BWW Interviews: SHANNON MULLEN of ROCK OF AGES Answers Our Silly Query

Now back in Los Angeles where it all began, the five-time Tony Award nominated 80's musical ROCK OF AGES is once again rockin' the stage of the Pantages Theatre for a strictly limited one-week engagement through March 25.

The smash musical comedy hit—which will soon open as a major motion picture adaptation starring Alec Baldwin, Mary J. Blige, and Tom Cruise later this summer—shoves audiences back to L.A.'s famed Sunset Strip, circa 1987, surrounded by monster hits by the likes of Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many others.

At the heart of this show's hilarious plot is the blossoming love story between a shy dreamer named Drew (Dominique Scott) and a newly-arrived acting ingenue named Sherrie (Shannon Mullen).

Prior to playing "just a small town girl, living in a lonely world," Mullen previously whipped Delta Nu gals into shape as Brooke Wyndham in the National Tour of LEGALLY BLONDE. Now, not only is she whipping L.A. audiences into a frenzy, she also has to put up with answering a series of silly, rapid-fire questions from BroadwayWorld.

Subject: Shannon Mullen
Hometown: Rochester, NY

What's your favorite 80's "hair band" ?

Bon Jovi

Are you on Team Debbie Gibson or Team Tiffany?

Team Madonna...Duh!

What is your must-do, pre-show ritual?

EVERYBODY gets a hug. And I always remind myself of the phone call telling me I got this part as I look at my Slurpee®. It keeps me grateful and grounded.

In one word, describe what goes through your head right before you step out on stage:

Fearless.

What's your favorite musical show and/or cast album of all time?

Brooklyn The Musical. Battle of the belters!

What's the song that you like belting in the shower or when you're all alone in the car?

Anything Whitney Houston or Celine Dion…..or any kind of Motown.

What scares you the most?

I'm in my underwear on stage every night in front of close to 2,000 people... At this point nothing really scares me thanks to this show!

What is your one guilty pleasure?

Jersey Shore.

What do you like to do on your day off?

Yoga. Sleep.

What or who irritates you the most?

Excuses.

What instantly puts a smile on your face?

Catching a glimpse of an audience member enjoying the show. And my family.

Name a dream role in another show you'd like to play someday…

Reno Sweeney in ANYTHING GOES. Or Kate in THE WILD PARTY.

If you could trade lives with someone for one day, who would that person be and why?

Kate from Lost... because I need a vacation on an island.

If you weren't an actor, what other career do you see yourself doing?

Anything fitness-oriented.

Describe the most embarrassing moment that's happened to you during a show/the tour?

MY WIG FELL OFF during "Here I Go, Again." I'm not talking just "slid a little bit, so you could partially see my wig cap"….I'm talkin'... I did that dance with my wig IN. MY. HAND.

And lastly, what has been your absolute favorite moment of the tour so far?

Too many to choose from. It continues to get better and better!

Follow West Coast Editor Michael Lawrence Quintos on Twitter: @cre8iveMLQ

Photo of Shannon Mullen from the Second National Tour of ROCK OF AGES by Scott Suchman.

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Performances of the 2nd National Tour of ROCK OF AGES at the Pantages Theatre continue through March 25, 2012 and are scheduled Tuesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 1pm and 6:30pm.

Ticket prices start at $25 and can be purchased online at www.BroadwayLA.org, by phone at 1-800-982-ARTS(2787) or in person at the Pantages box office (opens daily at 10am) and all Ticketmaster outlets.

The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Vine Street.

For more information, please visit www.BroadwayLA.org.

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