Review: HJP and Artpreneur's SCHOOL OF ROCK Electrifies with Powerful Performances

(Disclaimer: the writer of this article is involved with the production as a co-producer)

On July 24, the performing arts training institute Hi Jakarta Production and art foundation Ciputra Artpreneur held a media preview of their upcoming musical, School of Rock the Musical. The show is based on the iconic 2003 movie starring Jack Black and licensed through Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group.

School of Rock the Musical is directed by Sonia Suki, marking her directorial debut. Sonia Suki collaborates with Maruf Andi as vocal director, Jordy Alexander and Erico Felix as co-music directors (and featuring Stellar Youth Orchestra as the orchestra), and Benedict Herdianus as choreographer. The show is produced by Riri Kumalasari as executive producer and Abby Cintya and Rakaputra P. as co-producers.

School of Rock the Musical tells the story of Dewey Finn (Bran Vargas), a wannabe rockstar who lives with his friend and roommate Ned Schneebly (Lorenzo Valentino). Their landlady and Ned’s girlfriend, Patty Di Marco (Jane Callista) pushes Dewey to pay the rent or get evicted.

Down on his luck, Dewey receives a call meant for Ned. The call is from Rosalie Mullins (Bernice Nikki), the principal of the prestigious prep school Horace Green. Dewey then assumes Ned’s identity and begins teaching, truly out of his element. Although initially annoyed by the highly-disciplined children, he discovers that his students play music. This revelation inspires him to form a band with them and try to win The Battle of the Bands and force his way back into the rock scene.

The band members include: Zack Mooneyham (Calvin Lie), aspiring guitarist and songwriter who’s frequently brushed aside by his father; Lawrence (Emmanuel Ryan D.), pianist who considers himself as too uncool for the band; Farrell Keon C. (Freddie Hamilton) the son of woodworkers who finds his passion in beating the drums; and Katie (Rui Ameera Z.), cellist turned bassist.

Other than Dewey himself, the band also features other singers, including Tomika (Shanessa E.M.P.), a recent transfer who finds it hard to make friends, as well as the cheerful duo of back-up singers Marcy (Keisha Kirana C.) and Shonelle (Quinsha Athaya K.).

Other than the performers, the band also includes various technical and supporting members, such as the feisty manager Summer Hathaway (Nirvanada Stusya), the fabulous stylist Billy Sandford (Ezra Keenan), dependable roadies Sophie (Delaney D.K.) and Madison (Pauline H.D.), tech guy Mason Ward (Azka Syadaad E.N.), and even a security in Jamie (Alula).

This newly-formed not only have to contend with constant learning and training to be rock stars, but also avoiding suspicion from Miss Mullins, other teachers, and even their own parents. After a series of trials and tribulations, the band – now named The School of Rock – finally made their way to The Battle of the Bands to compete with other rockers.

Being a youth production by a performing arts institution, it’s no wonder that the show features dozens upon dozens of children. Other than their own students, this time Hi Jakarta Production also invites featured schools to be school ensembles for the main show on the 27th.

Managing so many performers on the stage, and most of them being kid performers, is not an easy task. But School of Rock is uniquely suitable for this set-up, as it is, at its heart, an ensemble piece.

Sonia’s direction manages to balance not only the energetic crowd numbers but also the heartfelt, tender moments only featuring a few characters. The audience can easily follow the emotional journey of Dewey Finn, who finds unexpected camaraderie, and, in turn, confidence, in his students. Of course, the material (music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian Fellowes) being a superb film-to-stage adaptation also helps matters.

That being said, the highlights are still the ensemble numbers. With so many performers on stage at one time, the show sometimes get a bit chaotic and messy to look at. Despite that, School of Rock's infectious energy still comes through. Numbers such as “Stick it to the Man”, “Time to Play”, and “You’re in the Band” are executed with such earnestness and great technicality that make them truly rapturous musical theater moments.

The choreography isn’t the most technically difficult, but what makes it impressive is the amount of synchronicity needed from the dozens of performers on stages. Although if you really pay attention the details might be a bit lacking (for example, some performers might raise their hand a bit too high or a bit too low), the cast members still move on beat as a group and collectively make up for the spotty details

School of Rock might also have the best casting in recent memory. Bran Vargas (most recently seen as Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia!) takes the leading role of Dewey Finn and is truly a perfect fit for it. He not only brings the strong, satisfyingly rocking vocals, but more importantly, he’s supremely funny and animated in the role, readily matching the kids’ energy as he jumps and dances across the stage. But it’s not all fun and games, as his connection with the children feels truly genuine and heartwarming as well. It’s almost as if the role was written for him and it’s virtually impossible naming other contemporary theater actors who would do a better job than him.

Bernice Nikki is more well-known in the theater scene as vocal coach and vocal director, although last year she went on stage in the short musical Enam, playing an ethereal spirit guide. The role of Rosalie Mullins allows her to showcase the extent of her truly astounding vocal control and considerable acting talent. She embodies all sides of Rosalie Mullins beautifully: the high-strung principal teaching opera numbers (with a truly impressive rendition of Mozart’s “Queen of the Night Aria”) and the repressed rocker girl. It’s exciting to witness her evolving relationship with Dewey Finn that defrosts her and allows her to be more true to herself.

Although their parts might not be as substantial, Lorenzo Valentino (as Ned) and Jane Callista (as Patty) also bring their A-game. This pair of characters has a small but satisfying B-plot in which Ned finally finds the courage to stand up to Patty’s overbearing personality. And this might have gotten lost easily among the many other things happening, but Lorenzo’s initial meekness and Jane’s truly consistent and intimidating personality make this relationship just as memorable as the main one. As a side note, Jane Callista is typically known for playing more traditionally feminine and sweet roles, and her turn as Patty shows hat she can also play a convincing headstrong, even antagonistic character.

Other members of the cast are similarly well-cast and put forth astoundingly solid performances.

For example, Nirvanada Stusya’s petite countenance, twintails, and perfect line deliveries make it very amusing whenever Summer tries to fruitlessly protest against Dewey’s loosey-goosey teaching style and, later on, takes charge of the band with a cold hand. Ezra Keenan’s Billy Sandford is an adorable and endlessly likable fashion diva in the making. Shanessa as Tomika truly awes the audience when she gets her big moment singing Amazing Grace. Farrell Keon’s Freddie plays the drums with spectacular energy and precision. Calvin Lie’s Zack Mooneyham is a well-rounded take on the role. And, of course, the kids learning how to play their instruments is impressive in its own right.

The set design (led by Andy Widjaya as Set Director) also plays an important part, with the two highlights being Horace Green’s majestic ivy walls giving the show a sense of scale and the final band showcase at the Battle of the Bands. Making the set having two levels allows for interesting blocking in various scenes. And the lighting also gives the show the necessary extravagant flair, especially during performance scenes, with surprises during the most climatic moments.

Unfortunately, the show, at least during its media preview showing, also had a very noticeable flaw: the sound engineering. The show is plagued by a myriad of technical audio problems, including dampened sounds, weird audio balancing, dead microphones, and even a very annoying and loud feedback-like noise. The cast should be applauded for their commitment in making sure the show goes on, but it’s unfortunate that the performance couldn’t be fully enjoyed due to this mishap.

Furthermore, some parts of the material have been slightly altered to make the performance even more thoroughly family friendly. Although this might be understandable considering the organization’s position as an educational institution working with young children, it does still feel somewhat off, considering the show’s themes. Some lines become less impactful due to these changes.

All in all, The School of Rock is a very enjoyable show due to the strong performances, great artistic direction, and surprisingly touching story.

Despite being a youth production involving many children, the show can stand head-to-head with other community productions and its quality doesn’t feel compromised due to the relatively young cast members. Fans of the original movie, or theater fans in general, should find great enjoyment in it.

It’s also a big leap for Hi Jakarta Production, whose last big production (The Chocolate Factory) comes across as much more modest in comparison. However, the very noticeable technical problems did take away from the show’s full potential and, hopefully, it will be fixed by the time of their public performances.

But, as Dewey Finn himself said, rock isn’t about being perfect. They’re not here to win, they’re here to rock.

And rock they did.

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