“Rock of Ages” truly rocks Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre on West 44th Street. While this musical comedy-slash-rock party has been going on for three years, I had not had the experience of sitting in the intimate Helen Hayes Theatre and bopping my head or tapping my feet as I rocked out to some “radical” music.
“Rock of Ages” features a very entertaining book by Chris D’Arienzo. The storyline is quite funny, as the audience is taken to the L.A. Strip in the 1980s and introduced to an owner of a club that features rock music but has now come under attack by developers who want to clean the neighborhood up.
There is also a young hopeful named Drew, who wants to be a rocker and meets a smalltown girl named Sheree, who has come to L.A. to be an actress but definitely doesn’t land her dream job. Instead, her trip turns into a nightmare as she is taken advantage of by a famous rocker and is left to survive in a way she would have never imagined. Drew and Sheree care about each other, but they don’t communicate their feelings clearly, which leads to a lot of issues.
The musical’s narrator, Lonny, is absolutely marvelous as the ongoing comic relief. This production has so many hilarious and rock-out moments, you will leave hoarse–I know I did. Between singing the hits with the characters and just screaming approval after a number, you just have a great time.
Some of the great songs enjoyed are “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “I’ve Been Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Come on Feel the Noise,” “Harden My Heart,” “Here I Go Again,” “Any Way You Want It,” “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore,” “Oh Sherrie,” “Living for the Dream” and, of course, the song most commonly associated with the production, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” And believe me, you will not only never stop believing, you’ll wish for more. This production leaves you excited, rocking on great tunes, clapping, cheering, stomping and raising your hands in the air with two fingers up.
The phenomenal cast includes Ashley Spencer, Justin Matthew Sargent, Jeremy Woodard, Genson Blimline, Adam Dannheisser, Cody Scott Lancaster, Michele Mais, Josephine Rose Roberts and Paul Schoeffler. “Rock of Ages” is a total blast–you have to go see it!
For more info, visit www.rockofagesmusical.com.