The Pittsburgh Broadway 2017-18 season opened with "School of Rock”, the musical, with music by Andrew
Lloyd Weber. The play is based on the 2003 movie with the same name. If you like kids then you will love this lighthearted play because the best part of the show is experiencing the kids' powerhouse musical talent as they
perform rock n roll live.
Reflection
School of Rock is about a die-hard struggling rocker, Dewey (Rob Colletti), who after getting kicked out of his band impersonates his friend, Ned (Matt Bitter), in order to land a job as a substitute teacher in a prestigious prep school. Dewey has
little interest in teaching until he witnesses
the students’ musical talent. He introduces
them to his passion, rock music, and forms a band of 5th graders to compete in
the Battle of the Bands.
The young cast in this show have a powerhouse of musical talent. I got goose bumps when Zack (Pheonix Schuman) played a riff on the guitar, Katie (Theodora Silverman) plucked the base, Lawrence (Theo Mitchell-Penner) played a run on the key boards and Freddy (Gilberto Moretti-Hamilton) pounded the drums.
In the School of Rock we see the transformation of anxious kids stemming from parental pressure to achieve high academic performance, to ones that gain confidence as part
of a band. These kids expressed that
they just wanted their parents to hear
them as they sang, “If Only You Would Listen”. We join in their excitement as they developed a feeling of belonging when Dewey made them all part of the band in, “Your In the Band” (watch here).
Dewey taught his band that the spirit of
Rock n Roll is to , "Stick it to the Man”. He encouraged them to use the energy produced from things that made them angry. The students rattled off what made them angry such as
“parents that don’t pay attention to them” or "being over scheduled”. We all know children that might say the same thing (maybe even our own)!
The show is humorous, fun, and energetic. It reminds us that "Rock n Roll is not about being perfect" but about self expression or having a voice.
(School of Rock that
runs until Oct 22nd was a great
kick off to a PNC Broadway Series. I will continue to keep the Broadway series
in my survival tool box. The next show, Color Purple runs from November 14th
to November 19th). `
PNC Broadway Series https://trustarts.org/pct_home/events/series/pnc-broadway-in-pittsburgh/
Your in the Band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ6vYDEa2Y4
Video-Your in the band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ6vYDEa2Y4
Stick it to the man video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2wGtlfD19w
