Rock of Ages

Musical (2005)
Book by Chris D’Arienzo
Directed by Kevin P. Hill
Music Direction by Peter Leigh-Nilsen
Choreography by Sara Andreas
North Shore Music Theater
Beverly, MA
August 12-23, 2026

Scenic Design: Jeffrey D. Kmiec; Lighting Design: José Santiago; Sound Design: Ryan Marsh; Costume Design: Rebecca Glick; Wig & Hair Design: Rachel Padula-Shufelt

With EJ Dohring (Drew); Chelsea Williams (Sherrie); Nathaniel Hackmann (Stacee Jaxx/Father); Evan Harrington (Dennis); Matt DaSilva (Lonny); Toneisha Harris (Justice/Mother); Lily Kaufmann (Regina); Tom Galantich (Hertz, Associate Director); Michael Schimmele (Franz); Bryndal Braithwaite (Ensemble, s/c Sherrie); Greta Cardoza (Young Groupie, Ensemble); Tony Carrubba (Ensemble, s/c Franz, s/c Joey Primo); Ellie Chancellor (Constance, Ensemble); Milena J. Comeau (Waitress #1, Ensemble, Dance Captain); Audrey Curdo (Onstage Swing); Kyle Estrada (Ensemble); Joshua Griffin (Ensemble, s/c Mayor, s/c Ja’Keith); Juan Camilo Laverde (Onstage Swing); Julian Mendoza (Ensemble, u/s Drew, u/s Stacee Jaxx, u/s Father); Meadow Nguy (Ensemble, u/s Regina); Celina Nightengale (Ensemble, u/s Justice, u/s Mother); Evan Owen (Joey Primo, Producer, Ensemble); Kevin Raponey (DJ, Ensemble, u/s Dennis, u/s Hertz, u/s Lonny); Kristopher Stanley Ward (Mayor, Ja’Keith, Ensemble)

Drew (EJ Dohring), a talented songwriter and rock guitarist, is working as a busboy at the Los Angeles rock club, The Bourbon Room, but aspires to greater heights as a musician. He meets Sherrie (Chelsea Williams) who has left her home in Kansas to seek her fortune in L.A. as an actress. They take to one another, but Drew is a bit hesitant to come on as a romantic which confuses Sherrie.

They are brought more deeply into goings-on at The Bourbon Room, but things get complicated. Not thinking that Drew is attracted to her, Sherrie gets lined up with Stacee Jaxx (Nathaniel Hackmann), a rock singer of some renown who is booked at the club. In a pinch, Sherrie has to take a job as a stripper at a pole club and her relations with Stacee get more complicated.

The existence of The Bourbon Room is under threat from a German developer named Hertz (Tom Galantich) who wants to take it down as part of a campaign to clean up Sunset Strip and capitalize on new real estate there. Hertz’s son Franz (Michael Schimmele) is in tow and is supposed to be supporting his father in these initiatives. Regina (Lily Kaufman), a city planner, is dead set against Hertz’s move, and somehow, coincidentally, Regina and Franz begin to hook up. To make a long story short, Stacee gets knocked out and cannot perform his big show at the club and Drew is enlisted to take over. In due course, things between Sherrie and Drew evolve and the destiny of the club changes (see spoilers section below for a little more).

This robust, energetic and very nicely put-together production is full of great dancing, wonderful singing, and a lot of great humor. As the emcee and narrator, Lonny, Matt DaSilva is a total scream, putting out one-liners with abandon and hanging out in a very appropriate 80’s rocker fashion to deliver them. He totally brings the show together and makes it a real gas overall.

The two leads – EJ Dohring as Drew and Chelsea Williams as Sherrie sing beautifully, individually and together, and carry themselves very well, bearing their developing relationship with enough panache to make it convincing in the middle of the gritty surroundings.

Supporting roles of Dennis (Evan Harrington), the owner of The Bourbon Room, and Hertz (Tom Galantich), the German developer, are done competently. As Franz, Michael Schimmele is totally out-there, very funny and endearing, and as his counterpart in various doings, Regina, Lily Kaufman is energetic, demonstrative and very engaging.

Overall, the choreography by Sarah Andreas is superb, and the cast does a wonderful job of pulling it all off. The hardworking musicians under music director Peter Leigh-Nilsen are consistently excellent, and the highly competent staging and direction by Kevin P. Hill are constantly evident.

Frankly, I was not expecting too much of this older musical without too much of a book nor original songs, but I was very pleasantly surprised. This production is energetic, beautifully staged, and very entertaining.

– BADMan (aka Charles Munitz)