MANCHESTER, NH – If you were lucky enough to make opening night of “Rock of Ages” at the Palace Theatre (it runs through March 26), you might have noticed local restaurateur Chuck Rolecek in the audience, singing along, waving his Glow Stick to the beat of the 1980s-themed hit musical.
But he’s more than just another huge fan of the ’80s hairband soundtrack.
“I knew the lines before the actors were ready to say them,” says Rolecek, who admits he must have seen the show at least two-dozen times on Broadway, after it premiered in 2009.
He is one of the original producers.
“I was very impressed at how close they were to the original production,” says Rolecek, who tells the story of how he went from being owner of several successful NH restaurants – including the former CR Sparks in Bedford, Hanover Street Chophouse in Manchester, and his newest venture, CR’s: The Restaurant in Hampton – to Broadway producer.
He was trying to help his son, who had been bitten by the Broadway bug.
Rolecek took the advice of an old friend, Mark Schoenfeld, a successful Broadway producer of the show “Brooklyn: The Musical,” who has since retired from the business and lives in Manchester.
“My son Alex was interested in theater. He studied it in college and I wanted to see what I could do to help him make some connections. Mark recommended I meet with some producers and Broadway types to help open up some doors for my son,” Rolecek says.
A few meetings in, Rolecek heard about a new production company that was forming, Corner Store Fund, which was trying to raise money for a few projects. Always looking for a solid investment, Rolecek decided to diversify his portfolio and buy in.
“Little did I know, Broadway turned out to be even riskier than the restaurant business, but through that experience I met Matt Weaver, who eventually did make four movies and a couple of Broadway plays. ‘Rock of Ages’ was the biggest commercial success of them all,” Rolecek says.
The soundtrack features upwards of two-dozen songs that represent everything you loved about MTV in the 1980s, songs you know every word to, including “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Wanted, Dead of Alive,” “Oh, Sherrie,” and “Don’t Stop Believing,” songs which loosely help move the story line along, of a romance between “a small town girl and a city boy,” on the Sunset Strip, who just want to rock, resulting in nothing but a good time.
Over it’s six-year run on Broadway, “Rock of Ages” ended up being the 27th most popular musical production, staging more than 2,300 shows, says Rolecek.
“We survived some of our actors moving on to other gigs, and even moving the show to another theater. And it ended up being so popular, they made a movie out of it,” says Rolecek, referring to the 2012 star-studded film starring Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul Giamatti and more.
“I got to play a minor role in the movie – that’s me, boarding a bus in the opening scene as Julianne Hough gets off the bus,” says Rolecek. “It struggled at the box office, but had six strong years on Broadway.”
Rolecek was most impressed with the quality of the production at the Palace, from the music to CEO Peter Ramsay’s dedication to the original script
“The music was just spot on. But I was really happy to see the Palace stick to the original lines from the Broadway version,” Rolecek says. “You know, one reason why I speculate the movie version didn’t do so well is that they toned down the language for a PG rating. It’s really an R-minus, and as Peter will tell you, a few of his elder ushers were apprehensive about it, when they heard the language was racy.”
Ramsay understood the importance of being true to the original production, and says he was equally gratified that he was able to bring such a crowd-pleaser of a show to the Palace.
“It was wonderful on opening night of ‘Rock of Ages’ to have an original investor who had the courage to put money into a Broadway show, have it be successful, and then come back to Manchester and help us host the opening night show,” Ramsay says.
Rolecek said he enjoyed watching the audience almost as much as he did the show – because of the strategic use of non-stop monster hits, the audience is encouraged to sing along, and they do. And everyone gets a Glow Stick, along with their program notes, to hoist at will, adding a real rock concert vibe.
Rolecek’s also admits his other favorite part is the character Dennis Dupree, the old-time rocker and club owner (played in the film version by Alec Baldwin.)
“Maybe I can relate to him, but he really believes in the club itself, and he’s my favorite character,” says Rolecek. “And in terms of some of the music, it’s hard not to like the final song. It pulls it all together. I will remember that song, for the rest of my life as what ‘Rock of Ages’ is all about.”
As for Rolecek’s son, although his father’s gamble on Broadway didn’t pay-off in the way he hoped it would for his son, Alex Rolecek did end up finding his niche.
“The end result was he got some unexpected opportunities and he ended up getting in on the other side of the camera Now he’s filming commercials and working for Grey Global Group advertising using his musical and theatrical abilities to shooting commercials with supermodels,” says Rolecek, with a laugh. “He found the business, not surprisingly, tough. It’s a pyramid. Even with talent and connections, it’s hard to break in,” says Rolecek. “That’s what blows me away when I see a production like the one at the Palace. Every one of those performers, with a little bit of luck, could get their big break. But nobody gets there without perseverance.”
His final thought on his brush with Broadway is that even if he never makes back his initial financial investment, he’s already reaped the rewards of the overall experience.
“I was a little emotional on opening night, and I said that to Peter. I was like, ‘Wow, can you believe this?’ He said something in his usual, hospitable way, something like if not for me, the show wouldn’t be there. That’s not really true. He got the show without my help. But to be up there on the stage with him, knowing that the show opened a lot of doors for a lot of people, and then to be introduced on the Palace stage, that was a real thrill for me,” Rolecek says.
There’s still time to catch “Rock of Ages” at the Palace Theatre. Click here for the best seats in the house for the remaining performances (March 18-20; 24-26.)
