ADRIAN — As someone who’s a huge proponent of what the arts can do for kids, I was really looking forward to the Croswell’s “School of Rock” and the opportunity it would give a lot of area youngsters.
And, wow, did director Erin Pifer sure find a talented — and definitely highly enthusiastic — group of students for this production.
Whether these kids are in their first show, or are already veterans of school and Croswell musicals, they certainly bring more than their share of musical and acting capabilities, to say nothing of a big dose of stage presence, to the show. Besides all that, they are clearly having the time of their lives.
The young people in the cast are a huge part of what makes the Croswell’s “School of Rock” just so much fun. Four of them — Josiah Torrence, Adrian Stukey, Luca Walter and Sophia Bernard — have the added challenge of actually playing instruments onstage, and they definitely rise to the occasion.
Alayna Brazzil brings some major cheekiness to her role as Summer, and she’s an absolute hoot at it. Zariah Blackmon is perfect as Tomika, the shy girl who comes out of her shell to have a major vocal part in the class band, which is named School of Rock.
Preview: Young cast takes spotlight in 'School of Rock' at Croswell Opera House
But the other kids up on that stage are also completely solid at what they’re doing, and all of them together make a great team, which only adds to the experience of watching this show.
Of course, “School of Rock” also needs just the right actor to play Dewey, and the Croswell has found that in Aaron Roos. Roos is completely perfect in this role, playing Dewey with a kind of manic energy that’s just right for the part.
An equally standout performance comes from Maya Gangadharian as the school’s uptight principal, Ms. Mullins. Besides her superb abilities as an actress, Gangadharian also gets to show off her highly impressive vocal talents.
She’s someone who on the one hand can sing the poignant “Where Did the Rock Go” with exactly the sort of wistful yearning the song needs, and on the other hand can bust out a little “Der Hölle Rache,” the showstopper Queen of the Night aria from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” and does both exquisitely.
Roos and Gangadharian are complemented by a strong supporting adult cast composed of Jared Freeman as the actual Ned Schneebly, Dewey’s henpecked friend whom Dewey is impersonating; Amber Wilkes as Ned’s bossy girlfriend Patty; and a whole host of teachers, parents and more.
Besides assembling such a spectacular cast, Pifer has been masterful at moving the show along smartly, getting such a huge group of actors on and offstage quickly and in interesting ways and doing a lot with the stage space. The production’s pace is excellent, helped along by great scene changes and by a Doug Miller set design that perfectly allows for that quick pace.
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Speaking of the set, anyone who’s been around the Croswell for a while knows that a Doug Miller design will have all the little touches that make for a very complete onstage look. While the nature of this show doesn’t lend itself to the sort of full-on set we’re used to seeing from him, even as it is there’s plenty of good stuff there and it all works just right.
The stage version of “School of Rock,” of course, has more music in it than the film does, and music director Adam P. Miller and his orchestra make their way through the Andrew Lloyd Webber score very nicely.
It’s true that “School of Rock” is somewhat formulaic plot-wise in its story of a classroom full of students that overcome the odds and disapproving adults to do more than they ever thought they could.
But the story doesn’t end the way you’d think it would — although it still ends in exactly the way it should. And as a celebration of the role the arts can play in changing kids’ lives for the better, the show definitely — pardon the pun — hits all the right notes.
From the first scene all the way through to its high-energy finale, the Croswell’s “School of Rock” is everything this musical should be: excellently staged, joyously exuberant and just plain fun. Don’t miss it.
If you go
WHAT: “School of Rock”
WHERE: Croswell Opera House, 129 E. Maumee St., Adrian
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18; 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 21
TICKETS: $44/$33/$22 for adults; $25/$20/$15 for students
HOW TO ORDER: By calling 517-264-7439 or online at croswell.org
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Cast's talent, enthusiasm shine in 'School of Rock' at Croswell Opera House
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