Tease up your perm, straighten your shoulder pads and slide into your acid-wash jeans – the 1980s are back.
“Rock of Ages,” the jukebox musical that celebrates the decade that spawned a hundred big-haired bands, is coming to Belmont High School. A Tony-award nominated musical, “Rock of Ages” will take you back to the decade you love even if you weren’t born yet, with an ode to classic rock anthems by Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, and others.
Theater Arts teacher Erin Sullivan, the director and producer of the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company, said “Rock of Ages” is a “fun and silly show” that “gives students the chance to go as big and loud and as funny as possible.”
“It’s a 1980s cheesy romance movie and very fourth-wall breaking,” she said. “It’s a joke out to the audience, playing with the fact that they have all of these songs that you know and love, and because it is the teen edition, they make a lot of jokes about how the people in the show weren’t even alive in the 80s.”
The lightness of the show was a deliberate choice, Sullivan said, to provide a break from the intense and challenging works the student actors have been involved in previously.
“It’s wonderful to have shows that are intense and have interesting concepts, but you have to pull back a little bit sometimes. And this is a show where everyone gets to, no matter who they are playing, give 150% and have fun. It’s just a great time.”
The story
The musical tells the story of a small-town girl who moves to Hollywood to chase her dream to become an actress. She meets a city boy with rock stardom on his mind. Together, they navigate challenges of love and ambition, and face obstacles posed by a pair of developers who want to demolish their favorite bar to clean up the town. If you’re wondering if you’ll hear “I Wanna Know What Love Is,” “Here I Go Again” and “Don’t Stop Believin,’ the answer is: Yes, you will.
The cast includes Sam Geiger, Drew Boley, Sophia Edrington Martinez, Will Sattler, Anica Vagnucci, Quincy Crockett, Caroline Lafkas, Malachi Smith, Claire Boyle, Rayna Thomas, Emma Ellis, Ella Conery, Noah Fairchild, Teagan Imberman, Rebecca Michaud, Alessandro Arce, Bennett Sprague, Anita Liberty, Talia Siebert, Joe Barry, Sebastian Beattie, Trudie Innis, Isa Aulenback, Gemma Larson, Ben Guglietta and Noah Geiger. There is a large dance and singing ensemble and a large technical crew, featuring crew chiefs Libby Zuccarello, Emily Caputo, Lucia Gonzales Arnesen, Sonia Clem, Julia Leveroni, Emma Amirfarzan, Lucas Holman and Catherine Hynes. Eleanor Lind, Wynn Tenhor and Ari Wong are stage managers, and Sam Barber is the assistant stage manager. Ella Ferreri and Abby Hawkins are dance captains.
“If you grew up in the 80s or just love 80s music, you should come see this show,” Sullivan said. “It’s just a great time. A night out to just enjoy yourself and jam out with your friends.
“Rock of Ages” will be performed March 13 and 14 at 7 p.m., and March 15 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Full information and ticket pricing is at bhs-pac.org.
