ROCK OF AGES Launches 60-City National Tour in Chicago, 9/21

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced today that the critically acclaimed, five-time Tony Award® nominated Broadway musical ROCK OF AGES will launch a 60-city, first national tour at The Bank of America Theatre, 18 West Monroe, Chicago, IL as part of ‘Broadway in Chicago' on September 21, 2010.

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer - and in L.A.'s most legendary rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the ‘80's. It's ROCK OF AGES, a hilarious, feel-good love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many more. Don't miss this awesomely good time where big hair meets big dreams and the result totally wails.

ROCK OF AGES opened on April 7, 2009 at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre to critical acclaim, following an off Broadway engagement in the fall of 2008. The Broadway production was nominated for Five 2009 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, and New Line Records released the Original Broadway Cast Recording in July 2009 featuring 28 songs from the show. A New Line Records film of the musical, directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), is scheduled to be released in 2011.

As on Broadway, the touring production will be directed by Tony Award Nominee Kristin Hanggi (Bare, Pussycat Dolls on the Sunset Strip) and choreographed by Kelly Devine (Jersey Boys - Associate Choreographer). The book is by Chris D'Arienzo (writer and director of the upcoming film Barry Munday), the original arrangements are by David Gibbs (Counting Crows, Film: That Thing You Do) and the Music Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations are by Ethan Popp (Tarzan; Europe: We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia).
Scenic design is by Beowulf Boritt (Spelling Bee, LoveMusik), costume design is by Tony Nominee Gregory Gale (Cyrano, The Wedding Singer), lighting design is by Jason Lyons (The Threepenny Opera), sound design is by Peter Hylenski (Shrek), and projection design is by Zachary Borovay (A Catered Affair).

ROCK OF AGES will have its Canadian premiere at the legendary Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, with performances beginning April 20, 2010. It was also recently announced that ROCK OF AGES will head down under and open at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Australia in April 2011.

ROCK OF AGES will be produced on tour by Matthew Weaver, Carl Levin, Jeff Davis, Barry Habib, Scott Prisand, Janet Billig Rich, Hillary Weaver, Relativity Media and The Araca Group.

Group tickets are currently available for ROCK OF AGES in Chicago. Groups of 15 or more may receive a discount on most shows by calling (312) 977-1710. Single tickets will go on-sale at a future date to be announced. Tickets can be obtained at The Bank of America Theatre box office (18 West Monroe, Chicago, IL), www.BroadwayInChicago.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 775-2000. For more information, visit www.RockofAgesMusical.com.

Chris D'Arienzo (Book) is a writer/director who just finished his directorial debut Barry Munday (starring Patrick Wilson, Judy Greer, Chloe Sevigny, Jean Smart, Malcolm McDowell, Cybill Shepherd and Billy Dee Williams). Chris is currently developing a one-hour drama for HBO with Tobey Maguire, as well as a feature film for Warner Bros. entitled La Vida Robot produced by John Wells (I'm Not There, "ER," Far From Heaven). Chris is a giant music nerd as well as a songwriter in his own right, and his band Saint America is will soon release their self-titled debut album.

Kristin Hanggi (Director) received a Tony Nomination for her work on Rock of Ages. Directed the NY and L.A. productions of Bare (Ovation,L.A. Weekly awards); Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy with Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera and Charlize Theron; 2007 NY Fringe Best Play Catch the Fish; L.A. premiere of Corpus Christi (Ticketholder Award); and L.A. and NY productions of AnnE. Wrecksick. Other L.A. theatre includes 12th Premise; 40 Days; Crane, Mississippi; Greystone; Wayside. Also a film director and screenwriter, Hanggi is developing the musical movie Dear Dumb Diary for Zucker Productions. M.A. from USC and B.A. from UCLA.

Kelly Devine (Choreographer). Kelly recently choreographed Disney's Peter and the Starcatchers at the La Jolla Playhouse and Cabaret and Romeo and Juliet for Des McAnuff at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. Broadway: Jersey Boys (assoc. choreo), Memphis ( assoc. choreo). Off-Broadway: Frankenstein (37 Arts), Ann E. Wrecksick (Ars Nova). Regional theatre: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Kirk Douglas Theatre); La Jolla Playhouse Zhivago, Private Fittings and The Wiz (assoc. choreo); Sneaux (Matrix Theatre, L.A.Weekly Theatre Award for best choreography);Wozzeck (San Diego Opera). Film/television: Zombie Prom; 30 Days Until I'm Famous; Happy, Texas; So Little Time; Two of a Kind; and Passport to Paris.

Beowulf Boritt (Set Designer). Broadway: Sondheim on Sondheim, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, LoveMusik, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only. Off-Broadway: More than 50 including The Last Five Years, Saint Lucy's Eyes, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Miss Julie, Public, MTC, Second Stage, New Group, MCC. 2007 and 2008 Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. Awards: Obie, AUDELCO, three Drama Desk noms.

Gregory Gale (Costume Designer) received a Tony Nomination for his work on Rock of Ages. Broadway: Cyrano de Bergerac (Tony nomination); The Wedding Singer (Drama Desk nomination); Urinetown (Lucille Lortel nomination). Off-Broadway: The Voysey Inheritance (Lucille Lortel Award, Atlantic); The Milliner (Lucille Lortel nomination, CSC); Country Club (Drama Desk nomination, Drama Dept.). Regional: The Third Story (La Jolla). Irene Sharaff Young Master Award 2002. www.gregorygale.com.

Jason Lyons (Lighting Designer). The Threepenny Opera; Barefoot in the Park; Good Vibrations; Clay; It's Only Life; Rafta, Rafta..., Two Thousand Years; Body Awareness; Scarcity; The Piano Teacher; Vigils; Evil Dead the Musical; The Field; Once Around the Sun; Kiki & Herb; The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; Abigail's Party; Hurlyburly; Roar; Aunt Dan and Lemon; Comedians.

Peter Hylenski (Sound Design) received a Tony Nomination for his work on Rock of Ages. Broadway: Lend Me A Tenor, Shrek, Cry Baby, The Times They Are A-Changin', The Wedding Singer, Sweet Charity, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Little Women, Brooklyn, Laughing Room Only. Other credits include: Le Reve: Wynn Las Vegas, Ragtime (West End, Olivier Award nomination), Walking with Dinosaurs, Mame (Kennedy Center), Opening Doors (Carnegie Hall), Applause (Encores!), Annie, Children's Letters to God, Go, Diego, Go!, Dora the Explorer, Spoleto Festival (1999 - 2002). Film: re-recording mixer Search for Life, SonicVision, Cosmic Collisions.

Zachary Borovay (Projection Designer). Recent: Peepshow at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas and Nerds, To Be or Not To Be (Broadway), Les Misérables (national tour), A Catered Affair (Broadway; Drama Desk nom.), Radio City Music Hall's 75th Christmas Spectacular, Xanadu (Broadway).

Ethan Popp (Music Supervisor, Arranger, Orchestrator). Recent credits include Glory Days (Broadway), Tarzan (Broadway), Being Alive (Philadelphia), the New York workshop of Spider-Man (Julie Taymor/Bono and The Edge of U2), We Will Rock You (German premiere), Disney's Aida (German premiere /European tour), Mamma Mia! (German premiere), Forever Plaid (U.S. tour), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Mexico City production), Fame! (U.S. tour) and others. Ethan is also currently developing Victor Woo: An Average Asian American, winner of Best Music and Lyrics at the 2007 NY International Fringe Festival.

David Gibbs (Original Arrangements) served as the music director and arranger for the original Los Angeles run of Rock of Ages. He has written music for film and TV including Josie and the Pussycats, That Thing You Do, Dumb and Dumber, "Alias," "The OC," "Smallville," "What About Brian" and many more. He was a founding member of the critically acclaimed Gigolo Aunts and has toured with such artists as Lisa Loeb, Counting Crows and Tom Morello. He is currently performing with the Low Stars and released a solo record as Kid Lightning.