Chris Hardwick as Stacee Jaxx and the cast of "Rock of Ages -- The Musical" sport the look to back up the anthemic rockers of the '80s that drive the new "jukebox" musical.

For us it all started with Journey," says Matt Weaver.

Not a journey, mind you, but the "Don't Stop Believin' " Journey.

"We thought, this song is so theatrical, it's not far from songs you might hear on Broadway," says Weaver, co-producer of "Rock of Ages -- The Musical," an ode to fist-pumping '80s rock that's getting a trial run at the Flamingo through May 20.

The new musical enjoyed a 25-day run in Hollywood, but "we designed the show for Vegas," says co-producer Carl Levin. "We've had tunnel vision about Vegas from the start."

And why not? Along with its common-man tastes and revolving tourist count, the city was the only one in the U.S. to host "We Will Rock You." The Queen musical showed how easily "You're My Best Friend" could transform into show-tuney love song.

Being a Queen musical, however, meant that not everyone knew "Seven Seas of Rhye" as well as they did the title song. "Rock of Ages" isn't exclusive to one group, and the song list sounds like a typical FM drive-time shift of the era: Everything from REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" to Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again."

And if you forgot your disposable lighter, it's OK: Every patron is issued one at the door.

"The great thing about this music in the '80s, it was emotional, it wore its heart on its sleeve and it was really fun," Weaver says. "That's why we looked at that music and said it's perfect for theater."

Weaver and business partner Carl Levin usually pitch motion picture and TV ideas through their Los Angeles-based Prospect Pictures. When one of their ideas for an '80s movie musical called "Time After Time" was optioned by Universal, the two decided they should get an '80s show onstage before someone else beat them to it.

While "Rock" didn't beat "The Wedding Singer" to Broadway -- where that show just opened -- Weaver says a big difference is, "We do not make fun of the '80s, not at all. I guarantee you'll see no Rubik's Cube and no parachute pants."

Instead, he says, "We're celebrating the '80s and we're putting this music on a pedestal. ... Do you know how proud I am that I got Whitesnake into a musical?" Many of the performers and songwriters of the day, from Bon Jovi to Poison, signed over song rights.

And the star of the Flamingo test run is none other than Jack Blades of Night Ranger, who gets to sing his own "Sister Christian" in the show. "I went to the play twice and I liked it so much I'm in it now," says Blades.

The play's fast track to Vegas is explained by a series of calls and recommendations. Blades was initially skeptical and opted to send his son to the first workshop reading of the musical. When his son came back with a thumb's up, Blades granted song rights and checked out the fully produced version himself.

The first time, he want with his Damn Yankees bandmate (and longtime Styx guitarist) Tommy Shaw. "We were completely blown away by it," he says. The second time, he took Journey guitarist Neal Schon.

The two of them called Don Marrandino, whom Harrah's Entertainment had tapped to run Harrah's Las Vegas and the Flamingo, with an eye toward giving the Flamingo a makeover to draw a younger demographic.

"They were calling me up, 'Man, you gotta see this,' " Marrandino says. "I would never go to a (conventional) musical," but this one "just knocked me out."

If the show returns for a permanent run, Marrandiono pictures rotating headliners such as Shaw or Las Vegas-based Quiet Riot frontman Kevin DuBrow.

Blades plays the owner of a Sunset Strip rock club that's in danger of being taken over by a German conglomerate. Kyle Gass, Jack Black's partner in Tenacious D, first played the role in Hollywood.

In their fight to save the music and their club, the musical's theme emerges: "The dreams you come to Hollywood looking for are not necessarily the dreams you wind up with," Weaver says.

Blades says it helps to be surrounded by theater professionals for his first attempt at acting beyond a music video. "I'm OK with being up onstage, because I've done that my entire adult life," he says. "Memorizing lines, maybe it comes a little bit easier because I memorize lyrics. But it's still a lot to think about."

"I'm enough of a rock 'n' roller that I do not want to suck," he adds with a laugh. He's also enough of a rocker that he hasn't considered the ramifications of what would happen if the show does dig in for a long run, and he signed on to perform right across the street from Celine Dion.

"That's a horrifying thought."