Do It Today: Rock of Ages, Beauty and the Beast and more

Two very different Broadway shows take over big venue stages tonight — and both can be seen tonight through Sat., Jan. 23.

First, experience the hair, nostalgia and bad fashion of Rock of Ages at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The arena-rock extravaganza is a five-time Tony Award nominee with songs from Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Journey, Poison, Styx, Night Ranger and Whitesnake.

The musical stars Constantine Maroulis of American Idol fame, reprising his role as Drew in the show that features such classics as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” “I Wanna Know What Love Is,” “Here I Go Again” and others.

To those of you who remember those tunes from your youth — yes, you’re officially old. $42-$62. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. 727-791-7400.

The story that makes little girls swoon (and their mommies go a little apeshit, too): the stage adaptation of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast hits Tampa’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts and features the animated film’s Academy Award-winning score. 7:30 p.m. Tues., Wed., Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri., 2 and 8 p.m. Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sun. Ticket prices start at $38.50. Jan. 18-23, 1111 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa, 813-229-7827.

This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2011.