Nothin’ but a good time

Just a small-town girl, a city boy and the biggest rock anthems (and hair) of the 1980s are coming to Wausau next week, as Wausau Community Theatre stages a high-energy production of the Tony award nominated musical “Rock of Ages.”

The show, directed by Lucas Gajewski and Jocelyn Walters, is a “jukebox musical,” meaning it is comprised of previously released pop songs rather than music written for the show. “Rock of Ages” is loaded with 1980s hits, including “Don’t Stop Believing,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “Here I Go Again” and “Sister Christian.”

Walters, a veteran of Mosinee Community Theatre, is making her Wausau Community Theatre directing debut with the show — a longtime favorite of hers.

“I’ve personally seen this show four or five times. Anytime it’s playing anywhere I go see it,” she said. “It’s because it doesn’t feel like you’re sitting at a show, it feels like you’re at a concert and there’s just a lot going on. It’s a good introduction for somebody who’s never gone to a musical theater production but likes music. I always joke that this is one you can drag your husbands to and they won’t complain too much. It’s a fun show, this is not like any other musical theater piece you’re gonna see.”

Wausau Community Theatre's production of "Rock of Ages" features 27 local actors in the cast, with another nine performers who sing backstage each performance as “vocal sweetener” during chorus numbers.

Contributed photo

The show follows Sherrie, a small-town girl trying to make it as a star, and Drew, a city boy working as an aspiring rock musician (sound familiar?). They both work at a Hollywood club called the Bourbon Room. When a group of developers threatens to demolish the venue, Sherrie and Drew team up with a cast of eccentric rockers and an aging rock star to save the Sunset Strip. It’s a heartwarming and humorous show that brings big 1980s glam rock energy.

“I tend to gravitate towards funny shows, shows that just make people feel good,” Walters said. “‘Rock of Ages’ I saw on Broadway with Constantine in the lead role and just absolutely fell in love with it. I love the ‘80s over-the-top characters and was really drawn to the music. I wanted to bring that fun and energy to the Wausau community.”

An all-star lineup of classic rock tunes that audiences have heard dozens, if not hundreds of times, can present an intimidating challenge to the cast, who have to live up to the performances of Bon Jovi, Styx, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett and Starship.

“The music is so well-known that people do have an expectation,” Walters said. “That is a challenge for some of our vocalists, but Lucas is so good about figuring out how to make people sound good while still maintaining the integrity of the material.”

One difference from typical radio play is how the songs are arranged. Many of the songs are part of broader medleys that cruise through several high-profile tracks, blending and connecting them in new and excitingly artful ways. The well-known songs are also presented to audiences in a specific context, which can give the lyrics and melody a new dimension.

“It’s fun to see how they took a song that you grew up with, which may have a certain meaning to you, and see how they brought it to tell the story,” Walters said. “One of my favorites is ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ — all the characters are singing a different verse and telling a little bit of their story and it just got to a point where it literally brought me to tears how well they sounded, how poignant that moment was. It’s just a really great little piece of theater right there.”

Rock legend Stacee Jaxx, played by Dylan Sleeper, takes a phone call with groupies, played by Kendra Evans (left) and Gwen Bergman, at his side.

Contributed photo

Walters, who lived through the 1980s, is tasked with making sure the cast, which skews younger, is up-to-date with all the retro references and 1980s lifestyle ingrained in their characters.

“Sometimes I forget how old I am so I’ve had to do a lot of educating for a young cast,” she said. “I think everybody knows this song or everybody knows what this is about. It’s been kind of funny, myself and the choreographer — we’re the resident ‘80s experts — and we’ve been laughing, we just look at each other and can’t believe like, ‘Nobody knows this? They don’t know what we’re talking about?’ It’s been a little bit of a reality check for us, but we have had so much fun explaining it and educating them.”

The show features 27 local actors in the cast, with another nine performers who sing backstage each performance as “vocal sweetener” during chorus numbers.

“They just add a little bit of extra vocal power in the back, which really helps to fill out that sound as there’s so much dancing, it’s hard to maintain that level of vocals while you’re doing a lot of that,” Walters explained.

Walters hopes the show provides audiences with a fun escape from the real world for a few hours.

“This show appeals to most people because it has everything you want to see when you go to a musical. There is singing, there is dancing, there are great special effects. Visually it’s just so much fun,” Walters said. “There’s no dull moment in this show which I love. If you go to a ton of theater, you know there’s always that one number where you’re like, “OK...,” or the second act drags on until that big finale number. This is a show that doesn’t really ever have that.”

“Rock of Ages,” the final show of WCT’s 2025-26 season, opens next Friday at the James F. Veninga Theater in Wausau. Shows are July 17-18 and July 23-25 at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees on July 19 and 26. Tickets are $27 for adults, $23 for students and seniors, $19 for kids ages 11-19 and $12 for ages 10 and under. To purchase tickets in advance and select your seats, visit wausaucommunitytheatre.org.