Okay, so the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera production, Rock of Ages, set me off on a tangent, mining the history of juke-box musicals, where familiar music often spawns the story. The term apparently began in 1969 with the music of Burt Bacharach in the award-winning Promise, Promises.
What followed was an escalating parade over the years, some more successful than others. The ’70’s embraced Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978), dedicated to Fats Waller, but the ’80’s only followed Leader of the Pack, inspired by Ellie Greenwich (1984).
But hello-o-o, no less than 42 juke-box babies were born in the 2000’s, the most noted of which were the Four Seasons’ bio, Jersey Boys (2005), Bill T. Jones’ African perspective on Fela! (2009 and probably my favorite), and the afore-mentioned Rock of Ages (2005).
But those were eclipsed by no less than 45 productions in the 2010’s, including the Frank Sinatra tribute, Come Fly Away, the Green Day rocker, American Idiot, and the self-named Beautiful: Carole King Musical, all in 2010. Later on came The Cher Show and the Temptations’ Ain’t Too Proud in 2018.
Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt when it comes to juke-box musicals.
Anyhow, back to Rock of Ages, which intrigued me not for its hard rock play list of Whitesnake, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Journey, Styx and Twisted Sister, but to see what choreographer Stephanie Klemons, part of the award-winning Hamilton team, would do on her own.
Some long-haired members of the audience, from the lobby inward, were immediately ready to join the band onstage. Others waited until the onstage band, cheekily fronted by lead guitarist Dan Peters, first walked out. Nonetheless this would all lean towards a rock concert atmosphere and its usual amenities.
Set on the ’80’s Sunset Strip, this musical was placed in a supposedly seedy area, a combination of run-down clubs and strip joints. Although it celebrated “debauchery and decadence,” its self-mocking style still hit viewers with its best shot.
After all, people came to be entertained.
Beowulf Boritt’s set was a tight, yet flexible conglomeration of The Whiskey, Venus Club, Roxy and more “establishments” that populated the Strip, while the costumes were a just-this-side-of-tacky combination of rock and burlesque by Gregory Gale and Gail Baldoni. Floor fans blew long locks of hair (Jeff Knaggs’ expert and super-long wigs) around the performer’s faces ala Beyonce. Of course, there was Paul Miller’s concert lighting, colorfully dancing on its own at times. Klemons’ idea of dance, on the other hand, drew from a raucous blend of ’80’s rock and burlesque, unabashedly provocative, but hardly in the groundbreaking arena found in Hamilton.
Only the Christopher Evans’ sound design fell short as he tried to strike a balance between bombastic and Broadway. Most professionals need ear plugs to attend a rock concert, but CLO audiences want to hear the words. Somehow the driving forces of songs like We Built This City, the kind that pummel your very being, seemed, well, a bit mild.
Familiar tunes aside, the slip of a story traces a boy next door, Drew (Justin Matthew Sargent), and a girl next door, Sherrie (Tess Soldau), who follow star-crossed paths (Romeo and Juliet, anyone?) to Los Angeles and meet in The Bourbon, run by a pair of middle-aged rock aficionados, sound man Lonny (Nick Druzbanski) and owner Dennis Dupree (Gene Wegandt), bisexual comic sidekicks here. But the real comic punch came from Carnegie Mellon grad Nathan Salstone (Franz Klinemann), who played a German geek of all geeks with some pretty cool moves of his own in the finale, and Tiffany Tatreau (Regina), who would fit in nicely with the #MeToo movement today.
It’s all about dreams, some achieved and others not, and the interaction between a talented cast of characters along the way. In the end, the real strength of this production came from the cast itself, all Equity members. But it was the Big Three who impressed the most.
Sargent came to Pittsburgh via a rather extensive Broadway resume, including Peter Parker in Spiderman, Bonnie and Clyde and, yes, Rock of Ages. It was easy to hear why he’s been in demand, with the soaring clarity and smooth phrasing of his tenor voice. People probably came to root on Soltau, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. It looks like she has quite a range, having done the high “tessitura” of Glinda in Wicked, yet belting out the primo alto stylings of this musical score. Shades of Kristin Chenoweth…
The star turn went to Ace Young, who played Stacee Jaxx (a.k.a. as the star turn played in the movie version by Tom Cruise). With things like American Idol, a Grammy nomination, Broadway and more behind him, he not only took full advantage of the swagger and glitter inherent in the role, but zealously dived into the comic twists that came his way.
The skills and ultimate flair of the cast proved to be real-deal-appeal of Rock of Ages. If you were willing to make the trip, this production ultimately became a trip of its own.
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