SCHOOL OF ROCK Reviews- Page 2

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/6/15 at 11:18pm

Broadway Guru....I listened to ALW's interview with Julie James on Sirius XM on Broadway.  It was lively and informative.  Julie James was being her usual over-fawning self.  ALW seemed very pleased with the show and with the lead actor...the name escapes me.  (I wish someone had asked him if he had any regrets concerning Sunset Blvd.)  Best of luck B.G.   

[chernjam]

Posted: 12/6/15 at 11:29pm

Brantley never said he hated ALW - his review of Broadway Sunset Blvd  was mostly positive.  

And PattiLuPoneFanatic - I truly hope one day we get a real bio/behind the scenes thing where we learn of ALW's feelings re: Sunset.  Michael Walsh's bio on Andrew is as honest and close to giving details as anything - but it hasn't been updated in some time.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/6/15 at 11:32pm

Aida Revival said: "And when did Brantley ever say he hated ALW?"

 

Not sure about hated, but saying his "insistent signature melodiousness paradoxically feels less insidious when it’s given a pumped-up decibel count" doesn't sound like he looks forward to ALW shows.

[Hamilton22]

Posted: 12/6/15 at 11:37pm

Brantley hates ALW cause ALW screwed over Patti Lupone and so ALW has a reputation in the broadway community for being a bit of a prick. 

[massofmen]

Posted: 12/6/15 at 11:52pm

i think generally the reviews are "fine"..which is what the show is..its "fine". its not great and its not bad its fine and the kids are fun. 
Does fine equate to a long running show? Mamma Mia was less..much less than fine and it ran for 10 years..full monty (in my opinion) was amazing and it ran for less than 2 if i remember correctly. 
I think SOR will run for at least a year (kids shows are expensive to run) ..but they better start making their own school of rock..and fast..because they will need to start replacing these kids in 9 months or less as they grow..and good luck finding kids of this caliber over and over and over again. Its not like you can just teach someone how to  shred on a guitar as a 12 yr old. 

[Broadway Guru]

Posted: 12/6/15 at 11:58pm

If you check out the musicals website they have an ongoing recruiting process for the kids. Kids can audition via video for the show.

With an advance of over $5 million, generally good reviews, good word of mouth, and what I consider to be a great show I think it will run much longer than a year.

All the kids are on chorus contracts so, other than the cost of the tutoring and guardian, I'm not sure why you would think that kid shows are more expensive to run.

Posted: 12/7/15 at 12:04am

massofmen, it sounds like you are a ALW hater. If you really look at the reviews, they are very positive. It is even a critics pick. I'm just telling it like it is.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 12:09am

Broadway Guru said: "If you check out the musicals website they have an ongoing recruiting process for the kids. Kids can audition via video for the show.

 

With an advance of over $5 million, generally good reviews, good word of mouth, and what I consider to be a great show I think it will run much longer than a year.

 

All the kids are on chorus contracts so, other than the cost of the tutoring and guardian, I'm not sure why you would think that kid shows are more expensive to run."

Well isn't the problem of kids shows is that you have basically two separate casts. A kid cast with their own set of swings/understudies and then an adult cast with their own set of swings/understudies and so wouldn't that increased number of people plus the tutors and gaurdian dramatically increase the operating costs.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 5:41am

"And where on earth do they find these young ten-to-twelve year-olds who sing like Aretha Franklin and play drums and guitar like Buddy Rich and Eric Clapton? Come to that, where did they find Alex Brightman, who is simply sensational in the Jack Black role, exactly like Black, but also not, truly original with similar stubble and charisma?

Brightman — no relation of Sarah -- has been on Broadway several times, but this is the breakthrough...the energy level is phenomenal, his sandpaper voice apparently indestructible and his touch with the kids, impeccable."

 

http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/school-of-rock-winter-garden-theatre-broadway_39295.html

[Hamilton22]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 6:31am

Forgive me if I feel somewhat vindicated. I freely admit that I work at the show, and I've been defending it against some pretty staunch criticism on the Preview board. It's nice to see how many critics agree that the show is as fun as 1,524 people a night know it to be.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm not going to try to force someone to change their impressions of the songs, performances, lyrics, book, etc. Ultimately, a review is just one more person's opinion and must be taken as such.

Still it is nice to gloat a little.

 

Give it a rest, Webber. 

 

.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 7:40am

Gloat?  Really?   

 

PLENTY of folks here like it, nay, even LOVED it.  Why do people care so much when someone's opinion isn't the same as theirs?  

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 8:29am

I don't know.

 

I also don't know why it's so important that certain people really try to change your mind if they don't agree with you... pointing out the many ways you are wrong.  Like an opinion is AN OPINION...and everyone is entitled to his/her own. Being attacked personally for your "stupidity" is not..even if it's disguised as "another opinion."

[massofmen]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 9:05am

im not an ALW hater at all. I loved Phantom when i first got into musical theater, the music to EVITA is amazing, and i could hear the JCS album over and over (especially the Australian Version which is incredible). Im saying that to me the reviews say "the show is pedestrian unless the kids are jamming on their instruments" and nothing is wrong with that. 
I wish everyone involved the best. Its very hard in this climate with so many shows trying to get on broadway to create a piece of art that people enjoy, and if this runs for years, more power to them. If people find enjoyment from this, then thats wonderful and thats why people in the broadway industry hopefully create what they do. 

I truly wish all involved the very best. 

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 9:49am

"Still it is nice to gloat a little."

 

What are you gloating about? The critics are just as bad as the show.

 

But if it makes a lot of money, congratulations.

 

And just one little note on etiquette: try to avoid gloating. It's unseemly.

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 9:56am

After Eight said: "And just one little note on etiquette: try to avoid gloating. It's unseemly."

 

But if you keep posting the same negative things about a show you don't like over and over and over, that's perfectly normal?!

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 11:26am

congrats to all involved for the great NYT review and other strong reviews!

Looking forward to seeing this show

 

Long Live Rock!

 

[newintown]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 12:01pm

"But if you keep posting the same negative things about a show you don't like over and over and over, that's perfectly normal?!"

 

How does that significantly differ from the hyper-enthusiastic who repeatedly and uncritically gush over the same show or performer? Is gushing better than bitching because it's "nice?"

[Sunny11]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 12:18pm

Most people simply ignore performers/shows  that they don't care for. To be obsessed with sometime that you hate is counterproductive and unhealthy IMO. On the other hand its  natural for people to  be invested in something that they are a fan of.  

 

Updated On: 12/7/15 at 12:18 PM

Posted: 12/7/15 at 12:33pm

newintown, I think what haterobics is trying to say is that it works both ways. How is it fair for him to be complaining about people who gush and gush, but not for people who hate and hate. He wants people to stop gushing, but yet he keeps hating just as much as people are gushing.  It works both ways.

[newintown]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 12:39pm

Personally, I could live without both...

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 1:17pm

Wow! This show has received some pretty decent notices overall! Good for them! I do like the film it's based on and was skeptical myself it would make a successful transition to stage but it seems they managed to do it. I'll be looking into purchasing a ticket soon!

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 1:25pm

newintown said: "Personally, I could live without both..."

 

Totally. But honestly, the people who overpost the same thing because they love something do seem easier to take than the people who want to take a dump on their happiness. Not that they can't state their opinion, but once we know it, kind of seems unnecessary to keep hearing it.

 

Plus, the positive people are usually excited about new things related to the show, but the haters just keep repeating their old dried-out chestnuts about why it's bad. Like After H8 posts about how Fun Home sucks when he saw it, when it was transferring, when the cast recording was released, when it was nominated for a Tony, when it won the Tony. So, those are unique times for the people who like the show.

 

Personally, if I hate or am disinterested in a show, I usually just avoid threads about it, since... who cares?!

Updated On: 12/7/15 at 01:25 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 1:51pm

A little off topic, but I'm kind of disappointed that playbill vault doesn't have the School of Rock playbill up yet. Don't they usually have the new ones up by opening night?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 1:57pm

"After H8 posts about how Fun Home sucks when he saw it, when it was transferring, when the cast recording was released, when it was nominated for a Tony, when it won the Tony."

 

He never saw Fun Home.  If he had, there's no way he could have so idiotically misread Ring of Keys.  That was a classic read aboutheard about situation.

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 12/7/15 at 2:18pm

If that were true, he'd be even more untethered, no?