By Jude Cramer
Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War, is there anything new left to say about America’s “first televised war”? Maybe — but Rolling Thunder, a 1960s jukebox musical playing at New World Stages, isn’t concerned with breaking new ground.
Rolling Thunder is equal parts rock concert and historical fiction. Aesthetically and sonically, it’s rock ‘n’ roll to the max, with a five-piece rock band just as present on stage as the show’s six cast members. Story-wise, it focuses on Americans impacted by the Vietnam War, both military personnel and the loved ones they left behind to serve.
Rolling Thunder’s musical numbers include some of the era’s biggest rock hits. Songs like “Born To Be Wild,” “Magic Carpet Ride,” and “House of the Rising Sun” are classics for a reason, and all six cast members have the vocal chops to do them justice. (Among the performers are The Voice Season 3 winner Cassadee Pope and Hamilton alumni Deon’te Goodman and Daniel Yearwood.)
Unfortunately, the show’s non-musical moments fall short. On paper, Rolling Thunder’s premise leaves endless room for creativity. The show’s advertising tagline, “One war. A thousand stories,” sets a certain expectation, with book writer Bryce Hallett drawing from the war’s tragic and epic scope. But the familiar plot points—naive enlistees, unwilling victims of the draft, and rising tensions on American soil—fail to go beneath the surface.
Those narratives aren’t unwelcome. Frankly, a show about the Vietnam War would feel incomplete without them. But as a Gen Z audience member settling in for Rolling Thunder, I hoped to walk away knowing or feeling something more visceral and personal. Instead, I got a rehash of my high school U.S. history course, set to an admittedly headbang-worthy soundtrack.
Rolling Thunder plays Off-Broadway at New World Stages through September 7.
‘Rolling Thunder’ takeaway
If you find yourself in Weatherford, Texas (about 30 miles west of Fort Worth), the National Vietnam War Museum offers insights into the war’s impact through a permanent collection and temporary exhibits. The latest addition is Paula Slater’s large-scale outdoor sculpture, “My Faithful Warrior,” dedicated to the nearly 4,000 dogs that served alongside military personnel.
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