Stephenson is stepping in for Paul Schoeffler in the role of Hertz. Schoeffler is currently on leave to play Lawrence in the Walnut Street Theatre's production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and will return to the Rock cast Oct. 26.
Don Stephenson has also been seen on Broadway in Dracula, By Jeeves, Titanic, Private Lives, Parade, Wonderful Town and Pardon My English.
Rock of Ages premiered on Broadway March 17 and officially opened April 7 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Kristin Hanggi directs the Tony-nominated production that was penned by Chris D'Arienzo and features choreography by Kelly Devine and music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.
The Rock cast also features Constantine Maroulis as Drew, James Carpinello (Saturday Night Fever, VH1's "So NoTORIous") as Stacee Jaxx, Savannah Wise (Les Miserables) as Sherrie, Mitch Jarvis (Fiddler on the Roof) as Lonny and Wesley Taylor (Addams Family) as Franz.
The company includes Adam Dannheisser (The Coast of Utopia, Twelfth Night), Michele Mais (Roza), Lauren Molina (Sweeney Todd), Ericka Hunter (Flower Drum Song, 42nd Street), Jeremy Jordan (Little Dog Laughed tour), Michael Minarik (Les Miserables), Angel Reed (Saturday Night Fever tour), Bahiyah Sayyed-Gaines (Pal Joey, The Color Purple), Katherine Tokarz (White Christmas, A Chorus Line), Andre Ward (Xanadu, The Producers), Tad Wilson (The Full Monty) and Jeremy Woodard (Glory Days). The onstage band, ARSENAL, comprises music director/keyboardist Henry Aronson, lead guitarist Joel Hoekstra, drummer Jon Weber, bassist Winston Roye and guitar player David Gibbs, who also wrote the original arrangements.
"In 1987 on the Sunset Strip," Rock of Ages production notes state, "a small town girl met a big city rocker and in L.A.'s most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the '80s. . . . [The musical is] an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and many more."
The Brooks Atkinson Theatre is located in Manhattan at 256 West 47th Street. For tickets call (212) 307-4100 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
