Actors Corey Cott and McKenzie Kurtz star in “The Heart of Rock and Roll” on Broadway. This new musical pays homage to the music of Huey Lewis and the News.
Aside from the two leads, the cast features Josh Breckenridge, F. Michael Haynie, Zoe Jensen, Tamika Lawrence, Raymond J. Lee, John-Michael Lyles, Orville Mendoza, Billy Harrigan Tighe and John Dossett. It is being performed at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York.
This musical has a book by Jonathan A. Abrams and its musical scores features the popular Huey Lewis hit singles “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “Hip to be Square,” “Power of Love,” “Do You Believe in Love?,” “If This Is It,” “Doing It All for My Baby,” “Stuck with You,” “I Want a New Drug,” “It’s Alright,” and “Heart and Soul.”
In “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” Bobby (played by Corey Cott) is a Chicagoan whose failed band leads to him returning to corporate America.
While working, Bobby meets his boss, Cassandra (McKenzie Kurtz), who has also traded in her personal life for a professional career in business.
Together, the two realize their dreams when Bobby gets another shot at stardom and Cassandra is up for the CEO job (from her father played by John Dossett).
Corey Cott and McKenzie Kurtz have good chemistry together, and some of the musical numbers are downright witty and hilarious. Tamika Lawrence is a revelation as Roz.
The Verdict
Overall, “The Heart of Rock and Roll” is a feel-good, sweet, and fun show, filled with much levity.
Corey Cott is charming as Bobby while McKenzie Kurtz is effervescent as Cassandra. In fact, the entire cast does the musical catalog of Huey Lewis justice.
It is the ideal show to watch on a day that one is going to see two shows on Broadway (matinee and evening), where one show is on more a serious topic while the other is a lighthearted one (“The Heart of Rock and Roll” would fulfill the latter). This musical garners four out of five stars. Well done.
