We’re wishing Rock of Ages luck in the West End.
The show’s development in the USA has involved many of our WWRY people – including some of our great performers, and the show includes a few nods to WWRY in the way it involves the audience. I’m all for it … I saw it in New York and had a great time. Yes, it’s been attacked for being trashy, but these people miss the point, It’s deliberately cheesy … (it makes Ben’s WWRY script look like Hamlet at times !) … but all the better for it. It’s unashamedly a fun night out. And the songs are all great AOR Rock from the 80’s … Journey, Foreigner, Styx, REO Speedwagon. For our generation, it’s a romp, and of course Glee has brought this material to a whole new generation, so teens and 20 year-olds should get it too.
Moreover, I’m happy to say that our great friend and former WWRY MD Elliott Ware has been appointed musical director for the London production.
I will be there !
I should add, also, of course, that, at the heart of ROA is an even deeper link … the music supervisor/arranger/orchestrator of ROA is also a WWRY veteran – he’s Ethan Popp, who waved the baton in our German premiere for WWRY in Cologne. The show is auditioning for talent right now, so it should help to get some more starving muso’s off the streets! Go!
Cheers
Bri