Rock of Ages

This jukebox musical took us on the journey into the seedy realms of the Bourbon Room. With the storyline focusing on the pending demolition of the club, we experienced a range of 80s rock classics. I saw the show on the opening night, and the work of the cast must be commended; a slick show from start to finish. However, the overall volume was high throughout, which unfortunately led to a lack of clarity in the lyrics and dialogue, which at times sounded distorted. I fully appreciate the genre of music in this show, but the sound created an atmosphere more like a rock concert than a musical. I understand that the level of sound was sorted as the week progressed. That said the energy from the cast and musicians on the stage was second to none, and throughout the show there were several great performances. In the role of Drew, a very likeable character, David McIllwraith gave a solid performance with excellent vocals and acting. Rebecca Swanson playing Sherrie, portrayed the role well, and displayed her talents in both singing and acting with great ease. Lonny, played by Michael Donaghy gave an excellent performance. Breaking the fourth wall, his communication with the audience was fabulous, and his character was extremely likeable. Dennis played by Kai Simpson, was full of character and his acting shone through. Lynsey Brown was playing Justice at the performance I attended, and there were some real stand-out moments in her vocal ability and command of the stage. In the role of Regina, Debbie Main was excellent as she protested the development plans to shut the club.Franz was played well by Kieran Sheppard, and Andrew Murphy in the role of Hertz, brought a complete contrast in character, and both had excellent stage presence. Tristan Monahan played the egotistical Stacee Jaxx with the right amount of attitude and swagger.

The ensemble singing was well executed with good harmonies. The choreography by Lisa McConnell was detailed and well styled. The featured dancers brought a lot of talent to the stage, and their costumes while quite scant were in no way inappropriate. Each person on the stage worked hard and demonstrated commitment to the role they performed. The band under the musical direction of Cameron Tasker was excellent, with precision and solid rhythm. There was a level of cohesiveness with the principal and ensemble cast through all the musical numbers, and particularly the ‘big’ rock pieces. Good lighting enhanced the staging of the show and the entire production flowed well under the direction of Steven Swan. Well done GLOC!

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