The Man of Rock

Rad!

Shwinnnng! Totally Excellent!
Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis? The World premier of The Man of Rock at the Climate Theater. The year, 1986. The place, New Jersey shore. The hair, huge.
And knowing is half the battle! The 80s were an incredibly mixed time. The Berlin wall came down; Japan rose; despite the crash of ’87 the US stock market tripled (juicing the ‘average yearly return’ stats that led so many people to believe markets just go up, but never mind). AIDS was first diagnosed. ‘Me Me Me’ and a ‘if you got it, flaunt it” attitudes became socially acceptable like never before. MTV began broadcasting, adding pictures to music («illustrated radio»), putting new level of pressure on musicians to develop a ‘look.’ And big haired heavy metal was born.
Say Hello to My Little Friend. The Man of Rock is a fun and funny musical comedy that sets out to capture the 80s. It’s not Spinal Tap — the music is almost secondary to the drama, but it does have some great tunes.
I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up! The show isn’t perfect, in fact there were times where it felt more like very good experimental college theater than professional work. But seen for what it was — the first run of a wholly new play, written here in San Francisco, it was very solid.
I’d Buy THAT for a Dollar! General admission is $ 15, and VIP seats run $ 35. Beer is on sale in the lobby, and sign on the door not withstanding, can be brought into the theater. The show is two hours with a 30 minute intermission and is totally worth it.
I’ll be Back: If you missed the 80s the first time they came around, Man of Rock is another bite at that apple. But you better hurry, it closes December 23, 2010.
I Pitty The Fool: By popular request, here’s an 80’s quote cheat sheet:
— Waynes World, Saturday Night Live
— Different Strokes
— GI Joe
— Scar Face
— World’s most over-​the-​top emergency notifier device infomercial
— Game show inside the movie Robocop
— Arnold when he was still playing an evil robot
— Mr. T from The A Team