Dude Just Really Likes Rock of Ages, Drops $25,000 to See It 500 Times

We all have that favorite movie or show we’ve seen countless times (unless you’re one of those types with self control who doesn’t overwatch a favorite film so as to savor it more). I don’t think I could tell you how many times I watched A Shot in the Dark or any of the Pink Panther films between the ages of 8 and 16. So I understand that type of obsession, but I’m not sure I understand how a dude could drop $25,000 to see the same show over and over again.

On July 1, 2009, Abe Calimag saw Rock of Ages on Broadway for the first time. And he was hooked. Calimag went on to see the show in a whole lot of different states, six different countries—he went to Australia and saw it 12 times there—even on cruise ships. I didn’t even know they did such huge productions on cruise ships. Anyway, Calimag has seen the show 500 times. The same show. A jukebox musical. Rock of Ages. Over and over and over again.

And why that show in particular? What is it about Rock of Ages, the musical that features lots of hair and 80s glam rock? He tells New York Post, “It’s the way they took the songs and shaped the story and conveyed the emotion…That’s different from anything else I’d seen before.”

Along the way, he’s made friends with other hard-core fans, and even some cast members he’s seen on tour. And no, he insists, they don’t think he’s a stalker: “Seeing a familiar face in the audience gives [them] a little bit of a boost,” he contends. “They know someone was there who cared enough to see them.”

“People hear a number and think, ‘You’re nuts! You can buy a car for that!’ ” he says. “People have seen Bon Jovi concerts a hundred times — it’s what they enjoy. This is what I enjoy.”

Honestly, a lot of people don’t ever find that type of joy in their lives, so I am glad he’s killing it and found something on which he is willing to drop $25K or half a night at a strip club with Drake (though now I really wish it was Drake who saw Rock of Ages 500 times).

And really, why even question people who really, really enjoy glam rock? They’re their own animal (-print cutoff vests). If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in my life, it’s that you should never ask someone who likes Styx why they like Styx. You will never get the answer you think you want—you will never understand.