The line leading into the theater stretched all the way around the corner, blocking several store fronts. The crowd was young and peppy, and quite frankly it did not particularly feel like past Broadway show line ups. As I reached the entrance and handed my ticket to the usher, I heard a voice behind me say, “What, are they giving away free joints?” He was referring to the fake cigarette lighters that the ushers were passing out to the audience, and at this moment I knew this was not going to be my average night out to The Great White Way.
When I arrived at my aisle seat and began to flip through the Playbill, I noticed out of the corner of my eye what appeared to be a cocktail waitress handing out drinks to the rambunctious guests. I was beginning to feel like I was in a night club rather than at a Broadway performance. The ushers were screaming over the loud music, “No pictures in the theater!” Of course no one listened, and people continued to take low quality photos that they will most certainly never look at again. The band made their rock star entrance onto the stage as two women in the top balcony made loud noises and obnoxious gestures.
The music began to roar, the crowd got “pumped,” and before I knew it, the opening number was in full swing. A scantily-dressed female dancer was performing her part of the routine within a hair’s-breadth from my seat and I could feel the floor shaking with each energetic step.
Rock of Ages, written by Chris D’Arienzo and directed by Kristin Hanggi, is a collection of 80s rock songs strung together to create a narrative. Of course, at the heart of the story is the classic boy meets girl plotline. To satirize this structure, the character Lonny (Mitchell Jarvis) doubles as a narrator and “dramatic conjurer,” which subsequently makes Rock of Ages yet another play dependent on a reflexive humor. The previews gave me the impression that Jarvis was just a bootleg version of Jack Black, and the insufferable character he plays is actually not far off. However, after about twenty minutes into the play, Jarvis and his character begin to grow on you and he is quite amusing. Jarvis is an interesting fellow -- just check out his Playbill bio. I have never seen any bio like that. Lonny is loud, offensive, and distasteful but yet something about Jarvis’s performance makes it OK to laugh.
The story consists of several characters that are quite sleazy. Even with a character as repulsive as Stacee (James Carpinello), though, it’s still a love hate relationship. It is possible to feel a connection to each character and each has his or her chance to shine musically. Every member of the cast was convincing in his or her role and all have amazing voices, especially Constantine Maroulis (Drew), who you may remember from American Idol, and Savannah Wise (Sherrie). They take 80s rock classics and make the songs sound better and much more meaningful than the originals.
Maroulis and Wise were certainly extraordinary in their performances; however, there are two characters that steal the show. Regina and Franz are not the leads, but they are so loveable and entertaining that you find yourself anxiously wondering when they will come back out. Regina (Lauren Molina) is the town hippy who stirs a protest for any cause. Her activism puts her head to head with Franz (played by the talented Wesley Taylor), the son of the German businessman looking to reshape the town. Taylor had the audience roaring with laughter. Even though this is his Broadway debut, I think it is certain that we will be seeing more from this young actor. He's already expected to appear in the upcoming Broadway show The Addams Family next spring.
The music is outstanding, the vocals are incredible, the story is entertaining, and the show is very well casted. Perhaps I am a “purist” but I am still skeptical if Broadway is moving in the right direction. Commercially, Rock of Ages is a prime example of theaters catering to a new audience, and in this economic crisis maybe it is a good thing to keep those marquees lit and those velvet seats filled. Yet when a middle aged man stands up in the middle of a show, half in the bag, and screams out to the performers as if truly at a rock concert, I begin to question what is happening to our theaters. It used to be a classy event where people would not even dare go to the theater in jeans and now you can find empty beer cans tossed on the floor during intermission. Call me old fashioned but I do not appreciate this movement towards change.
Rock of Ages is definitely enjoyable even if 80s rock music is not your cup of tea. The show is not just a strand of songs. If you look deep enough into the musical you will find a sincere message: “Sometimes the dreams you come in with are not the dreams you leave with.”
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