I have to admit that before Bret Michael’s Tonys mishap in which he was nearly taken out by a dropping prop curtain, I had little knowledge of “Rock of Ages”, a Broadway musical constructed from 80s power ballads.
And as cheesy as it might be, I’m a child of the 80s. I instantly made my way over to Amazon and bought the album on MP3.
Make no mistake, it’s cheesy. But it’s fun. Anyone who lived through the 80s or, like me, grew up listening to Whitesnake and Motley Crue, will have to just suck it up and join in the fun. You might seem goofy, but you only get to live through the 80s once.
Rock of Ages, however, lets you live through it over and over again. Which is exactly what this blog is about.
The best part about any musical that successfully uses older songs as its soundtrack is seeing how each of the songs is reimagined. My favorite is probably REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling”. In Rock of Ages, the song is reimagined as a gay ballad between two of the male characters. And the best part is that the words are perfect for it.
Rock of Ages isn’t necessarily Broadway gold, but it is fun and a definite must for any true child of the 80s.
