Yes, jukebox musicals have been overdone in the past, and we all want to hear original scores, but that doesn't change the fact that The Heart of Rock and Roll, the new musical using the songs of Huey Lewis and the News, is just plain fun.
I got to see the show last night at the James Earl Jones Theatre. As the music is nearly synonymous with the 1980s, the story by Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan A. Abrams is specifically set in the year 1987 and revolves around a family cardboard-box business, which lends new meaning to the song "Hip to Be Square."
Choreographer Lorin Latarro stages some amazing dance sequences, both in the factory and at the big packaging trade show in Chicago. Yes, this is a show that leans into the cheese factor, reminding us of the importance of small, quiet lives as well as the glamor of rock and roll. This allows it to capitalize on the comedy of the everyday, perhaps typified by Tamika Lawrence, who plays the company's no-nonsense H.R. manager Roz.
McKenzie Kurtz delivers a wonderfully comedic performance as Cassandra, the company accountant whose love of spreadsheets rivals her romantic longing for the show's male lead Bobby, played by Corey Cott. Kurtz gives her character hysterical vocal mannerisms that make her wildly weird in a way that plants her at the eccentric heart of this quirky show. It's delightful to see her and Cott sing a duet version of "It's All Right" that reimagines the classic song in a completely new way.
Sadly, producers posted a closing notice this week, and its last performance is slated for Sunday, so if you haven't seen it yet, go now!
