Palo Alto Players Presents SCHOOL OF ROCK, August 26-September 11

"Rock got no reason, rock got no rhyme...You better get me to school on time!" Palo Alto Players opens its 92nd season with the Peninsula premier of SCHOOL OF ROCK, the electrifying Broadway musical based on the hilarious hit movie with a new score by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Directed by Doug Santana (Players' The Addams Family and One Man, Two Guvnors) SCHOOL OF ROCK features a cast of 31 Bay Area actors, with the first-ever kids rock band playing their instruments live on-stage.

SCHOOL OF ROCK runs for 9 in-person performances August 26-September 11, 2022 at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets ($10-$60) are on sale now at paplayers.org or by phone at 650.329.0891. Current information regarding Palo Alto Players' health and safety policies can be found at paplayers.org/covid-19.

Based on the hit 2003 film starring Jack Black, SCHOOL OF ROCK follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star posing as a substitute teacher who turns a class of straight-A students from an exclusive elementary school into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. But can he get them to the Battle of the Bands without their parents and the school's headmistress finding out? The high-octane musical that made a Broadway star of Bay Area-native Alex Brightman in the role of Dewey features all the original songs from the movie plus 14 new songs from internationally acclaimed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. SCHOOL OF ROCK ran for three years on Broadway and was nominated for four 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Critics have called it "a big, beautiful blast of musical comedy from start to finish" and "a loving testimony to the transforming power of music."

"Palo Alto Players is thrilled to be the first theatre company on the Peninsula to produce SCHOOL OF ROCK," said Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "Having been a fan of the movie, I can't think of a better way to kick off our big and bold 92nd season than a musical the whole family can enjoy. The cast of 16 adults and 15 kids (our largest cast in recent history) will not only warm your hearts, but their talent will have audiences on their feet. Get ready to rock out with us in the Lucie Stern Theater!"

SCHOOL OF ROCK is directed by Bay Area Actor/Theatre Educator/Director Doug Santana. Santana has been a presence in the Bay Area theater community for the past thirty years as both a performer and as the Director of Performing Arts at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Palo Alto Players audiences will remember him as Francis Henshall in One Man, Two Guvnors and Gomez Adams in The Addams Family. As a director, Santana's productions have been recognized by The Stage Top Honor Awards and The Rita Moreno Awards, sending five student performers to the Jimmy Awards in New York City for their work. As an actor, Santana has appeared in national tours and regional productions across the United States and Canada.

The SCHOOL OF ROCK creative team also includes choreography by Joey Dippel, vocal direction by Daniel Lloyd Pias, music direction by Lane Sanders, assistant music direction by Amie Jan, set design by Patrick Klein, prop design by Scott Ludwig, lighting design by Edward Hunter, costume design by Noreen Styliadis, and sound design by Anthony Sutton.

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