The touring production of ‘School of Rock’ at Playhouse Square rips it up
It is probably disheartening to any adult rock and roll wannabe to see pre-teen youngsters shred guitars, masterly flay the skins, set the bass bottom and polish the ivories with such professional rock abandon that you realize that maybe anyone can do this “rock thing.” It is after all a young person’s game and the groups are getting younger all the time. Take heart because rock and roll truly is a universal language.
In the touring Broadway production of Julian Fellowes, Glenn Slater and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock now on stage in the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio it is all about the kids and what a group of kids it is!
Dewey Finn (Gary Trainor) is one of those rock wannabes who had a moderately successful glam/rock/punk band (Maggot Death) in high school and college but the band broke up as the other members went on to live “normal” lives. Finn still pursues his dreams as lead guitarist of a group he formed (No Vacancy). When his stage antics outshine the wispy leather clad lead singer the band kicks him out.
The next day finds Dewey and his hangover being woke by his longtime friend and band mate from “Death” days, Ned Schneebly (Layne Roate) and his over-domineering girlfriend, Patty (Madison Micucci) who demands unpaid rent (which is an entirely foreign concept to Finn). Dragging himself to his soul crushing day job at the record store (of which he is late again) he is fired from that job as well.
Returning back to his lair, Finn tries to sort out his life when the house phone rings. It is the prestigious Horace Green School offering Ned a substitute teacher position that pays over nine hundred dollars a week. Dewey impersonates Ned and takes the job.
Arriving an hour late to the school the next day, Finn finds that he is way out of his element. Horace Green is a preparatory school of the highest degree where parents are allowed to let their children attend to the tune of $50,000 a year with guarantees of high grades and admission to the top colleges in the country. Finn is greeted by Miss Rosalie (Alison Cusono) who quickly lays the law down to Dewey (now Ned Schneebly) as she introduces him to his thirteen charges. It does not go well for the still hungover Finn as the precocious student Summer (Sami Bray) tries to tell Dewey how the class is conducted as he recoils in horror that the children are subjected to such “cruelty.”
Back at the apartment, he finds Ned alone and engaged in his private guilty pleasure, “Guitar Hero” as the two compete against each other in the video game then reminiscence about their glory days as “rock stars.” Patty returns to put the kibosh on their dreams as she reminds Dewey that the rent is still due.
At school the next day Finn hears his students in music class playing classical music and suddenly realizes that he has a soul connection with the kids. After all, in his mind it’s not that far a jump from Mozart to Metallica. Quickly emptying his van of a lifetime of acquired rock instruments, Finn convinces the class to join his new band in order to compete in the upcoming “Battle of the Band” contest in hopes of going up against his former group “No Vacancy.” Dewey quickly hands out band assignments: Zack (Mystic Inscho) on electric guitar, Katie (Leanne Parks) on bass, Lawrence (Julian Brescia) on keyboard, and Freddy (Cameron Trueblood) on drums. He also makes two of the girls—Shonelle (Ariana Pereira) and Marcy (Gabriella Uhl), backup singers, and two other girls, Madison and Sophie (Isabella Rose Sky), roadies.
Then he moves onto technical jobs. Mason (Dylan Trueblood) is put in charge of lights, James (Jacob Moran) is made the security officer, and an ecstatic Billy (Sammy Dell) is made the band's stylist. Future Presidential candidate, Summer, is angry that she hasn't been given a job after which Dewey makes her the band's manager. The only student left without a job is Tomika (Camille De La Cruz) the shy new girl.
Along with the seven piece orchestra, everyone on stage who picks up, sits or stands behind an instrument is actually playing it and with plenty of attitude. Leanne Parks as Katie steals the show as she thrums the bass with the perfect face mask of rockism. Mystic Inscho as Zack literally tears it up on lead guitar. Julian Brescia as Julian finds his inner Greg Allman as he commands the keyboards and Cameron Trueblood as Freddy keeps the place rocking with his drumming. Camille De La Cruz as Tomika reveals her amazing singing voice that had the audience cheering her at mid-song.
Gary Trainer as Dewey does a fantastic job with lots of physical humor, one liners and total disregard for society at large. He even slips in a reference of homage to “Spinal Tap.” Layne Roate as Ned does a great job as the hen-pecked boyfriend of his well played domineering girlfriend, Patty played by Madison Micucci. Alison Cusono as the head of Horace Green Miss Rosalie shows her dual personality as well as her great singing voice. The show features lots of energetic dancing, singing and rock and roll as the kids really play their hearts out. The show is directed by Laurence Connor.
As was evident by the large amount of children in the audience, this is a show that the entire family will love together.
Once more the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square plays host to a blockbuster Broadway hit that pulls out all the stops. Be dazzled by the stage sets, costumes, dancing and music but especially the amazing talents of what is probably the world’s youngest rock band. Rock On!
The touring production of School of Rock will be on stage at the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio through March 24, 2019. Tickets can be purchased online by going to www.playhousesquare.org/, by phone by calling (216) 241-6000 or by stopping by the Playhouse Square Ticket Office located in the outer lobby of the State Theatre.