Jeri Tidwell Photography
It may be the dead of winter, but Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia, Maryland is heating up the stage with rock ‘n’ roll jukebox musical Rock of Ages, a tribute to 80s ‘hair bands’ with songs like ‘Cum on Feel the Noize’, ‘Sister Christian’, ‘We Built This City’, ‘I Wanna Rock’, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’, ‘Hit Me with Your Best Shot’, ‘Oh Sherrie’ and many more classics interwoven into a plot that centers around the gentrification of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and all of the people brought together by The Bourbon Room.
The story told in Rock of Ages is presented by Lonny Barnett, who also acts as the narrator (think Hermes in Hadestown). Lonny is a musician-turned-sound engineering god, working at The Bourbon Room under owner Dennis Dupree. Young Drew Boley is a barback but all he really wants to do is rock, trying to pen his own songs but can’t come up with any better lyrics than ‘make your boobies hard’. Enter Sherrie Christian, a young woman from the Midwest with aspirations of making it big in Hollywood, much to the dismay of her conservative parents. What none of them know is that greedy German developer Hertz Klinemann and his son Franz are bribing the even more greedy mayor of Los Angeles to let them tear down the Sunset Strip and rebuild it as some sterile, high end neighborhood and retail space (a fancy new Foot Locker is the centerpiece). Dupree is served notice that his unpaid tax bill will lead to the destruction of his beloved club and there seems to be no way to fight City Hall until serendipity arrives in the form of an announcement — rock band Arsenal, fronted by Stacee Jaxx, is breaking up. They got their start at the Bourbon, so Dennis makes a call to Jaxx personally to try to persuade him to do the last show at the club (and there may be a little blackmail involved to get Jaxx to agree) to help pay the back taxes. Meanwhile, Drew (or Wolfgang Von Cult as he wants to be known) and Sherrie are getting closer, but on a ‘date’ overlooking Hollywood Drew tries to tell Sherrie how he feels but he flubs it all up by calling them ‘friends’, completely oblivious to how Sherrie feels for him. That word send her into a tailspin and right into the arms of rock god Stacee Jaxx when he arrives at the Bourbon. As far as Sherrie is concerned, Drew is a friend now so she can do what she wants, and Drew is mad at himself for screwing up but even more angry at Sherrie for so easily running to Stacee.
But she is also quickly rejected by Stacee after a tryst in the men’s room, and Drew wants nothing to do with her (he does, but he lets his pride get the better of him). She leaves her job at the Bourbon and finds work at a strip — I mean Gentleman’s Club, and Drew has been ‘discovered’ by a shady agent who quickly turns him into a member of a boy band. But there is still a fight to save the Sunset Strip from gentrification led by Regina Koontz (pronounced rej-EYE-nah), who finds herself being drawn to Franz Klinemann, and he to her. But can these two find some common ground for their relationship that doesn’t rest on the rubble of the Strip? The wrecking ball is getting closer to taking down the Bourbon, and everyone comes together for the last Arsenal concert, but will anyone’s rock ‘n’ roll dreams come true?
Jeri Tidwell Photography
After an Off-Broadway run in 2008, Rock of Ages moved to Broadway in 2009 and played 2,328 performances, closing on January 18, 2015. The show has toured, went back to Off-Broadway, and was — infamously — made into a musical feature film. Now if you’ve only seen the movie version of Rock of Ages, you have not really seen Rock of Ages. The movie is some bizarro-world adaptation of the show which completely changes the story from one of gentrification to ultra-conservatism trying to get the club shut down (by repressed hypocrites), elevating the character of Stacee Jaxx to the lead (because Tom Cruise), and including the now-unfortunate casting of Russell Brand as Lonny. The Catherine Zeta Jones character in the movie does not exist in the show, so the movie is a completely different animal that happens to have the same title. It’s kind of a mess. But the show, seen in its original form, is actually quite delightful, especially if the right actor is playing the role of Lonny as the character frequently breaks the fourth wall to speak to the audience and remind the characters that they are all in a stage show, their actions controlled by the story but … are they going to let those writers determine their fates? The book by Chris D’Arienzo skillfully weaves the 80s music into the story, sometimes using lyrics from different songs as sung dialogue for the characters, at one point using a collage of lyrics from different songs for Drew and Sherrie to express their feelings (like the ‘Elephant Love Medley’ in Moulin Rouge). It could have been just a straightforward jukebox musical (like Mamma Mia!), putting music above story, but the brilliant decision to make Lonny more than just a character within the story elevates the show into some different territory.
Having previously seen the show’s 10th anniversary tour, I was eager to see how the production would come together on the Toby’s stage and it does not disappoint. This is a busy show, at times with several scenes taking place at the same time in different places on stage. Generally a show moves from one scene to another, so while the principle scenes is spotlighted, another can be set up in the darkness across the stage. In Rock of Ages there are many times when things are happening simultaneously, so that must have been a huge challenge to work out those logistics, and director Mark Minnick has done an excellent job of being able to make those scenes cohesive while the audience has to keep shifting their focus from one side of the stage to the other, using every inch of the stage and parts of the second level audience seating. Lynn Joslin’s lighting design also helps direct the audience to the correct spot (and a tip of the hat to Joslin for not over-lighting the Bourbon Room scenes, giving it the ambiance of a real club). Along with co-choreographer Julia L. Williams, Minnick moves the cast around the stage, giving the group numbers some very high energy with classic 80s music video dance moves. From my vantage point, one of the coolest moments came during one of those multiple scene moments, while characters are doing their thing on one side of the stage, the ensemble is rocking out to a concert on the other but they’re all in slow motion, the actors moving perfectly to the point I had to do a double-take because it felt like I was watching film instead of live actors (my seat was about three feet away from that action so it was even more impressive close-up like that). A lot of times a production will rely on a strobe light to give the impression of slo-mo but in this case it was all on the cast to do it and they were amazing. Shane Lowry’s scenic design really makes the theatre feel like the interior of a bar with period-appropriate posters and artifacts adorning the walls above the audience. The large ‘HOLLYWOOD’ sign opposite the entrance is also a nice touch, and even the lobby is decorated to make you feel as if you’re part of the story. The intimacy of the room really does allow you to see things you would not see on a regular stage (some audience members have noticed a newspaper prop is more than just a dummy prop as it has photos of the actual cast members printed with the story). You really do become part of the action and you can see every emotion on each actor’s face, making this a theatrical experience different from a standard stage play. Period wigs can often be a bit dodgy, and not done right can look straight out of Party City (rest in peace) or Spirit Halloween. The wigs for Rock of Ages by Jayson Kueberth are pretty outstanding in all of their 1980s ginormity, looking pretty realistic (I’m still not sure if Drew’s hair was real or not). The 80s costumes by Heather C. Jackson also perfectly capture that sometimes crazy mash-up of metal and New Wave, from leather to neon, with sharp corners, geometrical patterns and … epaulettes. If you fondly remember that era, these costumes will absolutely trigger some strong MTV memories. One other cool feature of this production is that the musicians, usually unseen in a room above the stage, are on full display on the elevated stage outside that room, providing accompaniment for the musical numbers and also acting as the members of Arsenal (and they have some very strong feelings about Stacee which they are not afraid to share). For this particular show, it makes perfect sense to incorporate the musicians as characters and it is a really nice added bonus for the audience.
Jeri Tidwell Photography
With all of the technical aspects of the show done to perfection, none of it would make a difference without a cast that can do the job. This show has a huge cast juggling various storylines so one weak link could bring it all tumbling down faster than the Sunset Strip. Luckily, this cast is as strong as the resolve to save the Strip. First and foremost is Justin Colombo as Lonny. Colombo has to come out and set the tone for the show, telling all of the various stories like some mystical storyteller but also keeping the tone irreverent, often the show’s comic relief if things start to get a bit too serious. One of the funniest things he does is makes his entrance at the end of a song while the audience is clapping, treating the applause as if it were for him. I laughed every time he did that. He makes Lonny a complete buffoon at time, but he also has a big heart as he tries to guide Drew and Sherrie back together, and ending up with a surprising little love story of his own. Colombo is a pure joy, and he gets a really heartfelt but funny musical moment in Act II as he performs ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’. Colombo is making his Toby’s debut here and it is absolutely spectacular. In fact, there are many new faces at Toby’s with this production including Tobi Baisburd, Jeremy Crawford, Matthew D. Burns and Oscar Salvador Jr. in main roles, with Justin ‘JD’ Diaz, Nadja Tomaszewski and Zachary Spafford in the ensemble/understudy/swing positions.
Baisburd is terrific as Regina, the young woman dead set on leading the protests to save the Sunset Strip (she totally reminded me of someone I used to work with back in the early 90s), her feelings becoming increasingly complicated as she begins to fall for Franz, taking the lead on ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’, and doing a great job with Franz and Hertz in the ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ number. Crawford is also a hoot as Franz, often completely over-the-top but always hilarious, giving Franz that ‘gay or Eurotrash?’ aesthetic, but also having some nice emotional moments with Regina, getting his own ‘hero story’ at the end. Crawford steals every scene he’s in, and he is certainly an audience favorite. Burns is also perfection as Dennis, devoted to his club, always just a bit high, often a father-figure to both Drew and Sherrie, with a close relationship with Lonny as well. He perfectly embodies a 60s hippie in an 80s landscape, and while he only gets to sing a couple of times, he has a commanding voice. Salvador also makes the most of his short time on stage as Stacee (it’s not the huge role it was made in the movie), emotionally a child in a man’s body, self-centered and egotistical yet completely insecure, projecting confidence about his decision to go solo (and it becomes clear the band probably fired him) but completely unsure of his future. Even when not on stage, the spirit of Stacee hangs over the story, and Salvador makes sure his performance lingers, haunting Drew and Sherrie from the moment he makes his first appearance. He also rocks out in several numbers including ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ and ‘Heat of the Moment’. A big round of applause for all of this new talent on the Toby’s stage.
Making their returns to Toby’s are Rachel Cahoon and Noah Mutterperl as Sherrie and Drew. Cahoon has been on a real journey over the past year, going from Maria von Trapp to Sherrie the stripper, with many stops in-between including a wonderful turn as the Dolly Parton character in 9 to 5. Here she has to take Sherrie on a journey as well, leaving her Midwest hometown and arriving in L.A. with wide-eyed innocence, excited to experience everything the big city has to offer (even a mugging is a treat to her). Sherrie doesn’t seem to grasp what kinds of movie roles she sees advertised in the paper, but her innocence is charming. Her attraction to Drew is authentic, and her hurt at just being thought of as a ‘friend’ (even though that’s not what he meant) really sends her into an emotional tailspin, and Cahoon makes Sherrie’s journey believable as we see her having to grow up very quickly, making it clear that Sherrie’s journey is her own, never victimized as she easily could have been when she drifts into the world of adult entertainment. Cahoon also has a commanding voice and can rock out with the best of them. Mutterperl is also wonderful as Drew, almost as innocent as Sherrie at first but still with a grasp on how the world works, having a dream he wants to follow, but making mistakes along the way (like failing to understand how the industry only sees him as a product), but always pining away for Sherrie. Mutterperl really makes the audience root for Drew to get the girl and see his dreams come true, and he has the perfect voice for this musical material, at one point hitting a note that would do any rock ‘n’ roller proud. Cahoon and Mutterperl work so well together, and they connect with the other cast members as well, taking the audience along on their journeys.
Jeri Tidwell Photography
If you saw Toby’s production of Saturday Night Fever, you will vividly remember Kadejah Oné’s showstopping performance of ‘Nights on Broadway’. In Rock of Ages she plays strip club owner Justice, and while she runs a tight ship she also has a warm, motherly instinct with Sherrie (even though she pretty much forces her to give a private dance to Stacee despite Sherrie’s protestations, which causes even more hurt for Drew — and she eventually owns up to it). She has a lovely moment with Cahoon as they talk about life and their own aspirations, and Oné can still bring the house down with her voice, powering through ‘Shadows of the Night’ and, especially, ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’. Oné knows how to serve attitude with a glance and she is a magnetic presence whenever she is on stage. Terrell Chambers gets some laughs as the money-hungry mayor, and then shows a different side as ‘manager’ Ja’Keith, acting more like Drew’s pimp, forcing him to drop his rock persona for boy band ‘glory’, booking photo shoots with teen magazines that are antithetical to Drew’s aesthetic. Patricia ‘Pep’ Targete is also wonderful as the hilariously named Waitress #1, offering Sherrie friendship and support. Jordan B. Stocksdale is also fantastic as Hertz, the other ‘villain’ of the piece, willing to do whatever it takes to tear down the Strip, but finding himself conflicted when his own son finally stands up to him, culminating in his solo number ‘Keep On Lovin’ You’.
Each and every member of the ensemble cast are magnificent in the group numbers, bringing some very high energy to the choreography, their voices blending harmoniously, some of them even having small character roles like Carter Crosby, Shane Lowry and Alexis Krey-Bedore. They all bring amazing energy to the stage and help keep thing moving (literally rolling setpieces on and off the stage). This production, from the direction and choreography, to the costumes and wigs, lights and sets, the live music and the outstanding cast, is one that should not be missed. It’s nostalgic, it brings the era to life for anyone who lived through it, it is full of music you know and love, and it has a good love story set against the backdrop of what could be the end of an era. It just all works so well, so many moving pieces flow together smoothly and, again, this show has a cast to die for. Take note though that this is not a show for all ages. There is quite a bit of sexual innuendo, colorful language and some skimpy costumes, so think twice before booking some seats for the kiddies. I’d say fourteen/fifteen and up would be the audience for this show.
Of course, you come to a dinner theatre for the dinner portion of the night as well (or brunch if you go to a matinee), and the buffet does not disappoint. Dinner includes the salad bar to start, with the buffet featuring seafood pasta salad, cheeses, Regina’s Ratatouille, Sherrie’s Sweet Carrots, Boley’s Green Beans, Paradise Potatoes, the signature Spinach Phunque, Stacee’s Stuffed Shells, Tender Pork Cutlets (which several people at my performance raved about), Renegade Chicken, Baked Tilapia (a personal favorite), steamed shrimp, and the carving board featuring Steamship Round, Baked Virginia Ham and Roasted Breast of Turkey. Dessert is a choice of cake (German Chocolate at this performance in honor of Hertz and Franz) and cheesecake, plus the Ice Cream Bar in the lobby (pro tip — if you get cheesecake, go to the ice cream bar and top it with the strawberry topping). As with every production at Toby’s, there is also a featured specialty drink themed to the show, and for Rock of Ages the drink is called The Bourbon Room which is a frozen Lynchburg Lemonade containing lemonade and Jack Daniels (but no bourbon). It also comes in a non-alcoholic version, and you get to keep the collectible show glass as a souvenir (clean ones are provided). The delicious food and drink only makes the evening even more enjoyable.
So if you are feeling the need to get out of the house (especially after the wintry weather in the area), bundle yourselves up, don’t let that cold be a hindrance, and get ready to rock at Toby’s Dinner Theatre with Rock of Ages. It will be well worth the trip.
Rock of Ages runs through March 15, 2026. Toby’s next production is the classic family musical The Wizard of Oz, on stage March 20 – June 7, 2026.
Rock of Ages Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia, MD
Toby’s Dinner Theatre
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