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November 3, 2011"The Zeitgeist Chronicles" (New Orleans)
November 7, 2011
The ’50s and ’60s are known for doo-wop and California surfing music. The ’70s, disco. But the ’80s came to rock the house.
So, too, does “Rock of Ages,” Broadway in New Orleans’ most recent offering, which plays through Nov. 6 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater of Performing Arts.
Packed with 28 classic rock tunes, the show is set in 1987 on the Sunset Strip. There, a small-town girl meets a big-city dreamer, and in Los Angeles’s most legendary rock club, they fall in love. A who’s who of ’80s rockers comprise the soundtrack: Journey, Styx, Pat Benatar, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Night Ranger, Twisted Sister, Asia, Whitesnake and others.
“Everybody has something from the past that sparks something in them from the past,” said Christopher Sams, who plays the Mayor and Ja’Keith in the five-time Tony Award-nominated musical.
“It could be a picture, a scent or an article of clothing. More often than not, it is a song that sparks nostalgia and makes you think about a particular time and place.
“That’s what this show is for people,” Sams said. “When they hear songs for the ’80s, the rock songs and power ballads, it is a reminder of a time in their lives that excites them and makes them think about having fun.”
Surprisingly, the appreciation of rock bands brings out the party animals in audiences.
“It’s a shared experience and a generational experience as well,” Sams explained. “We do get a lot of people who normally wouldn’t dance in a theatre standing. It reminds them of a wilder time in their lives when they could cut loose and didn’t have to worry about the 9-to-5.”
The ’80s gave America big hair, tight leather and leopard prints and crunching bass undertones with suggestive lyrics that shocked the generation before.
It was, in large part, music Sams was restricted from.
“I grew up in the ”80s, but I wasn’t allowed to listen to the majority [of “Rock of Ages'” music] because of its subject matter,” he recalled.
But a few hits did get his parents’ OK. And those still resonate today.
After all, Sams explains, the iconic tunes of the 1980s tell a quintessential story about growing up. “Take ‘Waiting for a Girl Like You’, for instance,” he said of the Foreigner hit. “What young man hasn’t pined about a young girl that he finally gets to see and meet and talk to for the first time and have those initial feelings.”
“Rock of Ages” is intertwined with songs that connect with people and move along the love story between Sherrie and Drew.
“My favorite part of the evening is ‘I Wanna Rock,'” he said, noting the Twisted Sister anthem.
“Then there’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.’ I love dancing that number. The song’s made such a major comeback; people hear the opening melody and they go wild.”
“Rock of Ages” has been a powerhouse on Broadway, and the touring production is generating excitement.
“This should be great for New Orleans, after all, you guys are known for partying,” Sams said. “With this show, more than any I’ve ever done, you really gotta come ready to party. We want to see everyone ready to have fun.”
‘Rock of Ages’
Where: Mahalia Jackson Theater of Performing Arts
When: Nov. 1 through Nov. 6
Cost: Tickets price range from $25 to $75
For More Info: (800) 745-3000, mahaliajacksontheater.com or ticketmaster.com
Lonny (Justin Colombo) and the cast of “Rock of Ages” are starring onstage at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans. The musical is intertwined with 28 mega-hits from the 1980s. Tickets are available at the box office or through Ticketmaster.
