About the Show

Features iconic songs and Vietnam War-era stories in a concert-theatre hybrid.

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the era’s defining protest movement, this production blends documentary-style storytelling with musical performance to chronicle the emotional and political impact of a generation-defining conflict. Through the voices of young soldiers and their families, the show explores themes of duty, dissent, and the personal cost of war, offering an intimate portrait of lives shaped by extraordinary circumstances.

This hybrid theatre experience integrates live performance with iconic tracks from the 1960s and 70s, including “Gimme Shelter,” “Born to Be Wild,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” These songs—many of which were shaped by or responded to the war—serve as both soundtrack and commentary, heightening the emotional resonance of the stories portrayed. The narrative draws from real-life accounts, evoking the draft, the battlefield, civil rights struggles, and the complexities of returning home.

Critic Reviews (11)

"But though there is technically a book, the scenes come and go, devoid of drama and nuance and flanked by unmemorable video graphics."
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"On its face, 'Rolling Thunder'...resembles a jukebox musical, but Hallett’s book lacks a plot strong enough to ditch the feeling that this would have been better off as a straight-up rock concert."
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"The creators...haven't found the meaningful link between songs and story that would make it into a wrenching memorial for a generation lost in a national misadventure. It's born to be mild."
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"It may technically be a jukebox musical, but 'Rolling Thunder' is anything but a feel-good show."
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"Rolling Thunder" manages to find a fresh way to bring the Vietnam War era to life
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“Rolling Thunder” fails to honor both the musical genre and the historical significance of what it was trying to portray to the audience. The musical was disrespectful of the Vietnam era and those who lost their lives on both sides of the conflict.
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This dynamically performed Vietnam War-era jukebox music musical is saddled with a clunky book.
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‘Rolling Thunder’ is a curious exercise in boomer nostalgia — a jarring blend of jukebox musical and tribute-band concert that evokes the Vietnam era in story, images, and song and shares many of its contradictions.
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