Waiting to watch “Rock of Ages” was like waiting for a live rock show. Flick the fake lighter in anticipation for an awesome power ballad and check out the cluttered ‘80s set. The audience could easily mistake walking on the sticky, beer-soaked floors of the Bourbon Room set of the show, instead of the Fisher Theatre.

Directed by Kristin Hanggi, the musical follows the story of Drew (Constantine Maroulis from “American Idol”) and Sherrie (Rebecca Faulkenberry), two young hopefuls trying to make their dreams come true on the Sunset Strip in the 1980s. Drew wants to be a rock star and Sherrie left her hometown in Kansas to be a Hollywood actress.

In the meantime, the Bourbon Room, the bar where both protagonists work, is in danger of being demolished. A German renovation project seeks to commercialize the Strip and get rid of its rock and roll subculture.

“Rock of Ages” explores themes of love, risk, determination and life’s twists and turns, all with a soundtrack full of face-melters.
This show is a jukebox musical and the live band, Arsenal, and cast performs the classic rock hits of the time, including music from Poison, Warrant, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benetar, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister and more. Of course, there is an epic finale. The songs are well-chosen for context, mood and blow-your-mind capacity.

The cast performances are well done. The narrator, Lonny (Patrick Lewallen), breaks the fourth wall with hilarious results. While addressing the audience, he is there to introduce settings and character; and makes sure the show is never too serious.

Without him, though, that wouldn’t be a problem. Comedy and drama are well balanced. The show good-naturedly spoofs the trends and attitudes of the time, such as Drew’s Nordic-rock-god stage name “Wolfgang Von Colt,” as well as the lead singer, Stacee Jaxx (Mig Ayesa), with a big ego and even bigger hair.

The 1980s was a turbulent era for classic rock, and this production does not shy away from adult themes like sex and drugs. None of the characters seemed flat, the story was engaging, and the songs kept the audience pumped.

The set is unique and provides the right backdrop for the story. The gritty, eclectic bar was the main set. It was so versatile that there were little changes needed to take the audience from inside the bar, to the Strip and to the Venus strip club, for instance. The use of a large background screen to show offstage scenes and highlight performances is clever and adds to the experience. The lighting and effects are just as classic as the rock, including lasers, strobe lights, and a fog machine.

“Rock of Ages” is a fun show to experience. Leaving the venue, whoever hollered out of his car clearly agreed. The rock musical, which opened Nov. 9, runs through Nov. 21 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 West Grand Blvd.