The five-time Tony Award-nominated show "Rock of Ages" will come to the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St., at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7.
"Rock of Ages" is a love story set in the 1980s and includes music from Journey, Pate Benatar, Styx and Night Ranger, just to name a few.
Lead character Drew, is played by Dominique Scott, a 23-year-old originally from South Florida. Scott began his journey into the performing arts by attending a New World School of the Arts, and eventually earned a degree in music theatre with a minor in jazz piano and a concentration in directing from Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
Article Photos
PHOTO PROVIDED
“Rock of Ages,” a love story set in the 1980s will come to the Community Arts Center Sept. 7. It includes music from Journey, Pate Benatar, Styx and Night Ranger, just to name a few. Lead character Drew, is played by Dominique Scott, a 23-year-old originally from South Florida. For his audition for the show, Scott initially did not get the part, but that did not stop him from pursuing his dreams.
"Nobody in their right mind would choose this career - it chooses you," Scott said of the performing arts. Before he earned the role of Drew, Scott was waiting tables, along with attending hundreds of auditions and performing with his band, Domin8trx.
"I would get up so early and wait in line for over 100 auditions. I booked smaller things here and there," Scott said.
But he persevered, sometimes waiting five hours in line just to possibly have a chance at being seen.
For his audition for "Rock of Ages," Scott initially did not get the part.
"I walked in and something went wrong with the piano. I just felt like I wasn't represented well in the audition, I didn't even get a call-back," he said.
But that did not stop him from pursuing his dreams.
"I knew I was perfect. I'm 23, I want to be a rockstar. Just like Drew. I knew exactly what I was doing," Scott said. From there, he made a video audition and sent it in.
"It's one thing to get cut. It's another thing to say, 'Screw this, I'm gonna do it.' "
Since then, Scott has been performing eight times a week for more than a year as lead character Drew. Scott credits his motivation as the reason he is where he is today.
"The motivation separates the successful from those who are not. You have to believe in yourself. That's the No. 1 thing you have. You have to be proud, no matter how many rejections. You keep going. You do your thing," he said.
Scott finds "Rock of Ages" to be so popular because of its high energy and relatability and compares it to the movie, "Rock of Ages," that recently came out in movie theaters with a cast that featured Tom Cruise.
"The difference between the two is the play is really charming. The character of the narrator is bigger in the show than in the movie. He spends the whole time guiding the audience. It's not just that you're watching, it's more interactive. And I think that helps lot. The fact that this show is so buzzed with energy is great too," Scott said. "If I could describe this show in one word, it would be energy, a big ball of energy. It embodies the spirit of rock music in the'80s; the big hair, the costumes, you whip around and jump around. I think people on every level can relate."
Rock of Ages includes music from the '80s that everyone knows, but Scott said his favorite song to perform is "Don't Stop Believing."
"The show is built around that song. It's the point where Drew finally gets what he wants with Sherry, and the hero wins. I think the message in that is exactly what I had to go through to get this role. Don't stop believing in yourself, in everything, business, career, life. Everyone always responds to that song," he said. "Don't ever give up on yourself, the most important person in your life."
Scott said audiences get so enthralled in the musical that they enjoy themselves more than they are supposed to sometimes. During a performance in New York at the end of the show, Scott said everyone in the room was standing up, rushing the stage.
"I said, 'Thank you!' and walked backwards and I bumped into people who weren't part of the show. They had gotten up on stage and were just having the time of their lives," he said. "Although we don't encourage that, I would be lying to you if that wasn't one of the happiest moments I've ever had on stage."
Besides playing Drew, Scott and his band, Domin8trx, recently released their first album, "Carousel."
For more information on Scott, visit www.domscott.com.
Tickets range from $37.50 to $55 and are available at the CAC box office at 326-2424 or at CAClive.com.
