For the Paramount Theatre’s production of the “Rock of Ages,” a five-piece band will be onstage performing the rock songs of the 1980s. And Kara Kesselring, the conductor and associate musical director on the show, is fine with that arrangement.
“Being onstage you are more part of the show and you feel the energy of the audience,” Kesselring said. “It is great to be on stage and to be in a rock show.”
Set in 1987, “Rock of Ages” follows city-boy Drew and small-town girl Sherrie as they engage in a rock ‘n’ roll romance and pursue their dreams in the Bourbon Room, a bar on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California. Two German developers want to buy the Sunset Strip and turn it into a shopping complex.
Bar owner Dennis Dupree, who doesn’t want to sell the Bourbon Room, asks rock star Stacee Jaxx to play a gig with his band in the club to get the necessary money and publicity to keep it open.
Paramount Artistic Producer and New Works Director Amber Mak, who is directing the show, considers the band to be part of the cast.
“They are on a platform that moves front and back on stage,” Mak said. “The band will be visible to the audience. They are characters in the show and they are active participants. They even have some lines.”
In addition to Kesselring, the band members are: Dan Peters (guitar one), Scott Tipping (guitar two), Janis Wallin (bass) and Jim Widlowski (drums).
“The band inserts itself into the show,” Kesselring said. “We get to present more of ourselves. We will put on costumes and wigs.”
“Rock of Ages” will be presented at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sundays from April 13 to May 29 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. There is no show at 1:30 p.m. April 13. “Rock of Ages” is suggested for audience members 14 years of age and older due to adult language and sexual content.
Written by Chris D’Arienzo, with arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp, “Rock of Ages” is a jukebox musical. A jukebox musical features hit songs of a popular music group or genre, in this case, the rock hits of the 1980s, integrated into the plot.
“Rock of Ages” presents songs from the famous glam metal bands of the ’80s including Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe, among others. The show features such hits as “Just Like Paradise,” “Sister Christian,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” and other songs.
“Rock of Ages” premiered on Broadway on April 7, 2009, and closed on Jan. 18, 2015, after 2,328 performances. The Broadway show earned five Tony Nominations. The 2012 film of the same name featured Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige and Diego Boneta.
The main allure of “Rock of Ages” is the music.
“The story is there to weave together the songs,” Mak said. “It is done in a very clever and genius way. The songs are the star. The story is really an excuse to sing the songs.”
Kesselring notes that “Rock of Ages” is a guitar-driven show.
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“The prowess is guitar one and guitar two,” referencing musicians Peters on guitar one and Tipping on guitar two. “The face-melting rock is the guitar licks and the guitar sound.
“Some of the songs are over the top with the guitar,” she continued, “like on ‘The Final Countdown’ by Europe and ‘Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey.”
Kesselring also said that the arrangements are very true to what the rock bands recorded.
“The songs really sound like the originals,” she said. “We will not make a Bon Jovi song into a bossa nova.”
But having a band onstage rather than in an orchestra pit does make picking up song cues a bit challenging.
“The five of us in the band can make eye contact, so we can see each other for cues,” Kesselring said. “I also will give cues via microphone, so the band can hear that. For the rest, we will have video monitors. The ensemble members do some offstage singing, so they need to be cued as well. The video monitor offstage will be a visual of my face and hands in order to give the music cues.”
Another challenge for this show is breaking down the fourth wall, as in when characters talk and interact with audience members. The sound guy at the Bourbon Room, Lonny, acts as the narrator and addresses the audience and characters directly.
“The show is written that way,” Mak said. “In the beginning of the show we set up the rules of engagement. It is all fairly scripted, but takes into account the individually of the actors. The audience is part of the show.”
Kesselring is looking forward to that aspect of the show.
“All the mugging and playing with the audience will be fun,” she said. “But I do not have any lines. I think I’d be terrified if I had lines. I enjoy being a musician. I like people and I like seeing them have a great time.”
‘Rock of Ages’
When: April 13-May 29
Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
Tickets: $36-$79
Information: 630-896-6666; paramountaurora.com
Randall G. Mielke is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.