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Songs that make up the soundtrack of the 1980s for those who lived through the era – and that continue to be ubiquitous in the present day – are set to be featured in the upcoming musical set for a three-weekend run at the Bankhead Theater this month.
Tri-Valley Theatre Company’s take on “Rock of Ages” is set to run from this Saturday (Jan. 11) through Jan. 26, promising to transport audiences “back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair”, according to organizers.
“It’s a story of nostalgia of the ’80s,” TVTC artistic director Brian Olkowski told the Weekly. “The music is just a lot of fun regardless of your age. If you lived through it or not, you still hear that music everywhere.”
Notably, “Rock of Ages” is a jukebox musical, in which the story and production are inspired by existing songs rather than being developed in tandem with the soundtrack as is the case for most traditional musical theater.
While the soundtrack is one of the main attractions in the show, including hits such as “Wanted Dead or Alive”, “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, Olkowski emphasized that beneath the glitz, glamor and big hair is a heartfelt story that explores a range of nuanced characters and timeless lessons.
“It’s about people following their dreams – one character comes out from Kansas to make it big in LA, to become an actress, another character wants to be a rockstar, and different things happen on the way,” Olkowski said. “They miss their dreams and they find new dreams, so it’s about being open to new things and new experiences.”
This openness has also been a feature of the cast and crew, according to Olkowski, who have developed and deepened their relationships with one another throughout the rehearsal process.
“I’ve never seen a cast bond and just get along so well,” Olkowski said. “It’s been amazing to watch them taking chances and expressing the characters, expressing the story. They all want to be together outside of rehearsal. It’s a lot of fun to see a cast that’s so close, and I think you see that on stage as well, that they’re having fun and they’re loving what they’re doing.”
While some members of the cast of 18 already knew each other through previous productions, including some through TVTC, Olkowski said the chemistry between them and the closeness they’ve developed during rehearsals are a phenomenon of their own – further amplified and showcased by the talents of the show’s director, Ryan Lee.
“He was big on making sure this wasn’t a mockery of the time period, and really explores the characters and is really celebrating the time and not just laughing at it,” Olkowski said. “There is humor in the show, but we also want to bring that authenticity, and that sense of nostalgia and respect for the era.”
This approach is in contrast, he said, to how the show is typically produced.
“From what I remember, I think a lot of the productions of this kind of play it more almost as a mockery of the time, where I think ours has more heart, but that’s just our production,” Olkowski said. “It’s always fun seeing shows through different lenses.”
While the often over-the-top sights and sounds of music in the 1980s lend themselves to a comical approach, Olkowski noted that there is more to the story when it comes to “Rock of Ages”.
“There’s almost a clown-like element if you look at it, so I think you need to look beyond that into that and see what the times are and why that was happening and things like that,” Olkowski said. “We want people to have a great time with this music, but we also want to see the respect and nostalgia, and just honoring that.”
Olkowski added that he is among those who grew up with the classic songs featured on the show’s soundtrack, at a time when the face of the music industry was drastically changing.
“I was 6 through 16 in this era,” Olkowski said. “This was an era I grew up in, and I love the music. You always kind of turn to music in this era – it was the era of MTV, and just watching crazy music videos and things like that, so a lot of fun.”
The upcoming production is seeking to capture the visuals of the early days of MTV and the rise of extravagant stage performances, special effects, and over-the-top costumes via stage effects.
The end result is set to be a show that holds space for the lyrics of the 25 long-beloved songs on the soundtrack – as well as the relationships between the cast and crew, the storyline, and the varied experiences of audience of a range of ages, with the show recommended for audience members 14 and up.
TVTC’s production of “Rock of Ages” is set to debut on Saturday (Jan. 11) at 7 p.m., with opening night featuring an ASL interpreter for those who might not be able to hear the music, but still want to experience the show.
Opening weekend is set to continue with a matinee performance at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 12). The second weekend will also feature a 7 p.m. showtime on Jan. 18 and a 1 p.m. matinee on Jan. 19. The third and final weekend will consist of a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m., followed by an evening performance at 7 p.m. on Jan. 25, before the final performance at 1 p.m. on Jan. 26.
Tickets and more information are available at livermorearts.org.
