Justin's Theatre Reviews

  "Rock of Ages" is probably my favorite jukebox musical, after Jersey Boys. Although the plot to this show is incredibly silly and cliche, you don't really notice because of the way it is executed and the use of the 80's rock songs in the show.   "Rock of Ages" tells the story of Drew and Sherrie- two aspiring artists who fall in love, but alas...mistakes are made and they have a difficult time getting together. Also in the mix are Lonny and Dennis, who own the Bourbon Room where Drew and Sherrie work, two Germans who threaten to tear down the strip to build other things,  Regina, who protests the tearing down of the strip, the owner of a local strip club,  and a rock star who is there to create as much conflict as the Germans. I personally think you could probably piece together a lot of the story just reading the lineup of the characters.    In the lead roles of Drew and Sherrie, Jonathan Contreras and Nabil Gonzalez both play their roles with a certa

    If you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE Idina Menzel. She is probably my favorite performer alive. She has been my phone lockscreen on multiple occasions and I have a Idina Menzel "Frozen" phone case. So naturally, when I saw that the national tour of "If/Then" starring Idina Menzel was going to a nearby city that with conveniently located relatives, I hopped on the chance to get tickets and it was a trip that was well worth it.   "If/Then" tells the story of Elizabeth (Idina Menzel), who is returning to New York City after a failed marriage in Phoenix, Arizona. After arriving in NYC, Elizabeth meets up in the park with her new friend, Kate (LaChanze) and her old college boyfriend, Lucas (Anthony Rapp). While at the park, Elizabeth has to choose if she wants to go to a music festival with Kate and her girlfriend, Anne (Janine DiVita) or a street action with Lucas, who is an activist. The show follows both of those paths.   The sho