BWW Reviews: ROCK OF AGES is Awesome at Broadway San Jose!

Rock of Ages is Awesome!

The Tony-nominated musical, "Rock of Ages," is rocking stages across the country as it continues its second national tour at the San Jose Performing Arts Center. The Broadway favorite rocked out big time for Broadway San Jose's opening night - and it's a good thing because the audience was ready to party like it was 1985. Playing a limited engagement now thru February 3rd, "Rock of Ages" will blow your mind.

From Linda:

Book writer Chris D'Arienzo penned "ROA" as a time-machine blast from the 80's past, complete with big hair, leg warmers, wine coolers and, of course, timeless, distilled (served up loud and proud) classic rock. Kelly Devine's 80's choreography captures the decade while Ethan Popp's musical arrangements give us a veritable mixed-taped fusion of some of the best that rock had to offer that generation.

You are totally right Linda! I definitely saw some dance moves I had never seen before. Every move on that stage was crisp and had energy that jumped off the stage! I could tell that the entire cast was really feeling it and were having a blast. The music was a major highlight as well and really gave me a taste of what it must have been like to rock out in the 80's.

You should have been there! LOL. The retro show has the good sense to take itself lightly, making for a night of guilty pleasure, glam rock indulgence. Self-aware silliness and liberal doses of fourth wall shattering asides by the clever narrator, Lonny (played to perfection by Patrick Lewallen) turn would-be groaners into campy retro-fun, while mini-lighters passed out by the ushers, give the effect of being at a rock concert instead of the confines of the stately Curran Theater.

I also enjoyed the character Lonny. He reminded me of a mix between Puck from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Jack Black. I think he gave audience members a bit of a breather from all the fast paced music and allowed us to laugh during the show as well as rock out. And the set design really did give the feeling of being at a rock concert.

It really did. Aiding in this transformation is Beowulf Boritt's palm tree backed set, which features a concert jumbo screen (that's used to great effect during the show), and a turnout set that is variously the bar's men's room and a girlie club dressing room. Line of sight is difficult if you're seated left or right of center but luckily the storyline is easy to follow.

You are totally right. Those big screens were amazing! During the song "I Want To Know What Love Is" pictures of a swirling galaxy danced across the monitors. I really enjoyed it.

During the show I did find it a little hard to remember their names, but each character was so memorable I didn't really need to. And the Bourbon Room bar set dressings were fantastic! All the walls were covered with really cool memorabilia, signs, and even a few instruments. It was really realistic.

It was very well done Nick. The seedy Bourbon bar is front and center, with an onstage house band made up of some heavy hitter musicians (David Gibbs, Chris Cicchino, Alan Childs and Jonathan Skibic).

I think that Gibbs, Cicchino, and Skibic need some special recognition. They were absolutely outstanding! I could not believe how fast their hands were moving on their various instruments. It was like listening to rock and roll legends up on that stage and I just couldn't believe how talented they were.

They truly were fantastic and the story line was great too. It centers on wannabe rocker and busboy, Drew (the aforementioned Maroulis) and star struck wannabe actress and waitress, Sherrie (Elicia MacKenzie), a young girl fresh off the midnight train from Kansas. Both are working at the Bourbon Bar on the Sunset Strip hoping for a break and dreaming of the big time.

I feel that musical chops kudos go to Maroulis who effortlessly slides between sexy ballads and screeching rock punctuations. His match is MacKenzie whose sweet and tender vocals give way to torrid, rocker girl cool as the music ramps up, along with the boy meets girl storyline.

Linda Hodges is a freelance writer who has been covering the vibrant and exciting San Francisco Bay Area theater scene for the past two years. A dedicated theater aficionado, Linda first became involved in the dramatic arts while in college, becoming one of the first “techies” at her school to be voted into Delta Psi Omega, the National Theater Honor Society. She holds a Masters in Theological Studies from Pacific School of Religion and maintains that theater, at its best, is a religious experience! Linda is currently working on her first novel and, as always, is looking forward to another opening night. Nick Hodges has performed in theater since the fifth grade and his passion for the arts has only continued to grow. He studied acting for three years at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco as well as the Berkeley Repertory Theater and Dance 10 Studio. Through these rich and varied experiences he has gained a deeper and thorough perspective of what it truly takes to make a theatrical production successful. Nick is 23 and is currently living in the San Francisco bay area. He is thrilled to be working with BroadwayWorld!

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