Rock of Ages, zé Musical.

Rock of Ages is rocking, quite literally.

One of my business ventures is to block-off plays and musicals and subsequently sell them. Profits are quite steady, which can range from 12,500 to 30,000 per play depending on the venue and the number of seats sold.  Not bad considering that apart from the capital, effort is mostly concentrated on texting and convincing people to watch the plays.

The upside (and downside at the same time) is that I have to watch all the shows that we book, be it good or bad. At times, you get brilliant shows such as Spelling Bee or Avenue Q, but there are times when you’re slapped with In the Heights. Why it was extended was still a question that nags my brain until this day.

Rock of Ages is not your typical play. For one, it mostly features songs with rock themes that may be considered as classic during the grunge decade. Although some of the songs are still heavy favorites until now: We Built This City, To Be With You, More Than Words, Don’t Stop Believin’, I Want To Know What Love Is, The Search Is Over. Wait, that’s already half of the song list for the entire play. So, the song choice is still quite relatable and modern.

The cast, however, is what makes any musical memorable. Rock of Ages is top billed by  Vina Morales and Nyoy Volante as the “small time girl” and “city boy” who fell in love, lost it in the middle, and found love in each other’s arms by the end. Typical story, eh? Yes, but the characters and the movement in the middle made it quite interesting.

I had my misapprehension with Nyoy, and thought he was miscast. First, he does not have the vocal chops for the rocker dude. But, I think he had some vocal coaching or lessons in this play. The voice, although strained at some parts, was able to hit the high notes and give it a grunge/rock feel. Vina, on the other hand, is good, but not great. I think there was something lacking in her performance that would make her stand out. The revelation here is Aiza Seguerra. Imagine Aiza (yes, the once child wonder) donning a tanga in one scene as a prostitute. She and Mig Ayesa rocked the show. Of course, everybody was expecting that  Migs would be glorious. Migs as Stacee  Jaxx, was more than hilarious. He was an entire show in himself.

MiG Ayesa and Tom Cruise during the LA run.

It was highlighted by Atlantis that Migs also played the same role in Broadway, and during its LA run, Tom Cruise went to see the play to get “inspiration” for the movie’s version. Some people say, Director Adam Shankman (from So You Think You Can Dance) massacred the Broadway version by creating/directing the movie. I still have to see the movie version though for comparison.

I can’t stress how people we’re elated in the show. I was a bit hesitant at first about the reaction since an auditing firm booked almost 130 seats for its partners and managers. And I was thinking that some people would find some scenes too graphic. Vina was doing a strip dancing in one scene, and there were one too many innuendos. Still, the viewers loved it, and most were still talking about the scenes even in the parking area.

I can’t invite you anymore to watch it since the Manila run has ended last Sunday, July 8, 2012. But if ever there’s a re-run, do watch it. It’s fun, campy, and something that will make you laugh out loud. Pun, intended.