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St. Jacobs Country Playhouse

Rock of Ages

The Totally Rad ’80s Musical

May 8 to June 1, 2024

Book by Chris D’Arienzo
Arrangements & Orchestrations by Ethan Popp

Fans of ’80s arena hard rock music will dig this awesomely hilarious musical comedy that wails with big chords, big hair … and an even bigger heart.

It’s 1987, and aspiring rocker Drew Boley meets and falls madly in love with Sherrie, a fresh-faced Midwesterner who has recently moved to Los Angeles to chase her movie star dreams. Will their stars rise? Will their love last? Find out in the worldwide phenomenon featuring 28 classic rock tunes like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “We Built This City,” “The Final Countdown,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Here I Go Again,” “Harden My Heart,” “Can’t Fight this Feeling,” and “I Want To Know What Love Is.”

Don’t stop believin’ … after a sold-out run in Grand Bend in 2023, the music that ignited a generation is now rocking St. Jacobs!

Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes including a 20 minute intermission.

Audience Recommendation: This production contains language and mature themes. Recommended for ages 13 and up. There is no official rating system for live theatre. We encourage you to use your judgment based on your child's age and maturity level.

A Note from the Director: Are you ready to rock? When writer Chris D’Arienzo was asked to identify some of the greatest classic rock songs of all time in order to weave them into a story for a new Broadway musical comedy, he knew it was a monumental task. An avid fan of 80s culture, he set out to create a campy homage to the glam rock era in all its heavy metal glory complete with big hair, big chords, big dreams, big laughs and an even bigger heart. D’Arienzo used two particularly iconic songs to create the plot – Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and Starship’s “We Built This City.” Thus the story of “a small town girl” and “a city boy” falling in love and banding together (with some colourful characters) to save an iconic club on L.A.’s nefarious Sunset Strip, was born. His crudely comedic parody of hair metal culture packed with screaming guitars and epic rock anthems was an instant hit becoming one of the most successful jukebox musicals in history, playing for over seven years on Broadway. The wonderful thing about the power ballads and hard rock tunes of the 80s is that they’re still as popular as ever, appealing to music lovers of all generations – who doesn’t love belting out “Can't Fight this Feeling” or “More Than Words” in the car or in the shower at the top of their lungs? That being said, the hard-living lifestyle depicted on stage in this production includes behaviors associated with the time. To get the most out of this performance, you will need to view the show as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the over-the-top “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” lifestyle of the time. Rock of Ages is fun and flirtatious, so I encourage you to let loose, not take things too seriously, and have a good laugh at all the gloriously ridiculous stereotypes of the 80s – wild rock stars with even wilder behaviour, silly scantily-clad groupies, crazy club culture with larger than life characters who are loud, crass, and playfully suggestive. Aren’t you glad leather pants, shoulder pads, hot pink spandex and mullets are things of the past? We’re so much cooler today… right? Only time will tell. At Drayton Entertainment, we believe it’s important to present a wide range of theatrical offerings, so that we may continually introduce new audiences to the magic of live theatre and engage people at every stage of life. Rock of Ages is one of those offerings. Enjoy the show! Alex Mustakas, Director

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Reviews

Fantastic show! All performances were top notch. It was so entertaining and enjoyable, the time flew by. It left you feeling energized and wanting more. One of the best shows Ive seen in years. Highly recommended!
Ann F, Kitchener
Great singing and dancing. Beats going to Toronto any day. The stage was amazing. The performers were all great. Keep up the good work.
Douglas H, Fergus
Great vocals, humour, and story-line. Totally enjoyed in a great venue.
Dave G, Mount Hope
We absolutely loved it! The performers were outstanding!! Music was awesome! I'd watch it 5 more times! Well done!
Andrea R, Kitchener
Once more Drayton Entertainment has lived up to its name. The music, singing and dancing as well as the comedy and ad libs to audience were awesome. I overheard people say that they would love to see Rock of Ages again.
Marg M, Scarborough
I went to see the show with my friends and it blew us away the talent of the actors with their singing, dancing and acting was awesome. The quality of the show was like what you would see on Broadway. After the show on the way home we were taking about how great it was and we sang the songs in the car, I highly recommend seeing Rock of Ages it's worth coming out to watch!
Hannah D, Waterloo
Great dancing, wonderful voices and man, did it rock! When we came to the theatre we were in our 80's and when we left, we were in our 40's!
Ted G, Waterloo
The production of Rock of Ages was fabulous!! The multitalented cast's performance was professional and inspirational. They were absolutely amazing! I must say that I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Thank you!
Marina Fee, Cambridge
Rock of Ages is a must see show. It was very entertaining! Had lots of great laughs. The performers were amazing. Well done!
Karen D, Drumbo

Meet The Artists

Headshot of Caleb Ajao

Caleb Ajao

Mayor/Ensemble

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Headshot of Josh Alcantara

Josh Alcantara

Ja'Keith/Ensemble

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Headshot of Mariah Campos

Mariah Campos

Sherrie Christian

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Headshot of Vanessa Cobham

Vanessa Cobham

Waitress #1

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Headshot of Mark Harapiak

Mark Harapiak

Dennis Dupree

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Headshot of Lakota Knuckle

Lakota Knuckle

Joey Primo/Ensemble

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Headshot of Lee MacDougall

Lee MacDougall

Hertz Kleinman

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Claire Mac Master Headshot

Claire Mac Master

Regina Kuntz/Constance

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Headshot of Eric Martin

Eric Martin

Franz Kleinman

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Headshot of Teddy Moynihan

Teddy Moynihan

Stacee Jaxx

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Headshot of Kristen Peace

Kristen Peace

Justice Charlier

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Headshot of Kale Penny

Kale Penny

Drew Boley

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Headshot of Marisa Ricci

Marisa Ricci

Ensemble

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Headshot of Stéphanie Visconti

Stéphanie Visconti

Ensemble

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Headshot of Aaron Walpole

Aaron Walpole

Lonny Barnett

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Headshot of Christine Watson

Christine Watson

Ensemble

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Alex Mustakas

Alex Mustakas

Director

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Lisa Stevens

Choreographer

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Nico Rhodes

Nico Rhodes

Music Director

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Samantha Burson

Samantha Burson

Set Designer

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Adrienne Pink

Adrienne Pink

Costume Designer

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Jeff JohnstonCollins

Jeff JohnstonCollins

Lighting Designer

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Allan McMillan headshot

Allan McMillan

Sound Designer

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Photo of Dan Payne

Dan Payne

Projection Designer

Christine Watson headshot

Christine Watson

Assistant Choreographer

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Headshot of Paul Pembleton

Paul Pembleton

Stage Manager

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Headshot of Stephanie Bignell

Stephanie Bignell

Assistant Stage Manager

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ROCK OF AGES is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com