That’s right, my babies! Welcome to Rock of Ages! Below are the Character Descriptions and Show Summary for Rock of Ages: Teen Edition along with links to the Original Cast Album. Yeeeoooowwww!!!
Character Descriptions:
LONNY BARNETT – the dual role of omnipotent narrator and being the secondary male lead character within the story, with a storyline that includes a bro-mance with Dennis. He is a charming and funny guy who gets along with everyone. Should be an unflappable, magnetic performer with a strong tenor voice who can sing, act and has a great sense of humor.
JUSTICE CHARLIER – the owner of the Venus-A-Go-Go Dance Club. She’s a smart woman who looks out for her girls. Should be a strong young lady with a warm, nurturing nature and a rockin’ singing voice.
DENNIS DUPREE – the owner of The Bourbon Room. He’s a bit older than the others and a little burnt out on the party scene. Should have a big presence, strong acting skills and a good voice. Dennis must pair flawlessly with Lonny as the other half of their bro-mance.
DREW BOLEY – “just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit” who moved to L.A. to rock. Unfortunately, every rocker has to do his time, so Drew barbacks just to make rent. While the music and setting of the show is pre-1980s, Drew is a classic musical theatre archetype – the nice guy with big dreams. Should be an experienced performer with a solid tenor voice who can convey both a sweet, charming quality and fit the bill as a rocker.
SHERRIE CHRISTIAN – the female romantic lead and, like Drew, is a musical theatre archetype – a sweet, small-town girl moves to the city to pursue a brighter future. She hopes to get her break in the acting business despite her parents’ obvious disapproval. This is a perfect role for a performer with a strong voice and solid acting skills. She should also pair well with Drew.
SHERRIE’S FATHER – the classic disapproving dad. Should be an actor who can play stern and imposing and someone who is comfortable singing a few solos.
SHERRIE’S MOTHER – more nurturing and sympathetic. Should be someone with maturity, warmth and a nice singing voice.
JOEY PRIMO – a secondary character with several great stage moments. Cast an actor who is fearlessly willing to make a total fool of themselves and then sit back and enjoy their performance.
ANITA BATH – the Mayor’s assistant who refuses to compromise on what she thinks is right. She leads a protest to save The Bourbon Room and, in the process, falls in love with Franz. Should be an actor with a strong voice and who can convey a real sense of protest and conviction.
MAYOR – chooses the money over the music and is more than willing to sell himself and his city out to the highest bidder. This role can be played by a guy or a girl.
HILDA KLINEMAN – a German real estate developer who has her eyes on turning the Sunset Strip into a strip mall. With her son Franz by her side, Hilda won’t take no for an answer. Should be an actor with a strong speaking and singing voice who can make bold acting choices and has a great sense of comedic timing.
FRANZ KLINEMAN – the son of the overbearing Hilda who dreams of running a confectionary shop back in Hamburg, Germany. Should be an actor with a sweet demeanor, a good singing voice and solid acting skills.
STACEE JAXX – the comedic villain of the show. A bona fide rock star who doesn’t quite realize through his selfish and wild antics that he’s reached the peak of his career. Should be a charismatic performer with an excellent voice who can command the stage and make a self-absorbed rock star both villainous and hilarious.
WAITRESS #1, #2 and #3 – work at The Bourbon Room and exemplify the era of 1980s rock with style and flair. Should be three young women who sing and act well as a unit.
PROTESTOR #1, #2 and #3 – a group of die-hard rockers helping Anita save the Sunset Strip. These ensemble parts are the bedrock of the show. They must capture the need and desire to keep rock alive and kicking! Should be dynamic speakers.
CONSTANCE SACK – an inquisitive reporter who interviews Stacee Jaxx just as he’s about to part ways with his band. Should be a performer who can infuse this curious reporter with energy and poise.
JA’KEITH GILL – becomes Drew’s agent and in the process, destroys Drew’s rock star dreams by forcing Drew to join a boy band. This is a nice featured role that can be played by a male or female and requires reasonable acting and singing skills.
THE LADIES OF THE VENUS-A-GO-GO CLUB – should be cast as an ensemble who can carve out their own individual personalities within a fun, unified company. Should have nice singing voices and solid movement skills.
SLEAZY RECORD PRODUCER and a SLEAZIER RECORD PRODUCER – These roles require a bit of singing but are mainly a sight gag and can be played by anyone.
PRODUCER (Orion Pictures) – sees Sherrie as the next Molly Ringwald and offers her his card (which is a picture of his beach house in Malibu). This is a non-singing role.
ROCKER – a featured role who hangs at The Bourbon Room with Joey Primo.
RIOT POLICE, WOMAN IN A SEQUIN GOWN, GIRL and BARTENDER – cameo roles, some with few speaking lines, and all feed into the vivid world of the Sunset Strip of the 1980s. Woman in a Sequin Gown is a sight gag to punctuate Dennis’s impromptu Academy Award acceptance speech—no singing or speaking is required. The Riot Police break up the protestors physically at the top of Act 2.
SUMMARY
It’s the tail end of the big, bad 1980s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra and Heavy Metal flow freely at one of the Sunset Strip’s last legendary venues, a place where legendary rocker Stacee Jaxx takes the stage and groupies line up for their chance at an autograph. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and resident toilet cleaner) Drew longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for small-town girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes). But the rock ‘n’ roll fairy tale is about to end when German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into just another capitalist strip mall. Can Drew, Sherri and the gang save the strip – and themselves – before it’s too late? Only the music of hit bands Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and more can hold the answer.
Rock of Ages: Teen Edition takes you back to the times of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair! This Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical features the hits of bands including Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and others.
You wanna rock?
Link to the soundtrack (Original Cast Album):
(warning: The Original Cast Album contains some adult language that is not included in the Teen Edition.)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1m04KVklyHSkYGqtKxSihEr_PFnQs6D3
Book by Jonathan Larson
Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis
August 8 – August 23
April 25 – May 24
July 14 – August 5