JOHN COFFELTEditor

The local production of the jukebox musical “Rock of Ages,” one of Broadway’s longest running shows, will open Friday, April 5 at South Jackson Performing Arts Center.

The musical, from which the 2012 film was adapted, captures the music of the 1980s on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip — a time and place when the hair was big and the bands bigger, and rock’n’roll ruled.

Director Greg Gressel said that “Rock of Ages” is a show for the ages.

“As a kid of the 80s, loving 80s music, this has been a show I’ve always loved,” Gressel said. “I was really excited to be able to bring that to a performance stage here in the area.”

“I feel like everything we’re doing now is trying to recapture what we had in the 80s,” Gressel said, “to write songs like they had in the 80s, to have melodies like they had in the 80s. Everything about 80’s music was the best music ever. To do a show about 80s music when there’s such a resurgence of that is huge for us.”

There should be two quick caveats about the show, Tom Cruise is not in the cast nor will the show include the Def Leppard’ song by the same name, but Gressel said the music talent makes the show.

“It’s a sex, drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll musical,” he said. “That‘s what the 80s was all about, There’s some really cool dance numbers and some really great choreo’ed numbers.”

He said that his cast brings the vocal talent that is crucial to pulling off “Rock of Ages.” and his cast delivers.

“A jukebox musical… the music is not music written for the show, but it’s 17 big rock numbers,” he said. “It’s actual songs that you would play by the artist.”

“Hit me with your best shot,” “Shadows of the Night,” “We’re not gonna take it,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” are just a few hits that Gressel named off the top of his head.

“Normally there is a small section in our programs where we list the rights. “This show will probably have two-and-a-half pages of copyright permissions,” Gressel said.

Actor Jenette King, who plays Sherrie, said that picking the best number is difficult.

“The entire show is filled with fun rock numbers! ‘I Can’t Fight this Feeling’ would have to be my favorite though.

The decade of decadence has had an impact on her life, even if she was born too late to have lived it.

“I was born in ‘89,” she said, “so I didn’t get to witness the 80’s in all of its epic glory firsthand. My parents raised me listening to their music they grew up on, so it still imprinted on my life heavily.”

Place setting is key to theater, and the stylized glam of the “Rock of Ages” stage is one that pops.

“It’s fun. Costuming is always a blast, and we’ve found that once we get people into costumes, they get very much into character,” Gressel said. “We want to be as 80-authentic as possible with acid-washed jeans, parachute pants, leather pants. You know the 80s is when we decided that green and pink went really well together.”

“These people are incredible singers,” Gressel said. “It will be pretty impressive.”

The show centers on Drew, played by Jordan Romero, Sherrie, Janette King, and Johnathan Rodriguez as Stacee Jaxx.

Drew, an aspiring rocker, works as a busboy in the Hollywood nightclub The Bourbon Room, (a play on the Strip’s Whisky a go-go). He falls for actor-hopeful Sherrie, fresh off the bus from Kansas.

Yet when a pair of developers wants to raze the Bourbon, and clean up the Strip, disillusioned rock-god Stacee Jaxx must find himself in order to save the Strip.

“Rock of Ages” is rated PG-16. It runs April 5-7 and 12-14. Tickets are available at www.southjackson.org.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.