Review of Rock of Ages Broadway Musical

I saw "Rock of Ages" just last week and had first refused lout aloud when asked by my son. It is a jukebox musical which I hate to see ever since Beach Boys debacle back then. I also think that the eighties are my lost decade since I was then just married and was raising my son, I didn't pay attention to the music.

I was forced to go because my son's date backed out in the last minute and it would be a waste of the ticket. Although reluctant, I managed to drag myself to the theatre front door, amidst a long subway ride and heavy rain, and anticipating that I would react to the show by sitting and wishing I was elsewhere. I didn't know that I was in for a total surprise, and that the show would totally blow me away.

"Rock of Ages" is on a totally different level compared to other broadway musicals, it can be seen more as an arena concert, where there are drinks served in the aisles of the theatre, having back up band and little LED flashlights taking place of lighters that are usually waved in the air on encores. It is then, I found out that I am in for something much more than a Broadway musical.

It tells of a story of boy meets girl, which is filled with clichés and characters similar to the rock and roll ages of the 80's. Drew, the rockstar wannabe played by Constantine Maroulis falls in love for Sherrie, the nave girl who ran away to become a star, played by Amy Spanger. There's also a former hippie who opens a rock club dive on the Strip, an entrepreneur who specializes in ruining all the fun, his son who's learning the ropes of the business and a social activist trying to preserve the integrity of the society.

The whole play is about getting great laughs, where Lonny, played by Mitcheel Jarvis gives out a breaking performance. Lonny truly understands that it is a joke and breaks the wall a couple of times in the performance to laugh with the audience.

The whole story is amusing and funny as well as the costumes. It was surprising that I came to love the music. I found that I liked this music as if they came from a long lost memory of my youth. There were songs by classic artist such as Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and Jorney.

This show is full of great performances that seem to top out each other and the story itself eventually comes to a happy, yet unexpected ending. After the show, I find myself wanting to watch it a second, and maybe a third time.