Should High Schools Be Doing “Rock of Ages”?

by Chris Peterson

Every few years, high school theatre finds a new show to argue about. Not because it’s bad. Not because it’s lazy. But because it makes adults uncomfortable in that familiar, circular way where concern pretends to be principle. Right now, that show is Rock of Ages.

And the question keeps getting asked (I just saw this on TikTok), sometimes loudly, sometimes with a sigh. Should high schools really be doing this show?

If we’re talking about the Broadway version, the answer is a pretty straightforward No. That version is intentionally messy, overly sexual, profane, and fueled by late-night, post-bar energy. It’s a show that thrives on excess. It’s supposed to feel a little irresponsible.

Of course, that’s the point.

But that’s also not what most high schools are actually producing.

They’re doing Rock of Ages: Youth Edition, and pretending those two things are interchangeable is where this conversation keeps going off the rails.

The Youth Edition is a version that was intentionally reworked with schools in mind. The language is cleaned up, sexual humor rewritten or removed, substance use is now implied, and characters reshaped so they still have edge without being exploitative. It keeps the spirit without keeping the mess.

And the spirit is what matters.

There’s a weird assumption baked into a lot of these arguments that teenagers don’t already understand the world this show is playing in. The Youth Edition doesn’t ask students to reenact bad adult behavior. It asks them to play loud, stylized characters: ones that live firmly inside a theatrical frame. That distinction matters, especially in an art form where pretending is literally the job.

There’s also the practical side we rarely talk about. This is a big ensemble show, a requirement for many high school musicals. It gives many students something meaningful to do besides stand there as extras. It’s a high-energy show. It demands commitment. It rewards confidence. And for many students, especially those who don’t see themselves in the same handful of “acceptable” titles recycled every year, that kind of show can be a lifeline for future thespians.

We say we want students to take creative risks, but only as long as those risks look familiar to us. We talk about preparing them for the real world, then panic when a show reflects a version of that world we’d rather smooth over. That tension shows up every time a program steps slightly outside the safest lane.

The better question isn’t whether Rock of Ages belongs in high schools. It’s whether the adults running the program are responsible enough. Did they choose the right version? Did they communicate clearly with families? Did they direct it with intention and taste? Did they understand what they were putting onstage and why?

When those answers are yes, there’s nothing reckless about it.

High school theatre doesn’t have to be bland to be responsible. It doesn’t have to be squeaky clean to be meaningful. It just has to be thoughtful.

So yes, I do think the Youth version is a show that belongs in high schools.

If we trust our students to handle Shakespeare’s violence, Sondheim’s emotional cruelty, and classic musicals built on outdated gender politics, we can trust them with a stylized, edited, and clearly framed celebration of rock-and-roll fantasy.

High school theatre shouldn’t be about eliminating risk entirely. It should be about modeling how to manage it well. And when Rock of Ages: Youth Edition is done with care, that’s exactly what it does.

That’s why I landed here: yes, this is not just a show high schools can do, but should do.