When Tony and Courtney LePage put out audition notices for Rogue Productions’ debut stage musical, Rock of Ages, they weren’t sure what to expect–but they were pleasantly surprised.
“The amount of people that showed up, that brought their talent, their skills; it was overwhelming,” said Tony LePage. “It was a really magical experience for everyone and we were excited to involve many local people.”
Born and raised in Fredericton, LePage discovered a love for musical theatre in high school. He went on to pursue a 25-year professional acting career and moved to New York City in 2011, during which he performed in Rock of Ages on Broadway for five years.
Rock of Ages played at the Fredericton Playhouse from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9 in a nearly sold-out, widely acclaimed run.
LePage explained that Rogue Productions was a lifelong dream of his, to give back to the Fredericton theatre community for giving him his start.
With his previous experience, as well as Courtney LePage having cast the national tour and played Sherrie in the first Norwegian Cruise Lines production, it was an easy decision for Rock of Ages to be the official debut for Rogue Productions.
“It’s a joy-bringer show. Anybody who’s doing it, it brings them joy. Anybody who sees it, it brings them joy. It’s so much fun,” said Tony LePage.
Other cast members, such as Gabrielle Campbell, who played Sherrie, echoed this joy.
“I have really learned and got under my belt how to develop a character, which is not a skill that I had before I came to STU whatsoever … verbing and all the little acting techniques that [Fine Arts Professor] Tania Breen teaches you that [seem] tedious have just now become second nature to me and that helped me so much going into such a quick process like this.”
Dylan Wightman is another STU musical theatre student who took part in Rock of Ages. Having done theatre for two years, she was encouraged by the LePage’s to audition.
When speaking on her experience playing the meta-ensemble character “Waitress #1”, Wightman said, “It was so much fun. Courtney and Tony were really good at making sure everyone was accommodated really well.”
Wightman also noted her appreciation for the kind and welcoming nature of the cast as a whole.
“Everybody made a big effort to make sure that everybody felt as much a part of the cast as anybody else, which I really liked.”
When asked about the personal importance of the show to her, Wightman said, “Rock of Ages being my first professional show really helped with my confidence. Starting theatre, I was very shy and in my own space and I didn’t want to be the centre of attention, but I liked having a small part.”
Isaac Gilbert, also studying musical theatre at STU, was cast as an ensemble member for the show.
Gilbert discovered Rogue Productions when Tony and Courtney LePage held auditions for a previous production Sweet Dreams. Though he was not cast, the LePage’s remembered his audition and contacted him later to express interest in him taking part in Broadway by the Sea. It was during the Broadway by the Sea rehearsal process that he was asked to audition for Rock of Ages.
“Rock of Ages is very big, it’s boisterous, it’s silly, it’s raunchy; there’s a lot of different elements that go into it … and I think that because of that, as a result, our cast got very close very quickly,” he said.
Gilbert commended Rogue Productions for filling the void of professional musicals in Fredericton when Collective Theatrics stopped running.
“Rock of Ages was actually the first professional musical that has happened at the Fredericton Playhouse since the pandemic.”
When asked what advice he would give to young aspiring performers, Tony LePage expressed the importance of hard work and kindness, but also of connecting with the world outside of theatre.
“The most interesting character you’ll ever play is yourself, so why not experience a lot of life to make yourself the most interesting person possible?”
