By Jenn McKee
The Tony Award-nominated jukebox musical "Rock of Ages" has come to Detroit, but it's likely to primarily rock those of a certain age – namely, Generation X, many of whom grew up in the era of huge-hair rock bands, the 1980s.
But even being part of the show's target demographic (as I am) won't guarantee that you'll be wholly satisfied with "Rock," which – despite Chris D'Arienzo's clever book that winks at you while dropping random '80s references and sharp one-liners, and a terrific cast led by the charmingly winning "American Idol" finalist (and Tony Award nominee) Constantine Maroulis – feels as instantly disposable as many of the pop songs featured in its score.
Part of the issue, of course, stems from the very nature of jukebox musicals, wherein a flimsy narrative is concocted for the sole purpose of stringing together a group of pre-ordained songs. "Rock" even goes so far as to excerpt songs into medleys, which, on the one hand, makes the already-too-long show (two and a half hours) mercifully more efficient, but on the other hand, underlines a core problem in jukebox musicals: The songs, in their entirety, are only rarely a perfect fit for the character (because, of course, they weren't written specifically for him/her); they don't move the story forward, but rather pause it; and they almost never do more than reiterate a character's immediate feelings in a situation, which are generally already clear.
That's not to say that none of the musical performances in "Rock" are stirring. The all-hands-on-deck, first act closer, Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again," provides a concert-like adrenaline rush; Damn Yankees' "High Enough," affectingly belted by Maroulis and co-star Rebecca Faulkenberry, made me like the song far more than I ever had before; and while "Glee" recently cashed in an awful lot of "Don't Stop Believin'"'s nostalgic capital, the song nonetheless provides "Rock" with an irresistible closer.
Far more resistible are the songs that, despite being hits from the '80s, were awful to begin with. (Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City"? Seriously? Personally, I was hoping to never hear this song again, let alone hear it sung by talented performers who deserve better.) Among the other elements that didn't exactly rock my world, and actually made me uncomfortable, were the offensive portrayal of an effeminate young German man, and the way many of the women depicted were, again and again, nothing more than sexualized objects on stage. Reminiscent of the rock videos that annoyed me back in the day, Faulkenberry writhes on top of a car, actually becoming a horny, living hood ornament; a woman in the ensemble is ridden like a horse by rock star Stacee Jaxx (Mig Ayesa) during "Dead or Alive"; and although Faulkenberry's dashed-dream fall into the world of exotic dancing on the Sunset Strip means that strippers must inevitably be part of "Rock," I couldn't help but feel the depiction and treatment of these women was unnecessarily, lasciviously exploitative.
Still, "Rock" does at least have the good sense to make fun of itself, and it does that plenty. Lonny (Patrick Lewallen) is the audience's fun-yet-creepy guide ("I'm no Andrew Lloyd Sondheim … ") to the show, mocking musical theater conventions while reinforcing them; Kelly Devine's spot-on rock video pastiche choreography provides several laughs on its own; and the show takes pains to underline its artifice, often to comic effect. (The musical takes place in an iconic L.A. rock club called the Bourbon Room, which is scheduled for demolition; when owner Dennis, played by Nick Cordero, enters with a box near the show's end, he says something along the lines of, "Well, that's everything. Except for all the crap on the walls.")
But clever meta-commentary and cute, blink-and-you'll-miss-one '80s references do not a great musical make. And it's quite telling that, while nearing the end of writing this review, I realized I'd forgotten to include a synopsis of "Rock"'s story. So for those who are curious, here it is: Sherrie (one guess as to why a paean to the '80s employs that moniker), played by Faulkenberry, is a Kansas girl who comes to L.A. with dreams of acting; and Drew (Maroulis) works clean-up at the Bourbon Room but aims to rock on stage. The two meet and fall in love, of course, but their ambitions, along with some mixed signals, keep them apart. Plus, there's a bizarre, ancillary plotline about a German businessman (Bret Tuomi) and his son (Travis Walker) who come to Disney-fy Hollywood's Sunset Strip, but L.A.'s city planner, a recent Berkeley grad named Regina (pronounced like "vagina," ha-ha, and played by Casey Tuma) convinces the son to stand up to his father.
Some people will love "Rock," of course. Many around me in the audience, who held up lighters and cell phones during various songs, appeared to be having a absolutely splendid time. And it's a slick, highly polished production, from Beowulf Boritt's thoughtfully detailed set, to the top-notch cast and on-stage band. But really, when you're working with sow's ears like Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is," it's awfully hard to crank out a silk purse.
REVIEW:
'Rock of Ages'
Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. Tuesday-Sunday through Nov. 21. $29-$79. 313-872-1000. www.broadwayindetroit.com .
