ROLLING THUNDER Reviews

[1 Minute Critic]

Posted: 7/24/25 at 8:16pm

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’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. Full Review (in a minute!) here

Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.
 

[Crusty Bagel]

Posted: 7/27/25 at 5:06am

I’m hearing good things

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/6/25 at 9:53pm

Saw this tonight. I swear I’ve seen this exact show half a dozen times over the past 25 years. I seem to remember these things popping up every couple years from 2000 - 2010 off and off-off Broadway. Absolutely zero plot besides the absolute thinnest of story line (i have to go to war and i got a girl at home - hope i survive!) and songs that, while all sound fantastic, make mostly no sense in any narrative sense. 

The audience of mostly boomers was in their element though, dancing in their seats and having the time of their lives. Again, everyone sounded fantastic and the lighting design was very impressive for this but as a whole, it just amounts to pretty much nothing in the end. But speaking of the end, I will say the way it ended was very touching.  Plus, they saluted veterans in the audience at the curtain call which was very nice and you could see meant a lot to them.  But I spent a little while almost zoned out looking at the cast of six and imaging which 2004 era musical theater people I would have seen in those roles. 

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 9/6/25 at 11:03pm

I didn’t like it at all, stupid show and the song choices were pretty bizarre.  Born to be wild as they are going to war and killing me softly after one of the guys dies.  Some of these musicals I’ve seen at NWS are just beyond words it’s like a high schooler wrote it.  Although I did like Sogn of the times, that was pretty cute.