Rock Of Ages Musical

THEY'D never set eyes on each other before that first-date meeting at a coffeehouse on Sunset. Soon they were out in the parking lot, going at it in a car seat to the throbbing sound of familiar hard-rock tunes from the 1980s -- songs known for their high doses of hormonally drenched hedonism, low intelligence quotients and infinitesimal credibility among rock critics. Now Kristin Hanggi and Chris D'Arienzo are coming back to Hollywood to bring to term the baby they conceived that day.

Nostalgia for the '80s won't go away, even if those of us who came of age back then would like to suppress some of the memories. Musically, it was the era of schmaltzy rock anthems (remember Styx?) and guitar tantrums by rowdy suburban white boys. Fashion-wise, it was borderline traumatic. (Don't make us pull out our yearbooks.) Still, you've got to hand it to a decade that considered guys with painted-on jeans, heavily appliqued belts and fried Farrah Fawcett hair butch.

The Hollywood scene of 1986 is the setting for "Rock of Ages," a new stage musical that will feature such period-appropriate music as Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again," Poison's "Nothin' but a Good Time," Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." The show, written by Chris D'Arienzo and directed by Kristin Hanggi, is about a young woman who comes to L.A. to pursue her dream. It will play the Vanguard Theatre in Hollywood Jan. 26 through Feb.

THEY'D never set eyes on each other before that first-date meeting at a coffeehouse on Sunset. Soon they were out in the parking lot, going at it in a car seat to the throbbing sound of familiar hard-rock tunes from the 1980s -- songs known for their high doses of hormonally drenched hedonism, low intelligence quotients and infinitesimal credibility among rock critics. Now Kristin Hanggi and Chris D'Arienzo are coming back to Hollywood to bring to term the baby they conceived that day.

Nostalgia for the '80s won't go away, even if those of us who came of age back then would like to suppress some of the memories. Musically, it was the era of schmaltzy rock anthems (remember Styx?) and guitar tantrums by rowdy suburban white boys. Fashion-wise, it was borderline traumatic. (Don't make us pull out our yearbooks.) Still, you've got to hand it to a decade that considered guys with painted-on jeans, heavily appliqued belts and fried Farrah Fawcett hair butch.

Bret Michaels and organizers of the Tonys have settled a lawsuit that the Poison frontman had filed after he was hit by a piece of scenery during the 2009 award show. After performing "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of "Rock of Ages," the rocker/reality-TV star was knocked to the ground by an enormous descending set piece as he was exiting the stage. Michaels sustained several injuries -- including a busted lip and a fractured nose -- and 10 months later he was almost killed by a brain hemorrhage he said was related to the accident, according to the suit.

Universal Pictures' troubled big-budget film "47 Ronin," starring Keanu Reeves, has been delayed for a second time. It is now scheduled to come out on Dec. 25, 2013. Originally set for Nov. 21 of this year, "Ronin" in April was pushed to Feb. 8, 2013, to allow time for reshoots and work on its extensive 3-D visual effects, which have not yet begun. The movie, which stars Reeves along with an all-Japanese cast, is a retelling of the classic myth of a group of samurai that avenge the death of their master.

"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" will be at the top of the box-office food chain for the second consecutive weekend, beating out two new star-studded arrivals. DreamWorks Animation's 3-D sequel is expected to gross at least $30 million this weekend, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys. That would bring the picture's worldwide total to well over $200 million after just 10 days in release. Last weekend's runner-up, "Prometheus," will probably end up in the same position again, though it could find itself in a tight race with newcomer "Rock of Ages.

The page was barely refreshed on the Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes divorce filing when the quips started flying.  (Our colleague Ben Fritz on Twitter: “Somebody  make a joke about Katie having seen 'Rock of Ages.'”) But all the snark did highlight a more substantive question: How does this play into Cruise's up-and-down career? The actor - who, jeepers, becomes eligible for AARP next week - had resurrected his image after his “Tropic Thunder” cameo four years ago. He then parlayed that rising stock into leading roles and box-office success, namely with the blockbuster “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol” last Christmas.

The Hollywood scene of 1986 is the setting for "Rock of Ages," a new stage musical that will feature such period-appropriate music as Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again," Poison's "Nothin' but a Good Time," Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." The show, written by Chris D'Arienzo and directed by Kristin Hanggi, is about a young woman who comes to L.A. to pursue her dream. It will play the Vanguard Theatre in Hollywood Jan. 26 through Feb.