Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Writer Chris D'Arienzo sends up those portentous rockers, giving us permission to enjoy the unsubtle, just as we always secretly enjoyed it, except from a safer remove and without our feet sticking to the floor. The piece also is respectful enough toward such ditties as “Here I Go Again” or “The Search Is Over” that you feel some sense of nouveau discovery. (Just as importantly, the original artists felt respected and thus handed over the rights to cover their biggest hits; Jim Peterik of Survivor was in the house Wednesday night)."
Chicago Reader - Recommended
"...Playwright Chris D'Arienzo wisely takes a page from Urinetown, incorporating a narrator who comments on the ridiculousness of the story as it unfolds. It's cheesy as hell, but like the bands it sends up, Rock of Ages wants "nothin' but a good time" and largely delivers."
Copley News Service - Recommended
"...Think of “Rock of Ages” at the Bank of America Theatre as a kind of “Mamma Mia!” for the heavy metal generation. Both have skimpy plots, a musical score never intended for the theater, and both shows end with a roaring audience dancing in the aisles."
Centerstage - Recommended
"...Direct from his Tony-nominated Broadway performance, former "American Idol" star Constantine Maroulis once again plays Drew, the sweetly endearing rock star wannabe. His shy advances are misinterpreted by Sherrie (gorgeous, full-voiced Rebecca Faulkenberry), a small-town girl who also dreams of rock stardom, as more friendly than romantic. Add to this a German father and son team (with a breakout performance by local actor Travis Walker) who aim to tear down and rebuild the Strip, a famous rock band leader who wants to go solo and an assortment of other quirky, but memorable characters, and you have a nostalgic musical that is "Nothin' But a Good Time.""
Chicago Stage Review - Not Recommended
"...The big draw to ROCK OF AGES is the lead actor Constantine Maroulis, an American Idol finalist. While Maroulis is likeable and has a good voice for this genre of music, you can’t help but think that this production is just an extension of the TV show. American Idol seeks out bankable pop singers, promotes them as formulaic products and then finds vehicles for the commercial clichés they have discovered. It is all big business with no actual theatrical or musical value."
Time Out Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...
Like erstwhile Poison frontman Bret Michaels, on whom MiG Ayesa’s overconfident superstar Stacee Jaxx appears to be based, Rock can push the rawk too hard. Director Hanggi sometimes seems to be trying every idea at once (did we really need both the dream ballerina and the gospel choir in the same number?). And as spastic narrator Lonny, original New York cast member Mitchell Jarvis—filling in on press night for ailing tour Lonny, Patrick Lewallen—has a near-fatal case of Jack Black Syndrome. But leads Maroulis and Faulkenberry bring serious charm and serious pipes, and D’Arienzo’s self-aware book and the show’s sight-gag-heavy design are filled with Easter eggs for ’80s aficionados. Check your higher mental faculties at the beer cart, and rock on."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
"...As far as narrative arcs are concerned, this one is as dramatically void as it gets. But the matters of character and plot are of little concern when the likes of Maroulis and Faulkenberry are cranking out sweltering renditions of “Don’t Stop Beieving” and “We Built This City” at full-throttle lung. It is the production’s simultaneous employment of razor parody (bottles of Bartles & Jaymes make several notable appearances) and adamant affection for the bittersweet Regan era that elevates “Rock of Ages”. The after effects may be as fleeting as a cold wine cooler, but this is surely nothin’ but a good time. And by the moment the last fog machine blasts, it’s hard not to get swept away."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...The casting in this show could not be anymore spot on. To go into to how funny and how talented everyone is, would take some time. Aside from the great signing and acting performances by Constatine, Faulkenberry, and the rest of the cast, it’s the narrator Lonny, played by Patrick Lewallen that steals the show. Lonny is co-owner of a fictitious rock bar, fashioned after the Whiskey A Go-Go that employs Drew. He’s your typical Sunset Strip burnout, yet he employs a certain wisdom in his narration. Lonny wanted to do legitimate theatre, yet has to settle for “poop jokes, and Whitesnake songs”. It’s his performance that reminds you that this is still a Broadway production. It’s also worth mentioning that the other half of ownership, Dennis, played by Nick Cordero, gives Lonny a run for his money…from a comedic stand point that is. (Try to pick up on the Allen Parson Project jokes…very smart.)"
Chicago Stage and Screen - Somewhat Recommended
"...No question, Kristin Hanggi’s rampaging staging delivers the goods, the jokes, the memories and the high- (and low) strutting rock charisma. Jarvis plays Lonny like a steroid-infused version of the Kit Kat Klub’s much more sardonic emcee. Teresa Stanley belts out her anthems exactly the way the composers must have imagined them."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...The music and the performers is what makes this production work. When the audience feels that the actors are not just going through the motions, but truly having as much fun as we are, it works! The show starts off a bit slow as I think the audience is unsure of exactly what is about to take place. As we enter the Bank of America Theater, the ushers hand us what appears to be a Bic lighter, but it is in reality a flashlight, allowing us to be able to “light our light” with the performances we enjoy. Opening night saw a lot of flashlights being lit, and well deserved by this glorious cast. Even some of the people around me who were not happy with the play, felt that the talent was stupendous. I agree!"
Chicago Theater Beat - Somewhat Recommended
"...Jarvis and Maroulis’ performances save Rock of Ages from becoming a forgettable (and groan-worthy?) night of classic rock and 80s gags. The show will have you tapping your toes, and if you had a couple, singing along at the top of your lungs."
