By Michael Maupin
Iggy Pop sat in my lap this weekend. I saw a flying turtle, Grace Slick, Liz Phair, Kim Deal, Springsteen, The Clash, Jagger, and Richards. Rock & Roll: The Reunion Tour at Actors Theatre (Buy Tickets) is the best thing going in the Louisville performing arts scene right now. Put it this way: I saw Wicked when it opened at the Kentucky Center a few weeks ago, and I would gladly chose Danger 7 over Elphaba for a repeat performance.
The choice to show R&R in the Victory Jory Theater was the crux of enjoyment for this production. When I walked in, there was a young guy wearing a "Free Hugs" t-shirt who welcomed my embrace without hesitation. The smell of incense, a smoky spotlight, and an energetic MC welcomed patrons as they made their way to their seats.
Picture a stage covered in every influential rock and roll album cover you can name – NIN's With Teeth, Wilco's Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, Blondie's eponymous first album – set against a dense collage of 1970s-esque wall art referred to as "Rock Altars" and subsequently available for purchase through an auction in the lobby, gave Jory a CBGBs, Headliners-on-crack feel. The intimacy of the Jory was perfect for a five-member band/theater group recounting many of the highs and lows of classic and contemporary rock music.
Enough cannot be said about the cast. David Hanbury as Johnny was a particular highlight of the production. Think of Hanbury's character as a mix of Keith Richard's insolence, Jack Sparrow's wardrobe trunk, and Prince's sexual ambiguity. Hanbury's guitar playing is more than impressive, his acting much bigger than regional theater, and his presence the embodiment of the quintessential Rock God.
The remainder of the cast was spot on. Jeremy Lee Cudd on drums and the wonderful Rebecca Hart shared a particularly beautiful vignette set to The Platter's "Only You (And You Only)." Jon Spurney lent several comedic moments while pulling double duty on guitar and keyboards. And rounding out the Danger 7 quintet on bass, Ami Jhaveri provided narration via a tongue-in-cheek A&E voiceover style affectation.
However, what was center stage in the production more than anything else were the words of people who submitted responses to the question "What is Rock and Roll?" Their responses were recited in turn by the play's actors, moving the story along, filling the theater with a general nostalgia for days when rock and roll ruled. I can't imagine R&R being as satisfying without this human element.
By the end of the night, I found myself considering how music continuously changes and realizing that rock music had played a much bigger role in my life than I had ever recognized. And to me, the best art leaves you questioning your own life. As entertainment, R&R more than succeeds. As an existential experience, the show left me in awe.
If you have never been to Actor's Theater, this is your reason to go. R&R runs through February 8th. Maybe you'll be as lucky as I was and Iggy might crawl off the stage and into your lap too. But if nothing else, if you are a music lover, or if you are interested in music and history, Danger 7 will not disappoint.
Iggy Pop sat in my lap this weekend. I saw a flying turtle, Grace Slick, Liz Phair, Kim Deal, Springsteen, The Clash, Jagger, and Richards. Rock & Roll: The Reunion Tour at Actors Theatre (Buy Tickets) is the best thing going in the Louisville performing arts scene right now. Put it this way: I saw Wicked when it opened at the Kentucky Center a few weeks ago, and I would gladly chose Danger 7 over Elphaba for a repeat performance.
The choice to show R&R in the Victory Jory Theater was the crux of enjoyment for this production. When I walked in, there was a young guy wearing a "Free Hugs" t-shirt who welcomed my embrace without hesitation. The smell of incense, a smoky spotlight, and an energetic MC welcomed patrons as they made their way to their seats.
Picture a stage covered in every influential rock and roll album cover you can name – NIN's With Teeth, Wilco's Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, Blondie's eponymous first album – set against a dense collage of 1970s-esque wall art referred to as "Rock Altars" and subsequently available for purchase through an auction in the lobby, gave Jory a CBGBs, Headliners-on-crack feel. The intimacy of the Jory was perfect for a five-member band/theater group recounting many of the highs and lows of classic and contemporary rock music.
Enough cannot be said about the cast. David Hanbury as Johnny was a particular highlight of the production. Think of Hanbury's character as a mix of Keith Richard's insolence, Jack Sparrow's wardrobe trunk, and Prince's sexual ambiguity. Hanbury's guitar playing is more than impressive, his acting much bigger than regional theater, and his presence the embodiment of the quintessential Rock God.
The remainder of the cast was spot on. Jeremy Lee Cudd on drums and the wonderful Rebecca Hart shared a particularly beautiful vignette set to The Platter's "Only You (And You Only)." Jon Spurney lent several comedic moments while pulling double duty on guitar and keyboards. And rounding out the Danger 7 quintet on bass, Ami Jhaveri provided narration via a tongue-in-cheek A&E voiceover style affectation.
However, what was center stage in the production more than anything else were the words of people who submitted responses to the question "What is Rock and Roll?" Their responses were recited in turn by the play's actors, moving the story along, filling the theater with a general nostalgia for days when rock and roll ruled. I can't imagine R&R being as satisfying without this human element.
By the end of the night, I found myself considering how music continuously changes and realizing that rock music had played a much bigger role in my life than I had ever recognized. And to me, the best art leaves you questioning your own life. As entertainment, R&R more than succeeds. As an existential experience, the show left me in awe.
If you have never been to Actor's Theater, this is your reason to go. R&R runs through February 8th. Maybe you'll be as lucky as I was and Iggy might crawl off the stage and into your lap too. But if nothing else, if you are a music lover, or if you are interested in music and history, Danger 7 will not disappoint.
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