ADRIAN — School of Rock , the musical adaptation of the 2003 comedy movie starring Jack Black, seems like a strange addition to Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber’s groundbreaking oeuvre, but reception to the 2015 show places it among the impresario’s most celebrated works.
Opening Friday at Adrian’s Croswell Opera House, School of Rock tells the story of Dewey Finn, a washed-up rock musician who takes his substitute class of elementary-aged prep school kids to the Battle of the Bands, where rockers of all ages learn a lesson along the way.
Film fans will discover a fleshed-out version of the original tale, with expanded character development and music.
IF YOU GO What: School of Rock When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. July 18-19
Where: Croswell Opera House, 129 E. Maumee St., Adrian
Admission: $22-$44 for adults, $15-$25 for students
Website: croswell.org One of the many drawn into the feel-good story is Aaron Roos, choir director of St. Francis’s choir, Singing Blue, who plays the lead role.
Growing up, Roos was a huge fan of Jack Black’s portrayal of the rock wannabe Dewey. Taking on the role meant finding the thin line between learning from Black’s performance and copying it.
“I was trying to find my own niche within the character that was some Jack Black, some Alex Brightman,” who portrayed the character on Broadway, “and then some bringing just some of myself into it,” Roos said. “I really enjoyed the challenge that came along with that.”
As Dewey prepares his students for the Battle of the Bands, his initial goal of winning the $20,000 prize money transforms into an earnest quest to show the kids the joy that music offers beyond their rigorous classes.
Whether it’s as an educator, performer, or an audience member, School of Rock taps into our cultural shared joy of music, celebrating how it lets “people express themselves in a way they don’t otherwise get to,” Roos said.
It’s not just the show’s kids who learn this lesson, but their parents, who view their children’s suitably stuffy classical music classes as little more than check marks on Ivy League applications.
They “come to realize that a full life involves more than just that academia,” said School of Rock ’s director, Erin Pifor. “They see their children more as a whole child.”
The show’s kid-centric cast won’t need to be reminded about the power of music any time soon.
Pulling from Brighton, Mich., Toledo, Perrysburg, Bowling Green, and elsewhere, the Croswell fosters a love of theater in children from around the area in its summer camp.
As a Croswell kid herself — Pifor’s parents have been involved with the community theater for more than 50 years, and her father, Doug Miller, is the production’s set designer — she recognizes that the group is experiencing one of its periodic waves where the theater sees “a good batch of really talented kiddos,” she said.
Giving this group of youngsters the opportunity to take the stage was the motivation to put on a production like School of Rock, where a large cast of capable kids makes or breaks the show.
As a 5th grade teacher, Pifor speaks the cast’s language. Whether it’s presenting certain ideas in different ways, giving them opportunities to experiment with their characters, or providing plenty of breaks, hearing their voices is the priority.
And if they didn’t have enough to learn just with the usual singing and acting, four of the students in Dewey’s band play their own instruments on stage.
“It is by far the most talented [child] cast I’ve ever worked with,” Roos said. Beyond juggling their various on-stage responsibilities, “each one of the kids who's in this cast is so impressively devoted to their character in the show.”
The adults in the cast have been happy to mentor their younger counterparts, “so that everybody's feeling supported and encouraged throughout the process,” Pifor said. “They have been the kids’ biggest fans throughout this process."
Just like Dewey creates a safe space for his students to learn the joys of rock music, Pifor and the adult cast strive to provide a similar environment for kids to explore their passions, no matter what life is like at home.
“There’s so many, so many things that make kids so complex. And in this show, I think we really get to appreciate a child for all of the special talents and gifts that they have,” Pifor said.
For families planning to bring kids to the show, School of Rock contains mild language throughout. Pifor also warned patrons to purchase tickets directly from the Croswell website, as scammers have been reselling tickets online.
Most of all, audiences should be ready to feel like they’re part of the show.
“You are there along with us, laughing and singing and dancing,” Roos said. “It’s a somewhat unique show in that regards, where by the end of the show we want you to be part of the band.”
Coming up:
Shrek Jr. , Thursday-Sunday by the Oregon Community Theatre, Fassett Auditorium, 3025 Starr Ave., Oregon
The Sound of Music , Friday-Sunday, by the Grand Rapids Historical Society at the Grand Rapids Town Hall, 300 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, Ohio
The Wizard of Oz , Friday through July 20, by The Ritz Players, at The Ritz Theatre, 30 S. Washington St., Tiffin
Jennifer’s Birth , Friday through July 21 at the Black Swamp Players’ Oak Street Stage, 115 E. Oak St., Bowling Green
Mean Girls (High School Version), Saturday through Tuesday by 3B Productions at the Maumee Indoor Theater, 601 Conant St., Maumee.
DOUBT: A Parable , July 18-21 at The Village Players Theatre, 2740 Upton Ave., Toledo
Most Popular
Comments / 0