School of Rock Previews — Page 2

2 questions

1. Is the stage high for this?

2. In the orchestra, what is the first row of the center section?

Updated On: 11/10/15 at 01:43 AM

After Eight said: "The poor audience is subjected to a lead character who's a hyperkinetic, obnoxious, slovenly loser with about one 65th the intelligence of the ten-year-olds he teaches. Forgoing such tired fare as reading, spelling, and geography, he decides to instruct them on the history of rock. Considering what the "educational" canon embraces nowadays, I guess this makes the show highly contemporary."

In all fairness, that is exactly the plot of the movie they are adapting. So, I guess they were successful!

This sounds ab fab, Can't wait for it in London.

Alex Brightman - didn't know there'd been a love child, and not just a 'phantom' pregnancy...

I'm sorry to be a bummer, but I have to agree with After Eight on this one. Yes, the kids are very talented (I mean...WOW) but once you get beyond that, there's absolutely no substance. You're left with a cookie-cutter, lackluster show. I didn't find any artistry or...heart, maybe? I don't know. I found the score and the acting quite bland. The movie was so fun - it had a pulse, whereas this feels like a faded carbon copy of the original.

At some point I felt like Sir Lloyd Webber & Co. were simply trying to capitalize on the Billy Elliot / Matilda fad of having cute talented kids lead a show (I didn't enjoy those shows either - I actually strongly disliked them, so...take this all in with that knowledge). I can't blame them for that as this is theater for profit. I'm sure this will do well but it's still not my cup of tea.

To each their own!

There was a BIG crowd of people outside the theater for Lottery for 24 seats...lots of people lost...However, I was shocked that my party of three people each had their name called...so we actually won seats we didn't need and turned them back.

But they did offer a number of lottery loser seats for $39 I think (though they didn't say how many).

It might be different later on..first preview gets a lot of attention.

Does anyone have a song list? I am so looking forward to seeing this show, especially after Whizzer's review.

Song List

Act 1:

"I'm Too Hot for You" - No Vacancy and Dewey

"When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock" - Dewey

"Horace Green Alma Mater" - Rosalie, Students, and Teachers

"Here at Horace Green" - Rosalie

"Children of Rock" - Dewey and Ned

"Give Up Your Dreams" - Patty (NOT performed last night)

"Queen of the Night" - Rosalie, Dewey, and Gabe

"You're in the Band" - Dewey and Students

"You're in the Band (Reprise)" - Dewey and Students

"If Only You Would Listen" - Students

"In the End of Time" - Dewey

"Faculty Quadrille" - Teachers

"In the End of Time" (Band Practice) - Dewey and Students

"Stick It to the Man" - Dewey and Students

"In the End of Time" (The Audition) - Dewey and Students

"Stick It to the Man (Reprise)" - Dewey and Students

Act 2

"Time to Play" - Summer and Students

"Amazing Grace" - Tomika

"Math is a Wonderful Thing" - Dewey and Students

"Where did the Rock Go?" - Rosalie

"School of Rock" - Dewey and Students (This is actually the song "Teacher's Pet" from the movie)

"Dewey's Confession" - Dewey, Rosalie, Patty, Ned, and Parents

"Where did the Rock Go? (Reprise)" - Dewey

"If Only You Would Listen (Reprise)" - Students

"I'm Too Hot for You (Reprise)" - No Vacancy

"School of Rock" - Dewey and Students (Also "Teacher's Pet"

"Stick It to the Man" - Dewey and Students

You read the first paragraph of AfterEight's review and you imeadatly know who it is. That being said, if the musical is anything like the movie, then he may be correct. The movie brought a few chuckles but not much plot. These days it is refreshing to see shows that focus more on plot than jokes, production values just to impress and catchy songs that just leave you humming. Whizzer wanted to hear a reprise-but that would most likely comprise the plot.

Re shows not doing well because of a hit: in theory makes sense, but most people will see multiple shows on a trip if tourists, so over all helps all.

Nothing about that song had the conspiracy theory tone you are ascribing to it when I saw the concert version this summer...

Any thoughts on the staging or the sets for this show. I know the WG is known for their ability to house "BIG" productions. Curious if they use that space for the production.

Just got back from tonight's show. The show was very good. Not particularly clever but very enjoyable. The music was memorable and hummable. The show really shines when it focuses on the kids. Alex Brightman is really wonderful and funny. Sierra Boggess is so miscast (and doesn't hit her big Act 2 song notes well.) A real ingenue in a character actresses role. But the track is not that important so it really doesn't matter.

Overall a really enjoyable night at the theater. And everyone around me enjoyed it too.

I echo the sentiment here that Sierra Boggess is woefully miscast on a variety of levels. From what I understand, the entire re-conception of the character was done by Andrew Lloyd Webber specifically with her in mind, which may explain the misguided logic at play.

Rosalie starting the show as a soprano ingenue to evoke the sophistication of the prep school world isn't a terrible idea, but it only works if there's a successful pay off when she transforms later on. Unfortunately, the moment the character is supposed to "break out" falls embarrassingly flat given the rock style required is nowhere in Boggess's repertoire, nor is she a particularly gifted comedienne. She also feels bizarrely young to play a woman who's supposed to be both an authority figure and someone with a repressed past.

The material worked far better in the workshop over the summer in the hands of Sara Chase, who's a dynamite character actress with the soprano notes to pull off both sides of the spectrum. It's funny- Chase is actually a year younger than Boggess but has a maturity about her that felt far more authentic to me. It's a shame she didn't continue on with the show to Broadway because Boggess is the lone dark spot in an otherwise stellar production.

Updated On: 11/12/15 at 11:18 PM