Alley Theatre: Rock ‘n’ Roll

Tom Stoppard is known for his erudite and difficult scripts that make audiences feel like geniuses when they get his references to everything from the Greeks to Russian history. His newest project, Rock ‘n’ Roll, just opened this week at the Alley Theatre. The story focuses on Jan, a Czech-born student studying at Cambridge. He leaves England for Prague when Russian tanks roll into his country in 1968, taking his rock and roll records home with him. In true Stoppard fashion, the play shifts back and forth across time, moving from the late ‘60s to the early ‘90s, as questions about politics and love get woven around some great music, including Czech rock. Ben Brantley of The New York Timesclaims to have been in “unconditional thrall” with the show when he first saw it. Anyone who loves chewing over Stoppard’s big ideas should not miss this one. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays. Through May 24. Alley Theatre, 615 Texas. For information, call 713-220-5700 or visit www.alleytheatre.org. $21 to $50.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: April 29. Continues through May 24, 2009