Overview
Synopsis
It is 1987, and the fabled West Hollywood club the Bourbon Room is the seedy, sordid, vibrant heart of the Sunset Strip. The music venue has seen better days, but as run by chilled-out former rock impresario Dennis Dupree, and tended to by Dennis’s mischievous assistant Lonny, it is the essence of rock and roll. When bright-eyed young hopeful Sherrie Christian, a small-town girl who wants to make it as an actress, arrives in town, she bumps into Drew, a Bourbon Room busboy with dreams of rock and roll stardom. Love-struck Drew convinces Dennis to hire Sherrie, and the stage seems set for their romance. But when the Mayor of West Hollywood, persuaded by a couple of scheming German real estate developers, announces his intention to demolish the Bourbon Room and the entire gritty Sunset Strip, the stakes are raised. Dennis convinces rock god Stacee Jaxx, lead singer of megaband Arsenal, to play the band’s last show at the Bourbon Room, hopeful that the money raised will stop the building from being demolished. But Stacee, a man of massive charisma and massive ego, leaves destruction in his wake, sleeping with Sherrie and getting knocked out by his own band before the concert is over. In the midst of violent anti-demolition protests, Sherrie flees to a nearby strip club and Drew falls into the clutches of a boy band. Who can save the Bourbon Room, the young lovers, and the feuding Germans? Only Lonny, the “dramatic conjurer”, knows for sure. Rock of Ages is a big, brash, energetic tribute to classic rock, to over-the-top ballads and fierce guitar, to the gritty glamour and rough energy of the Sunset Strip. This jukebox musical features ‘80s hits such as “We Built this City”, “I Wanna Rock”, and “Don’t Stop Believin’”.
Show Information
- Book
- Chris D'Arienzo
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2005
- Genres
- Comedy, Jukebox/Revue
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- 1980s, los angeles, usa
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Rock Combo
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone |
Songs
Act One
- Cum on Feel the Noize - Lonny, Ensemble
- Just Like Paradise - Lonny, Justice, Dennis, Drew, Ensemble
- Nothin’ But a Good Time - Drew, Lonny, Dennis, Ensemble
- Sister Christian - Lonny, Father, Mother, Sherrie, Drew, Ensemble
- We Built This City - Regina, Hertz, Franz, Ensemble
- Too Much Time on My Hands - Dennis, Lonny, Drew, Hertz, Franz, Mayor, Regina, Stacee, Groupies
- Heaven - Drew
- I Wanna Rock - Drew, Ensemble
- Heaven (Reprise) - Drew
- We’re Not Gonna Take It - Regina, Ensemble
- Heaven/More Than Words/To Be With You - Drew, Sherrie, Waitress #1, Ensemble
- Waiting for a Girl Like You - Drew, Sherrie, Stacee, Ensemble
- Wanted Dead or Alive - Stacee, Sherrie, Ensemble
- I Want to Know What Love Is - Stacee, Sherrie, Drew, Ensemble
- Cum on Feel the Noize/We’re Not Gonna Take It (Reprise) - Stacee, Dennis, Sherrie, Regina, Drew, Ja’Keith, Ensemble
- Harden My Heart/Shadows of the Night - Sherrie, Justice, Ensemble
- Here I Go Again - Sherrie, Dew, Stacee, Dennis, Lonny, Regina, Franz, Ensemble
Act Two
- The Final Countdown - Dennis, Lonny, Hertz, Franz, Regina, Ensemble
- Anyway You Want It/I Wanna Rock - Justice, Drew, Ja’Keith, Ensemble
- We’re Not Gonna Take It (Reprise) - Regina, Ensemble
- High Enough - Sherrie, Drew, Ensemble
- Beaver Hunt - Joey Primo
- I Hate Myself for Loving You/Heat of the Moment - Sherrie, Stacee, Drew, Ensemble
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Franz, Regina, Ensemble
- Can’t Fight This Feeling - Lonny, Dennis, Ensemble
- Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Justice, Sherrie, Drew, Franz, Regina, Hertz, Dennis, Lonny, Stacee, Ensemble
- Keep on Lovin’ You - Hertz
- Oh Sherrie - Drew, Sherrie, Ensemble
- The Search Is Over - Drew, Sherrie, Ensemble
- Renegade - Stacee, Ensemble
- Don’t Stop Believin’ - Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A musical that features hit songs of a popular music group or genre.
A musical theatre work using rock music.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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