Patty’s Ponderings: “Rock of Ages”- -Rocks. Sort Of

I was fortunate to attend the traveling edition of the Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” a week ago at the Pavilion. The cast of young professional actors gave their all and received a standing ovation at the conclusion due to that enthusiasm. The singing was fantastic, the acting was- -um…I mentioned they gave it their all didn’t I?

You must consider the material they’re working with. The play itself is pure cheese. The story is trite, the characters are caricatures, but the music...is great. I mean who doesn’t love the great rock songs from the 80s?

This weekend I decided to rent the movie version. I’m not a big fan of Tom Cruise, but somehow when he inhabits characters he is far more enjoyable than in his leading man parts. I thought he was great in “Tropic Thunder” as an almost unrecognizable balding, loud-mouthed, dancing fat guy!

The same can be said of his portrayal of ‘legendary’ rocker Stacee Jaxx in “Rock of Ages”. He inhabited the character like a second-skin. Bleary eyed, drunk, high and dissolute through most of the movie, Mr. Cruise did a great job. His singing was even a revelation!

‘Dancing With The Stars’ alum and now country singer Julianne Hough was simply annoying. Her singing--whiny, her acting as good-girl-gone-stripper, Sherrie…was that acting?

All the rest, yada, yada, yada. When the movie ended, I took it out of the dvd player, and thought, “Well that was a colossal time vampire! How appropriate for Halloween, huh?”