Review: SCHOOL OF ROCK - THE MUSICAL Schools us in Good Fun

I owe an apology to some friends. I claimed recently that SCHOOL OF ROCK the movie written by Mike White was based on SCHOOL OF ROCK THE MUSICAL but it's really the other way 'round. I'm that much of a (misinformed) theatre snob.

Not so misinformed usually, but I admit Andrew Lloyd Webber isn't generally one of my favorite composers, despite my love of EVITA and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. That's why I was all the more surprised that SCHOOL OF ROCK, as it turns out, isn't all that Webber-esque.

I didn't know this was a movie starring Jack Black, and I didn't know Webber quietly bought the rights for it, hoping to make it into a musical some day. Webber takes the original concept, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian Fellowes (yes, the Downton Abbey Julian Fellowes) and voila! Somehow with a little help from Lou Reed, Stevie Nicks and Mike White, and a few others, the whole thing comes together quite nicely. I'll leave you to imagine what these guys do to a story that was directed by Richard Linklater for film. But, suffice it to say, this is Andrew Lloyd Webber, but it's not your mother's Andrew Lloyd Webber.

SCHOOL OF ROCK is not a biography of a famous personality like EVITA or SUNSET BOULEVARD - no, it's a charming, (and fairly sanitized) tale about a misfit overgrown slacker/rocker (slocker?) who just can't give up his dream of being a rock star. When he gets fired from the mediocre rock band he was playing with and receives the news that he'll need to pay rent or get kicked out of his best friend's place, he stumbles across a plan. He impersonates his substitute teacher roommate AND in doing so, brings a class of misfit fifth graders attending an overachieving private school together to create a rock band. Together, the accomplish a dream of competing in the Battle of the Bands.

Said slacker Dewey (Rob Colletti) gets the first solo in the production. If you're like me, and a little apprehensive of how Webber is going to fare in this noisy rock and roll environment without Tim Rice to help out, this does not bode well for the rest of the show. To this reviewer, it felt awkward, lumbering, and loud. The good news is, this is not an example of the rest of the show. While there are a couple of other numbers that are like this, the rest of the music and the infectiously bright cast sweep us into an upbeat and shiny tone. It's optimism is made palatable and engaging to the realists among us with a stellar cast of kids we can't help but be charmed by. Combine this with a great ensemble of adults, and music wisely retained from the movie, and SCHOOL OF ROCK is a hit.

There's not a weak link in the cast, and that's as it should be (but isn't always!) for professional theatre. Colletti keeps up an exhausting enthusiasm and energy without upstaging the multitude of ridiculously cute and talented kids who - yes! play their own instruments. I found myself particularly partial to the easy going electric guitarist Phoenix Schuman (Zack) and Summer (Ava Briglia) who receives well deserved applause when Dewey says she'll be a great President someday. It's a tiny personal thing, but I know it's a good show when I can get a micro-crush on the leading lady in the first few minutes of her appearance, and Lexie Dorsett Sharp as Rosalie did not disappoint. Also, Deirdre Lang stands out as one of the double/triple cast adults in the show. She brightens the stage each time her Ms. Sheinkopf appears. (Give that woman a song!)

It's also delight to see a show with such a large cast and so many scene changes in the current generally confining economical environment. The stage bustles with activity without huge dance numbers and the set, originally designed by Anna Louizos and lights originally designed by Natasha Katz both have a slight fantastical quality about them that complements the production just as they should.

There's plenty of smiling and laughing to be had in SCHOOL OF ROCK, It's pure, cheerful, unapologetic entertainment, much of it provided by youth. The climate in America this week has been sad and challenging. Do yourself a favor and let the cast of SCHOOL OF ROCK (especially the kids) cheer you up.

SCHOOL OF ROCK - THE MUSICAL

original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Glenn Slater

Book by Julian Fellowes

Directed by Laurence Connor.

Bass Concert Hall

2350 Robert Dedman Drive

February 13 - 18

Tickets at: Broadway in Austin

Running Time: One hour and forty five minutes with a fifteen minute intermission.

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