Rock of Ages Lifts Spirits with In-Seat Drink Service

The new musical Rock of Ages will be rolling a little harder than your average Broadway show. Producers have announced that in-seat alcohol service will be offered during performances beginning March 17, when the show starts previews at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Directed by Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages is set to open on Broadway on April 7.

“Sometimes theater is perceived as something antiseptic,” Carl Levin, a lead producer of the show, was quoted by Bloomberg News. “We find when you have drinking, people are more likely to sing along.” The show also offered in-seat drink service during its initial off-Broadway run at New World Stages this past fall, where audiences did indeed frequently sing along with the show’s popular 80s hits.

Wait service will be available in the orchestra and box seating sections of the theater. Audience members must purchase color-coded drink chips ranging from $5 to $15 before the first act or during intermission to use in place of cash, a measure taken to reduce disturbances during the performance. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available.

While service isn’t currently a regular practice on Broadway, imbibers have enjoyed the opportunity to take in a show with a drink in hand previously, notably during 1975’s The Rocky Horror Show, 1982’s Pump Boys and Dinettes and 1998's Cabaret.

Rock of Ages is set in 1987 on the Sunset Strip, where a small town girl meets a big city rocker in L.A.’s most famous rock club. Their arena-rock love story is told through the hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and many more. Written by Chris D'Arienzo, Rock of Ages opened off-Broadway on October 16 at New World Stages and played its final performance on January 4. The show made its world premiere in Los Angeles at The Vanguard.

The cast features Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, James Carpinello, Adam Dannheisser, Mitchell Jarvis, Michele Mais, Lauren Molina, Paul Schoeffler, Wesley Taylor, Ericka Hunter, Jeremy Jordan, Michael Minarik, Angel Reed, Bahiyah Sayyed-Gaines, Katherine Tokarz, Andre Ward, Savannah Wise, Tad Wilson and Jeremy Woodard. The show is choreographed by Kelly Devine, with scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Gregory Gale, lighting design by Jason Lyons, sound design by Peter Hylenski, projection design by Zachary Borovay and musical supervision by Ethan Popp.