“School of Rock: the Musical” reviewed by Edie Reese

[rating=5] Based on the 2003 movie starring Jack Black, Highland Park Players’ performance of the Andrew Lloyd Weber/Glenn Slater/Julian Fellowes (yes, THAT Julian Fellowes) musical of the same name is a hilarious (and occasionally touching) romp through desperate rocker dreams, overachieving yuppies and the angst of being pre-teen in suburbia.

The show follows Dewey Finn, kicked out of his band (“No Vacancy”) and fired from his job at a record store on the same day. Dewey is renting a room from his best buddy, Ned Schneebly and Ned’s domineering girlfriend, Patty. When Dewey is faced with a 30-day ultimatum to come up with the rent and a Battle of the Bands contest within the same amount of time all seems lost. However, he picks up a phone call meant for Ned for a substitute teacher assignment at snooty Horace Green prep school. When he finds out that the pay will more than solve his rent problem, he impersonates Ned and shows up (late and hung over) at Horace Green the next day. There he meets uptight principal Rosalie Mullins, the wary group of students assigned to him and the nervous faculty. When Dewy discovers that the kids can play musical instruments, he resurrects his dream of competing in the Battle of the Bands contest and forms a rock band among the kids in his classroom.

Kudos go to Director Connor Giles and Music Director Hannah Rose for finding such a strong cast—both among the adults and children. It is hard to believe that this is a Community Theater production. Every voice was resonant, in key and on cue. Nearly all of the young people in the show have had previous vocal and/or instrumental/dance training. The adult cast members all have deep resumes in the performing arts. Notable performances include Melissa Harrison as Rosalie Mullins, for her amazing coloratura and her heartfelt rendition of “Where Did the Rock Go?” an ode to lost youth. Sam Nachison as scruffy lead singer Theo of “No Vacancy” had me holding my sides laughing during the opening number “I’m Too Hot for You.” Nachison, who doesn’t exactly have a chiseled physique, dressed all in black with long, scraggly hair, sings that his three-day affair is over because well, you know, the girl just isn’t as good looking as he is. He gets upset when bandmate Dewey (Henry Allan) tries to horn in on his spotlight. Henry Allan deserves some sort of special stamina award. The role of Dewey is demanding—both physically and vocally. The character is in nearly every scene—singing, dancing, jumping and falling. Mr. Allan must lose a couple of pounds a night just by sweating. Despite the demands of the role, Mr. Allan is delightfully entertaining; intense enough to believable as a hard rocker but yet having perfect comic timing.

This show is one of the most technologically difficult to stage because the adult cast “fakes” playing musical instruments, but the kids really do play their instruments live onstage. In other words, there are two bands—the kids’ band onstage and another live band located in a scene shop located in another room behind backstage. The conductor (essentially conducting two bands) is televised via closed circuit TV to a monitor in the “orchestra pit.” A simple sound check takes half an hour. Coordinating this technical feat are Assistant Musical Director and Band Leader T.J. Anderson and Technical Director and Sound Designer/Operator Kurt Ottinger. The house band consists of John McCreary on drums, Beckett Shertok on bass, Alex Kleiner and Michael Locklear on guitar and T.J. Anderson and Justin Harner on keyboards. The School of Rock kids players are Evan Silver-Schack (Freddy) drums, Claire Ziegler (Katie) bass guitar, Annabelle Langas (Lauren) keyboard and Dylan Wiseman (Zack) guitar.

Assistant Director and Choreographer Alexis Armstrong designed choreography which is visually interesting and blended varying levels of dance expertise among the cast. The intricate “Faculty Quadrille” and the infectious “Stick It To The Man” show the breadth of Ms. Armstrong’s abilities. Costume Designer Martha Shuford (who, I am guessing from her program photo has an outrageous sense of humor) does the obligatory dark rocker garb and tweedy faculty dress, but she really shines in the costumes “designed” by Billy (Sean Fielding), the character who reads Vogue. In contrast to the black rock costumes, these clothes are literally drenched in sequins of every color imaginable. Although only a few of the costumes are actually worn, when a rack of them is wheeled onstage it is like an explosion of color. Rounding out the technical side of the house is Lighting Designer Alec Kinatowski, Set Designer Lauren Nichols, Stage Manager Brent Walker, Assistant Stage Manager Scott Spector and Props Mistress Carol Lee Wax.

Co-Executive Producers Bradley A. Rose and Scott Schwartz are responsible (along with the HPP Board) for selecting this show which appeals to both adults and kids. School of Rock plays now through November 20

at the Northbrook Theater, 3323 Walters Avenue, Northbrook, IL.

Performances are:

Fridays, Saturdays and Thursdays, November 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Sundays November 13  & 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Admission is $27 for children under 12 and $30 for adults.

Visit www.highlandparkplayers.com for ticket sales.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “School of Rock”.