Review: ROCK OF AGES at Music Theatre WIchita At The Capitol Federal Amphitheater In Andover, KS

WOW! What a fun show! I love some of the crazy lines that just pop up out of nowhere, like “Phil Collins can be kick ass sometimes!” Rock of Ages definitely lived up to its hype, and I was super fortunate to see this production. This well paced show boasted soooo many strong performances, I hardly know where to begin.

Before the main event got underway, we were treated to a couple of numbers from the Rising Stars Youth Ensemble, formerly known as the Teen Choir. The ensemble is a group of rising theatre students from High Schools across Kansas. There was a delightful solo performance from Emma Dugan, who sang Hopelessly Devoted to You from the musical Grease! Next there was a stunning performance from six young ladies of a number from the musical Six. It was outstanding, and I can’t wait to see what these students do next! There was also a fun costume contest onstage for the best 80s hair and outfit for the evening!

Rock of Ages is a Tony Award Nominated Broadway Musical that features the hits of Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, and Twisted Sister. Rock of Ages opened on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on April 7, 2009. It played for 2,328 performances, and was the 31st longest-running show in Broadway history. 

The story takes place at the end of the 1980s in Hollywood, at one of the Sunset Strip’s legendary venues, Dupree’s Bourbon Room. Beefcake Rock God Stacee Jaxx takes the stage, thrilling aspiring groupies and rockers alike. One of those aspiring rock stars, Drew, a bar back at the Bourbon Room (born and raised in South Detroit) longs to take the stage as the next big thing. Then, small-town girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Paola, Kansas, walks into the bar. She yearns to be an actress, but needs a job - so Dennis, the bar owner, gives her one, under duress from Drew. Unfortunately, German developers surprise the denizens of strip with plans to raze the Strip and build A MALL!  Hilarity ensues.

OMG these voices are so beautiful and strong. I was impressed with the power and the sound of not only the leads, but the ensemble as well. Typically, Rock or Jukebox Musicals can be a snooze when the voices can’t find the right flavor and end up sounding like a watered down, sanitized Lawrence Welk version, rendering the music devoid of all hipness. This was NOT the case here. Music Director Douglas  W. Thomas did a superb job not only insuring the vocalists maintained appropriate vocal hipness, but also conducted AND played keys with the hippest of Wichita’s musicians. Music and vocals were a solid TEN.  A shout out to Randy Zellers on Guitar 1 for MAJOR SHREDDING during The Final Countdown! Gnarly, dude!

Costumes by Abby Stroot were spot on, totally nailing the 1980s rocker/lingerie feel. Joshua Harris’ Wig and Hair Design absolutely captured the big hair era, most notably Injoy Fountain’s opening wig, a floating confection that defied gravity and made me gasp out loud; and the huge teased to within an inch of it’s life blonde side ponytail sported by a female ensemble member. Michael Downs designed the clever, colorful set with many fun aspects, including video screens and road cases on either side of the stage that gave the show a rock concert feel. The video screens, which of course magnified the onstage action, were also used as a  Brechtian device, showing not only location, but offstage action, and pyrotechnics! These smart projections were devised by Michael Commendatore. David Muehl’s Sound Design was wonderful; the voices and music were mixed well, and I could hear everything clearly.

Lighting Designer Bentley Heydt is a newcomer to MTW. He has an MFA in Lighting Design from Ohio University, and was an Assistant Lighting Designer for the Broadway production of Life of Pi, under the direction of Tim Lutkin, who just won a Tony for Best Lighting Design. Heydt’s light show was a total rock and roll show, complete with the pre-requisite audience blinding white light, and it was too bad that you really couldn’t appreciate it until the sun went down. The audience seemed to loosen up then, and really became, in a good way, raucous and rowdy! My guest remarked that this felt more like a rock concert instead of an MTW show. I hope we have more fun, outdoor shows like this at the beginning of summer! What a great choice from Brian J. Marcum to kick off the summer.

Director and Choreographer Eric Sciotto, who I had the good fortune to interview prior to the show, put together a remarkable young cast of up and comers, who were very exciting to watch. His staging was high energy, and he made extremely logical yet exciting choices regarding staging. His choreography, however, was brilliant, and it was obvious that his extensive dance vocabulary and stylistic knowledge served him well for Rock of Ages. Sciotto tells the story here, which made the comedy so genuine and unforced. I could see the informed actor choices and their characters reflected in their movements. I especially loved the variety of choreography, from the exquisitely lush Heaven 4 dream dance sequence, with a gorgeous pas de deus, to the “back pocket stank” of Jaxx’s Beefcake Bump and Grind, and to the lap dance in I Hate Myself for Loving You/Heat of the Moment, which could easily be a parody but instead empowers the women with sexy and precise movement that is hard to carve out of a two week rehearsal schedule.

Drew, the small town boy from South Detroit, was played by Benjamin Camenzuli. Ben used his classic Canadian rocker sound to power him through anthems and soar through ballads. Ben’s I Wanna Rock gave me chills and I knew we were in good hands for the remainder of the show. Someone give this guy a recording contract! Ben’s performance was earnest yet grounded, and he played extremely well with his love interest, Sherrie. Sherrie was incredibly well played by Emma Ogea, a rising junior at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and she definitely brought her A game.  Emma’s sweet, ultra high belt and big range navigated the songs with ease, and I especially loved her duet with Ben on To Be With You, with their sublime harmony and blend. Emma’s also a great dancer, and her performance in Justice Charlier’s Venus Club, a begrudging lap dance for Stacee Jaxx, is appropriately steamy yet precise, as Jaxx and Sherrie battle it out while singing I Hate Myself for Loving You/Heat of the Moment. Beefcake Rocker Stacee Jaxx (think Poison front man Bret Michaels) is played by Brett Stoelker and he does a fantastic job, bringing so much humor to the role and the proceedings. Brett’s rock belt is spot on and he really thrilled us with his rendition of Bon Jovi’s Dead or Alive. Brett also milks the physical comedy of Jaxx to the nth degree, particularly in the scene where he sings Too Much Time on My Hands, which was captured live on video with various groupies in compromising positions communing with various types of contraband.

Rock of Ages takes place in Dupree’s Bourbon Room, which is owned by Dennis, played by MTW Veteran and owner of Mosley Street Melodrama, Monte Reigel Wheeler. His loyal sound man, Lonny Burnett, is played by Tim Shea, who was in the National Tour of Rock of Ages. Lonny acts as the narrator, and Shea does a great job, moving the action along and cracking lots of jokes along the way. Shea keeps the pace hot and imbues his Lonny with a seriousness that makes his comedy believable and keeps us locked in to his story. Shea’s energy is a great foil for Wheeler’s Dennis, a laid back Hippie with a heart of gold. It was genius to cast him in that role, as many of the characters he creates for the Melodrama’s original shows are mostly over the top and absurd, like his angry game show host. What makes Wheeler’s performance so special is he takes all that energy and keeps Dennis conflicted and lovable, instead of becoming a bitter macho turd.  The Lonny and Dennis Bromance sequence in I Can’t Fight This Feeling was hysterical, appropriately spoofing the cliche B-roll stock footage of slow motion montages of lovers in a field.  The crowd let out a huge moan we they find out Dennis dies.

Regina, the spunky Mayor’s assistant, is played by Sydni Moon, a rising senior at the University of Oklahoma majoring in Musical Theatre. Moon’s energy is electric, and she’s got that great feminine swagger that propels her through the role. She’s a wonderful dancer and has a commanding voice that inspires the audience and her followers, particularly in We’re Not Gonna Take It. Franz, son of Hertz, the German capitalist who wants to raze the Bourbon Room along with the rest of the strip, is played by IUMT alum Kabir Gandhi. Gandhi gives a wonderfully animated performance as Franz, and in Hit Me With Your Best Shot, he stands up to his father, Hertz. Franz is aided by Regina and the wardrobe department, as the duo strips away their business wear to reveal colorful 80s aerobics outfits! Their number is so much fun, and Franz KICKS AND SPLITS his way to a spectacular big finish! Veteran MTW actor and Artistic Director of Crown Collaborative Steve Hitchcock plays Hertz as an edgy, anxiety ridden German Gordon Gekko, who has a come to Jesus moment in Keep On Lovin’ You, tearfully regretting how badly he’s treated his son, singing on top of some stair units cleverly rigged as the “building” he’s going to demolish.

I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge Rodney Thompson, who played JaKeith, Drew’s ersatz Manager. JaKeith convinces Drew he ought to be in a Boy Band that is launching their very first Mall Tour, much to Drew’s chagrin. Rodney recently received his BPA in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University, and imbues JaKeith with energy and moxie.

Injoy Fountain has been getting some great roles here in town lately (Celie in The Color Purple, Roxy’s Downtown), and her interpretation of Justice Charlier, owner of the “Gentlemen’s Club” Venus A-Go-Go, hit all the right deep emotional notes and we were right along with her for the journey. Injoy is also an MTW Veteran and appeared on The Voice in Season 17 on Team Kelly. From the moment she hit the stage to the moment she told us to “step inside, ” I had chills. Her incredible tonality and emotional delivery weaved its way through every song she was featured in - Pour Some Sugar Medley, Harden My Heart/Shadows of the Night, and Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Injoy supplied some sublimely gorgeous harmony, and gave an emotional depth and strength to Justice.

The Rock of Ages finale was very powerful, with the entire ensemble singing Don’t Stop Believing, replete with Dennis “resurrected” as an angel standing atop the bar kissing Drew and Sherrie’s baby. The crowd gave the performers a well deserved standing ovation, and after the lights went out, the audience enthusiastically began singing their favorite songs from the show as they shuffled to their vehicles! What was mine? Sister Christian, natch.  I hope Artistic Director Brian J. Marcum has some more of these gems up his sleeve for future summer enjoyment.

What’s next for MTW? Join them for a Night Among the Stars at Brick and Mortar, 230 S Topeka Street, on June 22, 2023. It’s an all new fundraising event for Music Theatre Wichita! The doors open at 6pm, with Dinner and show at 7pm. There will be dinner, drinks, a live auction, and sparkling performances. Individual tickets are $150 ($100 is tax deductible) and can be purchased by calling 316-265-3107. Please help support MTWichita’s dual mission of entertaining and educating. Contact Carter Toll, Development Manager, with questions: carter@mtwichita.org 316-261-3812

Red, White, and Broadway is a Holiday Musical Review created by Brian J. Marcum, and the featured vocalists include Injoy Fountain, Daniel Gonzalez, Jennifer Marcum, Anjelica McRae-Breathett, and Roy Moye III. Performances take place at Botanica from July 1-4 at 8pm, with a matinee at at 11am on July 4. Fireworks will follow the July 2-4 evening performances. The run time is 2 hours and 30minutes.

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