Rock of Ages is a cliché musical based on the music of the ‘80s. It is about a boy named Drew (Joey Taranto) and a girl named Sherrie (Emily Padgett). Funny enough, Drew 
comes from Detroit, Michigan while Sherrie comes from a small town somewhere in the country (…sound familiar?). Drew works at a bar in the city with the owner Dennis (Adam Dannheisser) and Lonny (Jay Klaitz). Lonny is the narrator of the story. He tells predictable jokes that are easy to laugh at.
A father and son company from Germany comes and offers the Mayor money to destroy all the old buildings and build new fancy complexes. Activist Regina (Josephine Rose Roberts) is very against this and even chains herself to the buildings. Her spunky speaking voice is coupled with a strong, belting singing voice. Franz (Derek St. Pierre) doesn’t quite agree with his father but is scared to face up to him. At one point, he breaks out into song with a leotard and sings “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” in a very strong German accent. He and Regina end up falling in love towards the end, which wasn’t very predicted because everyone assumed he was gay due to his speech and strut. But as he said, “I’m not gay, I’m German!”
I seem to be straying from the main plot line though, which is the love story between Drew and Sherrie. Sherrie is overcome by her inner fan-girl when Stacee Jaxx (Mitchell Jarvis) comes to town. This breaks Drew’s heart and he and Sherrie don’t talk much afterwards. Drew goes to a record company to become a big rock musician he wants to be, but they dress him up in ugly ‘80s garb and try to sell him as a rapper. Sherrie becomes a stripper at the local strip club. Obviously, in the end, they get back together because that’s how all cliché musicals must end.
Rock of Ages was a joke-musical, constantly making fun of itself and of the ‘80s. The characters were hilarious and all had cute quirks to them. The music was great due to the fact it was ‘80s music. There were many tracks I recognized and some that I didn’t. Although the music wasn’t written specifically for this play, it fit very well. This may also be due to the fact that there was a lot of talking. It wasn’t constant song after song, and this helped in building the simple but enjoyable storyline. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, laughable, easy-listening show, I’d recommend this.
Rock of Ages
Brooks Atkinson Theatre
September 19, 2010
Marina B. Nebro
