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#TBT: ROCK OF AGES Rocks Out On Broadway!
Oct 31, 2022
It's time to rock out because this week marks the tenth anniversary of the Tony-nominated musical Rock of Ages opening and bringing the Sunset Strip to Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre! To celebrate the occasion, we're throwing it back to that rocking night as Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, Wesley Taylor, and more took their first bows! Check out all the footage below!
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Broadway, listen to the Broadway Beat
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Broadway, make sure you want to move your feet. Everybody's happening to everything that's happening on Broadway Beat
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Broadway Beat. Broadway Beat. Broadway Beat. Hello, I'm Richard Ridge, and welcome to Broadway Beat
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where we bring you the very best of what the New York theater scene has to offer
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The new musical Rock of Ages has rolled into the Brooks Atkinson Theater after a sold-out run earlier this season off-Broadway
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The musical, which features some of the greatest rock songs of the 1980s, stars Konstantin Maroulis, Amy Spanger, and James Carpinello
1:10
We were on hand to celebrate with them on opening night. Well, you know, I have a real luxury with this show of having a multi-artist catalog
1:33
where I can pull from hundreds of songs. So I really, you know, at some point I started the story with Don't Stop Believe
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and I think that was the linchpin for it. But then I was able to just kind of, whatever story I wanted it to be
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I could find a song that kind of fit. And it was really fun. And I think where it really clicked for me was when I started playing with the idea
1:53
of mashing songs together and doing medleys where I could kind of have two songs
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be dialogue against each other. And that's when it got really fun for me as a writer
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to kind of really make these songs that I love, you know, dialogue and pop songs and show tunes
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You know what? 80s music is so hard and it's kind of raw and it's so strong and it's in your face
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You can't not dance to it. So as far as the movement it comes pretty easy And it was everything was really exaggerated and large and people did have big big hair So you always thought like the girls danced with their hair It was all about the hair and the walk and sort of the attitude
2:30
Excellent question Sometimes I sleep Sometimes it's not for days The people I meet
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Always go this every way Yeah, sometimes you tell the day, find a bottle that you drink, thanks buddy, times when you're alone, said all you do is think out
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I'm a cowboy. I'm a cowboy. I'm a steel horse at your eyes
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And I'm wanted, wanted, wanted, dead or alive. Wanted, wanted, dead or alive
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Well, I was just telling my wife, I actually think I like the role. Like, I like myself as that guy a little bit more than myself lately
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I put the hair on, I'm standing there, I'm getting ready to go. I'm like, I kind of like this dude. I want to be this guy for a little while because I can do anything
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I mean, I got two little kids. I can't act like that at home. It must be a fantasy to play this kind of role, isn't it
3:32
Yeah, I grew up on this music. I mean, I get to sing Bon Jovi every night. I mean, come on
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You can't be that. Let's talk about the audience's reaction to the show on Broadway
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Like I said, I mean, I've seen shows like this, but I've never been a part of them
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I mean, it's truly unbelievable to watch people enjoy themselves that much
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You know, you'd think the houses were papered. They're fully sold. It's unbelievable
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I think that comedy is really hitting hard, and people are just loving it with the songs
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It's really great. Because it's lowbrow and it's silly, but it's also hilarious and smart and clever
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And people come to it to escape. Talk about the roles that you play
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I play Regina, who is an activist, city planner from Berkeley, who comes to the Sunset Strip
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and there's a threat of these German developers to tear it down
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and tear down the Sunset Strip to replace it with strip malls and a foot locker
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athletic store, and stuff like that. So I lead a protest to save the Sunset Strip
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That's what I do. I play Franz a young effeminate German boy who is the son of the antagonist But then I make a transformation and in act two I join sides with the protesters and we fall in love And even as I wonder I keeping you in sight
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You're a candle in the window on a gold dark winter's night
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And I'm getting closer than I am before I'm right
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And I can't fight this feeling anymore I've forgotten what I started fighting for
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It's time to bring the ship into the shore And throw away the wars forever
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Well, just because I get to show you that the rules are, that there are no rules
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I kind of get away with murder in this show. I can kind of break all the conventions, break that fourth wall, talk directly to people, connect with people
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Ow! I'm with the lead guitarist from Night Ranger, so it's fun every night
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This will be even cooler. The star of the show, Mitch Jarvis right here. Star of the show
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Right? We can say that, right? No, listen. I just told Constantine over there, man
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He's second fiddle. Is that cool? I just don't like this to him. I said number two
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I'll take that. I'll take that from Joe. Number one right here. Heartbeat of the show, Mitch Jarvis
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We're blessed to have an amazing creative team, incredibly aggressive and young and innovative producers
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who take risks and they're bold and they make shit happen. We're very blessed
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We're telling a great love story about two dreamers through the amazing songs of the 80s
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I mean, who doesn't love these songs? They lend themselves so well theatrically to what we're doing
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and we're all very blessed. Why do you think audiences are falling in love with this show
6:40
I think we're in incredibly challenging times economically, socially, our country. We have a beautiful new president
6:48
We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, definitely. I think this is the kind of show that people want to come to
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enjoy themselves, the suspended belief, you know embrace this amazing era where everyone felt great and a great fun story incredibly funny you know a cheap ticket you know insane talent and you know it just a good time man
7:57
They go berserk. Something about the 80s
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I don't know what it is. It's like the demographic is humongous, like, of people who love the 80s
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And I think it's also, like, we lure them in with that, but we also deliver with, like, a really smart and funny script
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So I think, like, that combination is really winning. And what's been the best part of the experience with coming back again
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Just playing this part. I love her. Like, I love, love, love her
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Come on! Here I go again on my own Ha, ha, ha
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Going down the only road I'll ever know Like a trickster I was born to walk alone
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And I made up my mind Ooh, yeah! I ain't wasting no more time
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Here I go again on my own Going down the only road I'll ever know
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Like a drifter I was born to walk alone Cause I know what it means
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To walk alone, the lonely street of dreams Here I go again
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