In hands of Shadowbox, musical hits all right notes

Shadowbox Live loves to rock, and “Rock of Ages” offers ample opportunities with some of the biggest glam-metal hits of the 1980s.

Even more than the strong vocals and hard-driving band, though, the comedy Shadowbox finds in this overwrought Broadway musical lifts its crowdpleasing production.

At the opening last week, director Julie Klein helped the highenergy cast milk the mediocre script for surprising humor and seductive rhythms.

At the center of the cliched story is a youthful romance between two naïve dreamers in Los Angeles: John Reistenberg and Amy Lay anchor the show with adorable sincerity.

Brimming with puppy-dog eagerness and amusing awkwardness, Reistenberg stands out as Drew, an aspiring rocker from Detroit who finds a job at a Sunset Strip club. His passionate “I Wanna Rock” defines Drew — and the musical.

Lay fuses innocence with awakening sensuality as naive Sherrie, who arrives from Kansas with acting dreams.

Guillermo Jemmott establishes the fondly nostalgic atmosphere as friendly narrator Lonny. Jemmott and Brandon Anderson, as the shaggy club owner who employs Lonny, find humor and a romantic plot- twist in their delicate duet, “I Can’t Fight This Feeling.”

As Stacee Jaxx, a selfworshipping rock god, Jamie Barrow verges on parody, sacrificing any semblance of drama. Yet that provides comic openings for the onstage band, which delivers withering punchlines about Jaxx, their egotistical frontman.

Led by music director Matthew Hahn on guitar, the band shines musically, too.

Katy Psenicka’s peppy choreography underlines the powerhouse rock and adds slapstick to bump-andgrind routines at a strip club. ( The brisk two-act show is suggested for mature audiences because of profanity and bawdy sexuality.)

Buoyed by concertstyle lighting and garish costumes, the top-notch ensemble belts out the hits, from the rousing “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” to the upbeat “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

As far as jukebox musicals go, “Rock of Ages” doesn’t rank high. With its fun- loving approach, though, Shadowbox turns its audience into believers.