Review: "Rock of Ages" on Broadway

If you love the music of the 80s, you'll love Rock of Ages.

It's 1987 in Los Angeles. Drew aspires to be a rock star, but until he can make it big he works as a busboy at The Bourbon Room, a club on the legendary Sunset Strip. There, he meets and falls in love with Sherri, a girl who recently left her small town in Kansas to pursue a dream in acting.

West Hollywood's mayor decides to rehabilitate the Sunset Strip's decadent image by tearing up the bars and clubs in the area. The Bourbon Room's owner calls on famous rocker Stacee Jaxx and his band Arsenal, who got their start in the club, for a benefit show to save the joint from demolition.

Drew gets his chance to perform at the benefit show and lands a record deal. A misunderstanding with Sherri causes her to make some unfortunate decisions that lead her to a job as an exotic dancer at the Venus Club.

Drew's dream of rock stardom remains just a dream as his record label tries to change his rocker image and place him in a boy band. Fed up with the industry, Drew quits the label and takes up a job delivering pizzas.

Sherri isn't doing much better at the Venus Club. A run-in with Stacee Jaxx leads to an altercation that puts her on the streets. She decides to give up on her dream of making it in L.A. and return to Kansas.

But Drew is still in love with Sherri. While his dreams of being a rock star go unfulfilled, he decides he doesn't need fame to be happy and goes after the girl.

The soundtrack to this boy-meets-girl romance is a collection of chart-topping rock songs from the 80s. The soaring ballads and head-banging anthems set this musical apart from its counterparts on Broadway. The show's live band does an excellent job in capturing the spirit and vibe of artists such as Journey, Styx, Bon Jovi and Twisted Sister. The story is formulaic but entertaining, and the characters are persistent in pursuing their dreams until they realize some things are never meant to be.

Rock enthusiasts and those who lived through the 80s will certainly enjoy this show. Parents who want to expose their children to the sound of their generation should be warned: the show contains adult themes and language.

Rock of Ages plays at the Helen Hayes Theatre in New York. It is also going on a nationwide tour.