The Heart of Rock & Roll, the new musical inspired by the music of Huey Lewis and the News, ends its West Coast run October 21. Directed by Gordon Greenburg (Holiday Inn), the show opened September 17 at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California. The musical features Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon, Spring Awakening) and Katie Rose Clarke (Miss Saigon) in the leading roles.
The Heart of Rock & Roll follows Bobby (Doyle), a Chicagoan whose failed band leads to him returning to corporate America. While working, he meets his boss, Cassandra (Clarke), who has also traded in her personal life for a professional one. Together, the two realize their dreams when Bobby gets another shot at stardom and Cassandra is up for the CEO job. And, of course, there’s a little bit of love mixed in.
Written by Jonathan Abrams (book) with a story by Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan Abrams and orchestral arrangements by Brian Usifer (Frozen, Kinky Boots), The Heart of Rock and Roll was awarded the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.
The rest of the cast includes Paige Faure, John Dossett, Patrice Covington, F. Michael Haynie, Billy Harrigan Tighe, and Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Orville Mendoza, and Zachary Noah Piser. The creative team features Lorin Lataro (choreography), Derek McLane (scenic design), Paloma Young(costume design) and Howell Binkley (lighting design).