ROCK OF AGES Opens At Alhambra March 24

When "Rock of Ages" opened on Broadway in 2009, it was honored with five Tony Award nominations and went on to run for more than six years and 2300 performances.

Fueled by and built around classic rock songs from the 1980s by bands like Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and Poison among other well-known rock bands, "Rock of Ages" became the 29th longest running show in Broadway history and went on to international tours including Japan, Australia and the UK.

In 2012, "Rock of Ages" opened as a feature film featuring Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Russell Brand and Catherine Zeta-Jones. On March 24, this 80's flashback to the Glam Bands of the 80's opens at the iconic Alhambra Theatre and Dining in Jacksonville, FL.

The songs of Journey, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Styx and other artists underscore a tale of big Hollywood dreams. Soon after hopping off a bus from the Midwest, aspiring singer Sherrie Christian immediately finds herself in trouble. Coming to her rescue is Drew, a bar-back at the legendary club the Bourbon Room. With stars in their eyes, the young lovers chase their dreams, but a misunderstanding involving rock god Stacee Jaxx threatens to tear them apart. The Stacie Jaxx character is played by local rock and roller, Ron Perry. Originally from Detroit, Perry played in a punk band right out of high school called "The Nasties," channeling his influence from Rock City legends Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and Bob Seger. While playing in a small club in Detroit, he had a chance meeting with Molly Hatchet's John Galvin, who recruited Perry to replace then-departing singer, Danny Joe Brown and Perry moved to Jacksonville. Danny Joe returned to the band, displacing Perry, but not before Perry's song "Take Miss Lucy Home" was included on Hatchet's 1989 Capitol Records album, "Lightning Strikes Twice." Hatchet's management team helped Perry form the band, China Sky, which was quickly signed by CBS Records and had two minor hits, including "Some Kind of Miracle," which was featured during the 1988 Olympics on NBC.

In the late 90's, now based in Jacksonville, Perry began touring with his own band "The Ron Perry Connection," and opened his own recording studio, Jacksonville's American Media Sound & Video, which is where his Alhambra story really begins.

For the last ten years, Perry has been filming all of Alhambra's shows to create and produce the Theater's TV commercials. It was during a shoot for the Alhambra's 2022 lineup that Casting Director Shain Stroff saw Perry through a different lens, that of trying to find the right Stacie Jaxx, and it was love at first sight. Perry, on site to simply shoot some video, with his long hair, blue jeans, black tee shirt and silver jewelry embodied Jaxx without even trying. A trained musician and bonafide rock and roll front man with natural stage presence, Perry had, however, never acted and was cast with a little "roll of the dice," as Alhambra owner Craig Smith put it gently. Perry quickly came under the tutelage of long-time director and former Alhambra owner, Todd Booth, Sr., and in one week Perry will take on a new on-stage challenge, playing a rock and roller as opposed to being one.

After a week of rehearsals, Perry said, "I know I am totally type-casted in this role, and I love that. My life has been Stacie Jaxx and I just throw on my usual clothes and off to rehearsal I go. I've learned so much in just this first week about movement, line delivery and choreography. I've been filming Alhambra actors for ten years and I'm always amazed but being part of the show has been fascinating and so rewarding to see how incredibly talented they really are. I can be Stacie Jaxx, but these actors can be anyone."

Rock of Ages will run March 24, 2022 through May 1, 2022. The Alhambra Theatre & Dining is located at 12000 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Alhambra tickets start at just $48 and include a three-course meal that changes for each show, a Broadway-style performance and complimentary parking. Tickets can be purchases online at www.alhambrajax.com or by calling 904.641.1212.

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