Director Jonathan Sangster and Amber St. James turn up the volume on San Diego Musical Theatre’s Rock of Ages.
by brad hart
San Diego Musical Theatre is bringing the big hair and bigger dreams back to the stage with Rock of Ages, complete with enough ’80s rock anthems packed in to blow the roof off the theatre. Set to music from Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Whitesnake and more, this jukebox musical returns to the Sunset Strip to tell a story about dreamers, rockers, and a community fighting to hold onto the place they call home.
But according to director Jonathan Sangster, there’s more going on beneath all that hair, humor, and head banging than most people expect. And for San Diego drag performer and community activist Amber St. James, taking on the role of Justice is something new entirely — it’s her first time in a traditional musical theatre production.
The RAGE Monthly sat down with both of them to talk about what it takes to bring Rock of Ages to life, how they found the heart hiding inside all those power ballads, and why this over-the-top throwback to the ’80s might be saying more about 2026 than you’d guess at first glance.
BEHIND THE ROCK
Director Jonathan Sangster finds the heart beneath the hair, humor and power ballads.
You’ve spent plenty of time onstage yourself, including the national tour of The Book of Mormon. How does your experience as an actor influence the way you direct a cast?
This is such a great question. I think my experience as an actor reminds my director brain that every actor works differently, and that has to be taken into account when approaching material with a cast. I don’t direct every actor the same because actors respond to ways of receiving direction, receiving notes and taking on information differently than the actor next to them.
I also think reminding myself, and everyone in the room, that we are human beings first and creatives/artists second. We are not machines, and everyone needs to be treated as a human above anything else. No AI in live theatre, baby!
The show is packed with ’80s rock anthems from Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx and Whitesnake. Which number has been the most fun to bring to life onstage?
Hands down, it has to be “Hate Myself for Loving You/Heat of the Moment.” When people think of Rock of Ages, and even ’80s rock in general, we often picture these male-dominated bands, but my favorites have to be the women like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Ann Wilson from Heart and Tina Turner. It’s a crime there’s no Tina song in Rock of Ages!
As soon as I knew I was directing this production, I wanted to make sure I found a way to highlight the strength of the women in the story, and “Hate Myself for Loving You/Heat of the Moment” is my chef’s kiss for that desire.
Beneath the big hair and power ballads, Rock of Ages is also about chasing dreams and fighting to preserve a place where people feel they belong. What part of that story feels especially relevant today?
I found myself realizing more and more how relevant Rock of Ages still is right now. Of course, it’s a story about chasing one’s dreams, the challenges that come with doing so, the love and heartbreak that often accompany it, and how, throughout the journey, dreams can change, and how a dream changed is okay.
But it’s also a story about a community fighting for their safe spaces. At a time right now where we see our government trying to take away artists’ spaces, regulate what is considered art for their own personal agendas and even see them try to slap their name on the side of a building that never belonged to them, the fight for self-expression, our history and our spaces to feel safe to gather feels more important than ever.
When our local San Diego government threatened to cut funding for arts/culture, there was a very real concern that we would not be able to produce Rock of Ages due to lack of funding. San Diego Musical Theatre started a campaign to raise the funds, and our community showed up with a rally-to-rock mentality. This team, this theatre, this cast fought to bring this show to life, and there’s nothing more rock and roll than that!
Did you grow up listening to ’80s rock, or did directing Rock of Ages turn you into a fan?
Growing up as a kid in the ’90s, listening to ’80s rock was a constant! And the ’80s being the golden age of the power ballad, it definitely has had an influence on the types of songs I still gravitate toward when listening to or writing today.
Every director leaves a personal fingerprint on a show. What will make this production distinctly Jonathan Sangster’s Rock of Ages?
Well, the obvious physical distinction is that I love a silhouette! But a more overall fingerprint is that I always try to find the honesty and the heart of every story being told on the stage.
I personally think when the material is approached by understanding that these characters are living beings put in heightened situations, it brings a sense of humanity to even the most absurd situation, which Rock of Ages has plenty of! So, I think people will be surprised at how moving of a story there is within all the jokes and head banging.
If you could transport the entire cast to the Sunset Strip in the late ’80s for one wild night of “research,” where would you take them first?
First and foremost, we’d have to go to Whisky a Go Go, which is actually the bar that the Bourbon Room in Rock of Ages is originally based on. It played a hugely important role in helping launch the careers of many musicians and bands and was one of the first bars/nightclubs to popularize go-go dancing! And amazingly, it still exists today. Booking a charter bus now!
What do you hope audiences are still singing, feeling or laughing about on the way home?
I hope audiences leave feeling a sense of joy, and I hope those who grew up with this music feel as though they were wrapped in a huge hug of nostalgia. The show is silly and fun, and there is surprisingly so much heart.
And with everything going on in the world today, a show like Rock of Ages is often needed to remind us that it’s okay to escape for a couple hours and find joy in the silliness.
JUSTICE TAKES THE STAGE
Amber St. James brings drag, chosen family and plenty of fabulousness to their first traditional musical.
How did the opportunity to play Justice come about, and is this your first role in a traditional musical theatre production?
Ironically, the role of Justice came into my life before I originally auditioned. The very first time they were doing auditions, I had so many people reach out to me because they saw that SDMT was doing this production and, after seeing me in Velour at La Jolla Playhouse, thought this could be an amazing opportunity for me.
At that time, my schedule unfortunately didn’t allow me time to audition, so I kind of didn’t think of it. Then months later, the Justice understudy, Dacra Marie, who I worked with up in Carlsbad for a staged reading of a show called Umoja, reached out to me personally because SDMT was remounting their search for Justice.
Funny enough, maybe not even an hour later, director Jonathan Sangster reached out to ask if I could audition, which to me felt like the universe really wanted me to audition for this part. I was in Chicago for a trans liberation conference at the time and maybe had at most a few days to memorize the sides and the song. I ended up turning in my audition at the nth hour, and within a day or so was sent an offer.
This production has been such an amazing experience, especially with this being my very first traditional musical theatre role, which in large part has been due to the community my cast has built and how they have made me feel so cared for, safe and comfortable to learn and grow.
You’re known for high-energy drag performances, activism and community organizing. How does stepping into a scripted musical compare with commanding a crowd as Amber?
I believe that a lot of the ways in which Amber commands a crowd are the roots I pull from to inform Justice. So much of who Justice is as this maternal figure who cares for the lost souls and how she helps to love and guide Sherrie are reflective of my own lived experience as a drag mother and community leader.
I feel that stepping into this role marries my reality with a rocking soundtrack.
This show celebrates big personalities, unapologetic self-expression and finding your chosen family. Is that part of what made Rock of Ages feel like a natural fit for you?
I feel like because of the very nature of my life when it comes to drag, Rock of Ages truly does feel like a seamlessly natural fit, considering so much of my own life mottos are about self-expression, chosen family and authenticity, which this show is brimming with.
What have you learned from your castmates during rehearsals, and what do you think they’ve learned from working with you?
The list is far too long for the lifelong lessons this cast has taught me, both intentionally and unintentionally through their friendship, guidance and words of wisdom and encouragement.
I think that the most impactful lesson they have taught me is that we must have grace for our bodies and meet them where they are, especially when it comes to singing.
And in terms of what I think my cast has learned from me? How to be as fabulous as you can be — and maybe also how to tongue pop.(laughs)
Which ’80s rock star would you most want to share the stage with for one night?
I would absolutely have to choose Prince because, well, hello, IT’S PRINCE. From the ways he played with expression and fashion and the iconic hits he brought us, paired with my own iconness and a few dips, death drops, jump splits and tricks, I know it would be a show for the ages that would be felt for generations.
What do you hope LGBTQ+ audience members take away from seeing you step into this role?
I hope that for both the queer community and allies, my stepping into this role shows them the impact and role that so many Black and brown trans femmes have had in caring for those lost souls in this world who are just searching for their tribe and a place to find themselves.
I hope it also encourages them and reminds them to continue to harness their power to inspire the masses.
Rock of Ages runs August 21 through September 13 on the SDMT Stage located at 4650 Mercury Street. For tickets and more information, visit sdmt.org