred on Broadway (clip from the 2009 Tony Awards below) and that a movie starring Tom Cruise (as Stacee Jaxx?!?) is coming this summer (see trailer below). But from the opening "turn off your cell phones" video narrated by Whitesnake's David Coverdale and 1-2 punch of David Lee Roth and Poison tunes, I had a big ol' goofy smile on my face and the crowd was also along for the ride.
Freed from the constraints of a single album like American Idiot was, Rock of Ages is able to pillage material from Bon Jovi, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Quiet Riot, Foreigner and much, much more. (It wasn't until later I realized how many good Motley Crue and Guns 'n' Roses tunes could've been used; they must've refused to license like Def Leppard is specifically mentioned as not doing in the intro.) It's really clever how the song choices propel the plot as well as give audience members of a certain age Aqua Net flashbacks.
What's also cool is how the show is very knowing about what it is - when you name your female lead "Sherrie Christian" so you can use Steve Perry and Night Ranger tunes, you're dealing in heavy meta - but never condescends to the material or the audience. Everyone knows what they're there for and the mutual rapport makes for beautiful feedback. It also helps that as formulaic as the story is we instantly like the characters, even the villains. Not to keep thrashing on American Idiot, but the characters were unsympathetic, nihilistic twits who deserved every bit of misery they reaped for themselves. Rock of Ages makes you want things to work out even though you know darn well it's not going to end up in a murder-suicide.
Scott and Mullen are a couple of cute kids, but the supporting cast is rock solid as well beginning with Justin Colombo as Lonny, the narrator/emcee/sound man; (Russell Brand will play this in the movie); he is flamboyant (nudge, wink) and hilarious. Nolan's Jaxx treads the clever/stupid line without toppling into parody. But the out-of-nowhere show stealer is Amma Osei who brings serious soul pipes to Justice, the "gentleman's club" owner who takes in Sherrie and puts her on a pole; the first break in her opening number drew spontaneous applause.
While it's tempting to suggest waiting for the movie to see Rock of Ages at a fraction of the price of a theater ticket, it's clearly not going to be the same experience even with Adam Shankman, director of the fun musical Hairspray, calling the shots. The live Rock of Ages is just too much exuberant fun to miss. I could get all punny and tell you how "It Ain't Nothing But A Good Time", but I wouldn't stoop to such cheap wordplay. Just catch it while you can. \m/ ^_^ \m/
http://www.rockofagesmusical.com/
