UTRGV music education major Larissa Chavez (from left), choreographer Melanie Esparza and Xitlaly Garcia, rehearse to “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, for the musical “Rock of Ages” last Wednesday in the Camille Playhouse. Aura Velasquez/THE RIDER
“Rock of Ages,” the hit musical, will return to the stage after its last appearance at the Camille Playhouse SummerStock in 2017, but this time around, the production will feature a cast of actors all from the Rio Grande Valley.
The production follows a small town girl with dreams of becoming an actress, a bar called the “Bourbon Room” with threats of being demolished and a love story between the protagonists with twists and turns.
The cast is made up of 17 members, nine principals and eight ensemble members.
Camille Playhouse Artistic Director Brandon Binder, a Brownsville native, said the ensemble members are the ones who really create the scene and the environment of everything, as they have the hardest role of playing up to eight different characters throughout the show.
“This time that we’re doing it, it is solely people from our community, which extends all the way to people in Harlingen,” Binder said.
He said there is a stigma about live theater that it’s only for older people.
“We really wanted to change that with this show, really inviting people who are interested in rock music and something a little bit more–I don’t want to say modern–but just really pulling to a younger diversity of the community,” Binder said.
“Rock of Ages” is a jukebox musical, meaning it features music taken from famous artists.
Musical Director Victoria Zamora, a vocal performance major at UTRGV, said the production includes a lot of classic rock songs, as well as music that is known by the general public and may be found in everyone’s playlists.
Songs included in the score are Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
“I think it’s a really fun score,” Zamora said. “It’s really fun to teach. It appeals more to people who aren’t used to any sort of musical theater. … I think it’s more encompassing and more involving of people.”
The show will feature a live band, which includes two guitarists, a bassist, a pianist and a drummer.
“It is live music,” Zamora said. “It’s not being played with a track. It is going to be, basically, like everyone is at a rock concert for about an hour and 45.”
Actor Melanie Esparza, who will portray the role of Justice, is also the show’s choreographer.
Esparza said that a lot of the movement in the show is based around the female cast, making her feel empowered as a woman.
“It’s really cool seeing people break out of their shells because ‘Rock of Ages’ [has] a lot of mature content in it,” she said. “So, for people that are just hopping into it … the dancing aspect really got people to open up with me a little more.”
As rehearsal started, Esparza said the cast was very tense and timid, but now she’s looking forward to seeing the audience’s reactions and giving them the “wow” factor.
Xitlaly Garcia, a music performance student at UTRGV, will portray protagonist Sherrie Christian in her first-ever production with the Camille Playhouse.
The words “extravagant, loud and rock ’n’ roll” were used to describe the musical and Garcia said getting to dance and rehearse with her castmates has been great.
“This being my first time here at Camille, I think I’ve met some really great people,” she said.
With only a month of rehearsal, the playhouse will be ready for opening night at 8 p.m. Sept. 8. The musical will also be presented at 8 p.m. Sept. 9, 2 p.m. Sept. 10, 8 p.m. Sept. 15 and 16, and 2 p.m. Sept. 17.
“Rock of Ages” is recommended for theatergoers ages 18 and older.
The Camille Playhouse is located at 1 Dean Porter Park Dr. in Brownsville. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at the box office or online.
