‘The Heart of Rock and Roll’: Jukebox hero

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: Corey Cott & McKenzie Kurtz. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL
An original stage musical inspired by the songs of Huey Lewis and the News
Book by Jonathan A. Abrams
Story by Tyler Mitchell & Jonathan A. Abrams
Music supervised, arranged & orchestrated by Brian Usifer
Choreography by Lorin Latarro
Directed by Gordon Greenberg
The James Earl Jones Theatre
138 West 48^th Street
https://heartofrocknrollbway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Jukebox musicals are a gamble. When they actually use the songs of an artist to tell a biographical story, as in Tina or Jersey Boys, they can be amazing musicals. Using the songs of an established pop or rock artist to weave through a narrative that has nothing to do with the artist or his or her story can be risky and tricky. However, sometimes Broadway surprises us with this type of jukebox musical—one that actually works. The Heart of Rock and Roll, “inspired” by the songbook of Huey Lewis and the News, is this type of rare exception. It works in so many ways, from the seamless replication of “golden oldie” Huey Lewis songs from the 1980s to the great performances, nostalgic set and costumes to the colorful, lively choreography.

Set in a Midwest factory in 1987, the story focuses on Bobby (Corey Cott), a factory worker at a cardboard plant who has a rock band called The Loop on the side. He is trying to move up in the company. He tries to break out into corporate sales without the approval of owner Mr. Stone (John Dossett) but ends up getting fired. Mr. Stone’s daughter Cassandra (McKenzie Kurtz) likes Bobby and she tries to get his job back.

Bobby follows Cassandra and his pal and HR director Roz (Tamika Lawrence) to a big meeting in Chicago and attempts to get his job back by obtaining the account of eccentric Swedish furniture store mogul Fjord (Orville Mendoza). Meanwhile, Cassandra’s preppy ex-boyfriend Tucker (Billy Harrigan Tighe) is trying to win her back, and Bobby realizes he wants to go back to his band.

The plot is light and silly, but there is nothing wrong with that for a show that simply exists to entertain. Bobby wants his band to make it big, and Cassandra has designs on becoming the CEO of her father’s company. The real star of the show is, of course, the music, and there are plenty of great opportunities for the cast to sing such Huey Lewis classics as “Hip to Be Square,” “Workin’ for a Livin’,” “Do You Believe in Love?,” “I Want a New Drug,” and many more.

One of the show’s strongest assets is Lorin Latarro’s energetic, visually appealing and complex choreography. Ms. Latarro uses props brilliantly, from having dancers portraying employees sliding on cardboard sheets to one production number in which the cast jumps on Bubble Wrap, and this brings down the house with thunderous applause. Ms. Latarro demonstrates here that she is fast becoming one of Broadway’s most innovative choreographers, right up there in the modern Broadway pantheon with such superb contemporaries as Jerry Mitchell,  Jennifer Weber and Casey Nicholaw.

Director Gordon Greenberg gets great performances from the cast. Corey Cott is the perfect leading man and “jukebox hero” for this show, and his take on Bobby has the audience rooting for him at all times. McKenzie Kurtz is equally endearing as Cassandra, and she is in fine voice here. Also worth noting is the spunky Tamika Lawrence, and her portrayal of no-nonsense Roz is outstanding. Ms. Lawrence has great comic timing and gets many laughs from her delivery of some of the show’s best lines. The Heart of Rock and Roll beats with vivacious life and is one of the nicest surprises of the spring 2024 season.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 14, 2024
Reviewed at May 2, 2024 press  performance

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: (center, left to right) Billy Harrigan Tighe, McKenzie Kurtz & Zoe Jensen. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: Corey Cott. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: Corey Cott, Raymond J. Lee, John-Michael Lyles & F. Michael Haynie. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL’: John Dossett & McKenzie Kurtz. Photo: Matthew Murphy.