Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The 10th anniversary revival of ROCK OF AGES retains the brash but lovable spirit of the original

• By drediman
• July 26, 2019
• No Comments

Mitchell Jarvis and the company of the 10th anniversary production of “Rock of Ages” at New World Stages. Photo by Marc J. Franklin.

Earlier this week, I had the chance, after a number of years, to revisit Rock of Ages, which has been remounted for a limited run in New York. The Off-Broadway production, which is currently snugly playing at New World Stages, marks the 10^th anniversary of the popular jukebox musical’s New York premiere (has it already been that long?). For those of you who don’t know, the show uses the extensive catalog of rock and roll hits from the 1980s – which now includes the songs of Def Leppard – to tell the interlocking stories of the denizens of L.A.’s Sunset Strip during that era, particularly that of the romance between a “small town girl” and a “city boy”.

I have fond memories of the original Broadway production, which played the Brooks Atkinson before subsequently transferring to the Helen Hayes. Indeed, I had almost forgotten just how smart and incredibly fun the show is (much of the credit goes to Chris D’Arienzo, who wrote the show’s silly but exceedingly clever book). Even when the musical’s gender politics make you cringe – now more than ever – it ultimately transcends them with its big heart and savvy satirical lens. As far as its use of the anthemic 1980s songbook (e.g., “Here I Go Again”, “Don’t Stop Believin’”) to advance the plot, it draws favorable comparisons to Moulin Rouge (the highly anticipated stage version of which opened last night on Broadway) for wittily incorporating its whiplash parade of iconic songs.

Kristin Hanggi has returned to direct the piece for this Off-Broadway run (essentially a remounting of her inspired original work), and it remains endearingly clear that both she and Mr. D’Arienzo share a genuine affinity for both musical theater and 1980s rock. And although the physical production has been truncated just a little bit for the current edition, the musical’s brash but lovable spirit thankfully remains fully intact (in fact, in a smaller space, the show’s infectious energy is that much more palpable). The 10^th anniversary cast is quite good, too. The irresistibly inappropriate Mitchell Jarvis returns to the role of Lonny, which he originated on Broadway, and there really is no better interpreter of the goofy role (the show’s narrator) than he is. Even if the rest of the new cast doesn’t quite reach the giddy heights of the other originals, they definitely do the material and production proud and sing the heck out of the classic rock score.

RECOMMENDED

ROCK OF AGES
Off-Broadway, Musical
New World Stages
2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Through September 29