Review: SCHOOL OF ROCK at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre

Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale, Arizona, presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony award-winning musical, SCHOOL OF ROCK, February 14 through February 2, 2025. This production showcases the talents of Valley adults and children who rock the stage throughout this fun performance. It’s rated 13+ - so parents, realize it’s PG-rated. It is also loud. Rock music is like that.

SCHOOL OF ROCK is based on Mike White’s 2003 hit movie of the same name, and is directed by Desert Stages’ Director, Lisa Figeruoa. Vocal and band direction is by Tyler Scott Thompson, Justin Heffner, and Bear Golden. A favorite resounding and catchy tune is “Stick It to the Man.” This song fits so well with the antics throughout this show: playing hooky, fibbing to parents, and finding a place to fit in.

This show begins with the competitive “Battle of the Bands,” with Dewey Finn’s (Bear Golden) band called “No Vacancy.” In Act One, the band discards Dewey as a singer and guitarist, leaving Dewey at the mercy of ‘Ned Schneebly’ and his wife, ‘Patty,’ played respectively by Brett Schnebelt and Cate Carlino. Ned and Dewey are childhood friends. Brett Schnebelt and Bear Golden are actual teachers in two Valley schools.

Patty really wants Dewey out of their home, as he has worn out his welcome by laziness and not paying rent. Brett’s physical comedy and Bear’s on-point mannerisms are very funny, earning many laughs from the audience. Cate nails the irritated Patty. 

As Patty’s patience nears the breaking point, Dewey answers a phone call meant for Ned from Horace Green, a local prep school. The school needs a substitute teacher; Ned had applied for that position. Dewey hatches a plan: pretend to be Ned, substitute teach, earn some money, and vacate the Shneebly home. He still harbors hurt feelings from No Vacancy’s rejection, and carries his ‘whatever’ attitude with him to the Schneebly home and to the classroom.

Dewey is substituting at the school for the money, not for the work. He discovers talents of his scholastically-focused students, and becomes highly motivated to turn a group of these students into real musicians, to compete with him against No Vacancy and other bands in "Battle of the Bands." Dewey needs the ego boost from a win against No Vacancy, as well as the competition’s prize money. 

Rather than abiding by the prep school’s rules and common sense, Dewey nonchalantly discards other studies for all music, all the time, all unbeknownst to school staff and parents. The stage rocks out, with Dewey naming his new band “School of Rock.” Throughout the show, the students and Dewey practice, practice, practice…when they aren’t interrupted by the principal, ‘Rosalie,’ played by the talented Emma Sucato. After school one day, Dewey charms the straight-laced Rosalie, herself is a covert music lover.

The child actors/musicians/dancers are very talented. SCHOOL OF ROCK members include standouts cellist Delaney Carne as ‘Katie’ on electric bass, and the excellent drummer Cameron Smidt as drummer ‘Mason.’ On keyboards we have Kaidin Koppekar as ‘Lawrence,’ with lead guitarists ‘Ned’ (Bear Golden as ‘Dewey’) and Armando Delgado as ‘Zack’ rocking their original songs and playing hits and riffs from other well-known bands. They all play well with others, both musically and in the classroom. Valerie Winch plays ‘Tomika,’ a shy new student, who wows the audience with her singing talent. Tomika blooms as a musician and involved classmate. ‘Summer’ is the band’s manager, performed by Ava Mae Seidensticker, who tries to manage the chaos.

 
The focused and edgy parents in the adult ensemble show both their fears and their expectations at the $50k per-year private school. They’ve invested money, and expect their children to invest hard work at Horace Green. They did not expect them to expend all their energies on music, but it pays off. The children become more mature and responsible, perhaps because Dewey behaves like a teenager.

Other child ensemble dancers and singers include Ava Mae Seidensticker, Ayla Faith Grieser, Charlotte Mikalsky, Eva Skalla, Avery Miller, Beckett Buelna, Emmie Zeeb, and Elle Reifler. Members of the adult ensemble include Liam Delgado, Jesus (JD) Diaz, William Digby, Jess Jacobs, Katie Carne, Brian Goebel, Chloe Hernandez, JT Turner, Joe Jacobs, and Steve Velardi. The entire cast is energetic and passionate, and it’s clear they’ve devoted a lot of work to this production. 

Desert Stages will soon be relocating from Scottsdale Fashion Square. Their productions are very good, and I look forward to seeing them grow in their new space.

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