Potts has some ethically-challenged fun, both as the mayor and as a shady music manager-type, while Heather Astbury-Libby goes big and brassy as strip club impresario Justice. Graham and Sayers bring a broad and goofy energy to their gruff/effete father-son dynamic that's quite engaging. Beck charms with her combination of fiery rhetoric and starry-eyed passion. Layman crushes some of the show's best lines, while Varney's work as the narrator consistently lands.Ĭrowe imbues Stacee Jaxx with a broad charisma that partially masks his leather-pantsed oiliness. The easy comfort shared between the two permeates the entire relationship, resulting in a portrayal of a deep friendship that is equal parts hilarious and touching their duet on 'I Can't Fight This Feeling' might well be the show's most effective number. Layman and Varney are also quite the match. He lands some solid bits and finds some nice intensity, while she demonstrates once again her particular brand of on-stage fearlessness (especially in terms of physical comedy).They're a fun pair to watch. Kramer's sincerity and amiability serve him well as Drew Robinson strikes a nice balance between sweetness and ambition with her portrayal of Sherrie. The Drew-Sherrie dynamic is a foundational one, requiring quality chemistry from the actors.
They are the engine of the show, serving as the energy upon which the cast can feed. They are big and loud in a way only the 1980s allowed. With Jeremy Shirland and Joshua Kovach on guitar, Gaylen Smith on bass, Tom Libby on drums and Allison Bankston on keyboards, the band is a propulsive force. This show's Arsenal a no-fooling band that spends the entirety of the show onstage consists of some of the area's best musical talent. Can the glorious era of big sounds and big hair survive the commodifying march of capitalism? Or is The Bourbon Room doomed to an eternity as a strip mall Foot Locker? Is it possible for any or all of these broken and/or burgeoning relationships to survive is the Strip does not?Īny review of 'Rock of Ages' has to start with the music.
Unfortunately, the tangle of their respective personal and professional lives along with a few poor decisions results in a wedge being driven between the two, with each sacrificing their integrity (along with their dignity) for the sake of ego and pride.Īs these relationships deteriorate, so too do the chances of The Bourbon Room dodging the wrecking ball. Jaxx reportedly on the verge of breaking off from his band Arsenal to go solo agrees to have the final Arsenal show at The Bourbon Room, though it's soon clear that his massive rock-star ego is going to cause problems.Īll the while, the attraction between Drew and Sherrie is undeniable. The mayor's assistant Regina (Brianne Beck) quits in disgust and immediately begins to organize protests against Hertz's plans.ĭesperate to prove his club's viability, Dennis calls in a favor from rock legend Stacee Jaxx (Andrew Crowe). Graham) and his son Franz (Alekzander Sayers) thanks in no small part to a significant bribe to allow complete redevelopment of the Strip. Meanwhile, the mayor (Bob Potts) has been convinced by German developer Hertz (Neil A. Drew sees her and immediately falls for her he winds up convincing Dennis to give her a job working at the club. Sherrie (Christie Robinson) is a wannabe actress who made her way out west from Texas. The place is run by owner Dennis (Ben Layman) and his assistant Lonny (Dominick Varney), who also serves as the show's narrator.
The show features over 30 of the most beloved and popular rock songs of the 1980s bands like Poison, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, Journey, Whitesnakethe list goes on and on.ĭrew (Ira Kramer) is an aspiring rock star who is paying the bills by working as a bar back at The Bourbon Room, a legendary club on the Sunset Strip. Performances run through July 2 at the Bangor Opera House. Sound design is by Ben Harrison (“Mame”, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” and “Fame”) and musical supervision is by Barney Ashworth (“Sunny Afternoon”, “Grease” and “Mrs Henderson Presents”).Penobscot Theatre Company is closing out the 2015-2016 season in a big way with the rock musical 'Rock of Ages,' directed and choreographed by Michele Colvin with musical direction by Andrew Crowe. It is directed and choreographed by Nick Winston (“Chess”, “Mame” and “Cats”) designed by Morgan Large (“The Woman in White”, “Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat” and “Tell Me On A Sunday”) and has lighting design by Ben Cracknell (“Sunset Boulevard”, “Pantoland at the Palladium”, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”). “ROCK OF AGES” has a book by Chris D’Arienzo and arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.