Rock of Ages

Photograph: Tristram Kenton for the Guardian

Thomas ten Cate emailed and said he would like to meet up, having read I was in London, and in fact, he works close to Victoria Station, so it wouldn’t be to hard to find ourselves in the same area some night.

When I had tickets for two to Rock of Ages fall off of a turnip truck and into my hands, I asked him if we could meet up at the Shaftsbury Theatre door for the show.

Then I went to do my homework.

The tickets were in the Stalls and as cheap as I could get them anywhere.  I love the Stalls after having seen the last couple of shows from high in one of the baclonies.

The review in the London Guardian was so brutal, I had to read it twice, hoping that somewhere in the lines there, I could find something I wanted to see in the show.

Rebecca had been going with us, and she backed out. She is the person who knew all of the songs, and in fact, the show is just an excuse to string the popular songs from Motley Crue into a pleasant evening's entertainment (or an unpleasant evening's entertainment, if you go with the critique of the show).

Theatre Poster for Rock of Ages

A blogger had said that the show has been running two years in the U.S., and that if it is viewed as pure entertainment, just a night of fun, that what the critics are narrowing in on can be overlooked.

I was pleasantly surprised, or else the reviewer is right, and I was thinking things were going to be so bad, that no show could reach as low as my expectations had fallen.

So?

What was fun?

First of all, the narrator of the show who turns to the audience and helps the plot line along for us, had a coarse humour that entertained many in the audience.

Amusing theatrical devices from other musicals peppered this show: a dog coming across the stage (Legally Blonde), the band in the centre of the stage (Jersey Boys, Backbeat, Chicago), confetti and streamers falling on the audience (Matilada), humorous German stereotypes (The Producers), a closing scene that wraps up what happens to all of our characters (Rent), and we see the hippy/rock culture, of California (Hair). A show is working pretty hard when it pays homage to so many shows that have preceded it.

Double Decker Bus in front of Shaftsbury Theatre

I missed the rock concerts of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. That makes me a table rasa when it comes to an informed critique of what I saw last night. The best I have done so far is to attend the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival. I am no match for real musical theatre critics. I don’t understand the tradition of the audience lighting candles or cigarette lighters and waving them to the music. People continue that tradition in this show. At the front exists of the theatres, two users cue  with their own lit cell phones, cue the audience, waving their own phones in half moons over their heads. Within eight bars, the theatre is full of bodies swaying and arms waving cell phones high overhead. When the song is over, the cell phones go back in people's laps until the ushers cue the audience again. That was fun!

The younger performers are amazing. The dance, they act, they play musical instruments, and they have fabulous voices. I was wondering who else would like this show.

I would recommend the show to Glen and Janet, Steve and Rebecca, ... anyone who loved the songs from the Motley Crue era.

Arta