ROCK OF AGES Immersive Los Angeles Production Announced!

By: Jun. 11, 2019
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ROCK OF AGES Immersive Los Angeles Production Announced!

Celebrated Tony, Emmy and Grammy nominated producer of five-time Tony Award-nominated ROCK OF AGES Broadway show Matthew Weaver announced today that the production will return to its LA roots -- where it first started in 2005 at King King on Hollywood Boulevard -- with the opening of ROCK OF AGES Hollywood this September.

Featuring some of the greatest rock anthems and power ballads of the 80s, ROCK OF AGES Hollywood will present six weekly performances of the hit musical.

Each night, audiences will be treated to a unique immersive experience that brings to life the fictitious club from the show, The Bourbon Room, as they sit in the middle of the action. Creating an unparalleled one-of-a-kind experience, Los Angeles' newest venue will feature an intimate theater accompanied by a restaurant and bar concept from celebrity chef and restaurateur Todd English. The Bourbon Room will be a prime new hang offering a full-service menu with upscale culinary options, craft cocktails and fine wine to be enjoyed by theatergoers, locals, and tourists alike, with or without a ticket to the show.

The first performance will kick-off on September 10th, 2019, with weekly shows performing Wednesday through Sunday. For more information and specifics on ticket on sale dates, please visit rockofageshollywood.com.

The Bourbon Room, and the ROCKOF AGES Hollywood Theater will feature unique custom designed concept spaces created by BUILT Inc. Founder John Sofio and his team will bring their expertise from hugely popular LA venues such as Guys Bar, Trousdale, Bootsy Bellows, The Nice Guy, The Peppermint Club and Pink Taco to the table. While the show will be the crown jewel of ROCKOFAGES Hollywood, The Bourbon Room will quickly become a quintessential destination for live events and private bookings including Grammy parties, film screenings, live concerts, gallery openings, art installations, culinary events and more. The venue will also encompass a mini stage for popup programming, weekend activity brunches and space rental options.

Along with Weaver, ROCK OF AGES Hollywood will be produced by, Tony-nominee Hillary Weaver, Tony-nominee Janet Billig Rich, multiple Academy Award-nominee Stacey Sher and multi-platinum producer and CAS Award winner Kerry Brown, in participation with Brown's company WE ARE HEAR, a combination record label, publishing house, management company and production entity he co-founded with multi-platinum producer Linda Perry. Jimmy Kimmel Live co-executive producer Doug Deluca and early ROCK OF AGES investor Bill Bodnar will serve as executive producers.

The award-winning Broadway creative team is also back as Chris D'Arienzo's original book will be directed by Tony-nominated director Kristin Hanggi (Accidentally Brave) and choreographed by Olivier Award winner Kelly Devine (Come From Away) with casting by Michael Donovan and set design by Beowulf Boritt and Jo Winiarski. Dave Gibbs, who played in the original Los Angeles and Broadway productions of ROCK OF AGES, will serve as music supervisor for the production.

"I am thrilled to bring ROCK OF AGES back to Hollywood and deliver an exceptional experience that's outrageously fun and like nothing else the city offers," said producer Matthew Weaver. "Above all, we want people to have an unforgettable night, offering the highest level of hospitality and performances unparalleled by any other venue on the West Coast."

"We started WE ARE HEAR because we believe in music, we believe in community, and we believe in empowering artists," said producer Kerry Brown. "In order to effect change, you need to look for partners that have the same beliefs. We want to create a unique model for future generation of creators. It's super exciting to be working with a longtime colleague Janet Billig Rich, and we're thrilled to collaborate with Matthew Weaver and Hillary Weaver on what we think will be a legendary project!"

"Food as entertainment is something that has evolved during my career," said Todd English. "A night out for a meal has become like a 'show' if you will, and I am excited to be part of the Bourbon Room/ROCK OF AGES project to expand on this idea with a new, innovative collaboration. Food as EATertainment!"

"Since ROCK OF AGES began its life right here on Hollywood Boulevard in 2006, the show has moved to Broadway, been adapted into a feature film, and captivated audiences worldwide," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell. "In that same time, Hollywood has seen unprecedented interest and investment, with more visitors and residents than ever before. In 2019, my office is proud to launch our HEART of Hollywood initiative which aims to revitalize and enliven Hollywood's historic core and the Walk of Fame. I can think of no better partner in that effort than a world-class, world-renowned Broadway show like ROCK OF AGES. Thank you for being a continued part of the Hollywood experience and legacy. I'll see you when the curtain rises on opening night!"

Artist Kii Arens (fresh off his direction of the new ROCKETMAN single for Elton John and Taron Egerton) and Multi Experiential Marketing Award veteran Sheri Timmons will be brought in via Kerry Brown's company WE ARE HEAR to add an elevated experiential aspect to the project. Brown will also create a state of the art 'musician approved' sound system for the venue, bringing his music production chops to the theater with the debut of the latest in sound technologies not usually heard on the typical musical stage.

ROCK OF AGES had its world premiere in January 2006 at The Vanguard Hollywood nightclub in Los Angeles, where it played a six-week engagement before opening a limited run at The Flamingo in Las Vegas in May 2006. The musical made its New York debut in October 2008 at Off-Broadway's New World Stages, playing 110 performances before transferring to Broadway and opening to widespread critical acclaim at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. The musical moved to The Helen Hayes Theatre, on March 24, 2011, where it continued its triumphant run for another four years, grossing $129 million and breaking the theater's box office record ten times.

In addition to being known as a bona fide Broadway hit musical, ROCK OF AGES has celebrated over a dozen productions worldwide on four continents including long runs at the Venetian Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, the open seas on Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship The Breakaway, and the open road on national tour through both the U.S. and U.K. Furthermore, the show was a runaway success in Toronto, Australia and London's West End and has licensed productions in several additional countries including Sweden, Korea and Japan. In June 2012, ROCK OF AGES hit the silver screen in a major feature film starring Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Complete casting for ROCK OF AGES Hollywood will be announced soon. Kimberly Helms will serve as General Manager.

Lifelong fan, Abe Calimag shares, "I've seen ROCK OF AGES 706 times in seven countries, three different languages, and on a cruise ship. It has literally changed my life. I can't wait to see The Bourbon Room come alive on Hollywood Boulevard. There's no place I'd rather be. I wanna rock!"



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