Speaking of rocking out, our selection at # 29 on our countdown does just that. For our next selection, we are about to take you to a private prestigious prep school that is about to have its world turned upside down. After an aspiring wannabe rock star gets kicked out of his own band and is under pressure from his 2 roommates, he steps in pretending to be a substitute teacher at the school as a scheme for money, discovers the students musical talents, and forms a new band of his own with the kids. You have just entered the…… School of Rock!! Based on the cult hit 2003 film of the same name, the musical featured a score by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and a book by Julian Fellowes.

From the 2016 CBS telecast direct from the stage of it’s-then home at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre, here is Eric Petersen as hard-rocking teacher “Dewey Finn” and it’s young cast of kids showing off their inner rebel attitude in the show-stopping anthem STICK IT TO THE MAN.

School of Rock was of course originally conceived as a successful movie that was released in 2003 (starring Jack Black). With a $35 Million budget, the film went on to become a huge smash grossing in over $131 Million at the Box Office. 10 years later after the film was released, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber announced that he secured the rights to develop a full original stage adaptation of the film. He originally planned to debut the show at first in London’s West End but then changed his mind of bringing more of his work to Broadway. This was only the 2nd time Webber brought his shows to New York City, first following the original Jesus Christ Superstar. He began hard at work on the show by creating music for the show alongside lyricist Glenn Slater and book writer Julian Fellowes. They were also able to get several of the songs from the film in the show including the titular song, MATH IS A WONDERFUL THING, and THE LEGEND OF THE RENT.

After a set of open call auditions (especially for the young kids to play the students of Horace Green), the stage version of SCHOOL OF ROCK went through a set of early development readings and workshops. The show had its final set of workshops done as a staged concert production held at the Gramercy Theatre. It was there where the musical got its green light and headed straight for the Great Bright Way.

SCHOOL OF ROCK opened on Broadway in December of 2015 at the legendary Winter Garden Theatre (being the first time Lloyd Webber would be back there following his former record breaking smash hit Cats). It went on to be a smash hit running for 4 years playing 31 previews and 1,309 regular performances. Under the direction of Laurence Connor and choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter, the cast was led by….

Alex Brightman (later Eric Petterson and Justin Collette) as “Dewey Finn”,

Sierra Boggess (later Jenn Gambatese, Analisa Leaming, Katherine McLaughlin, and Mamie Parris) as “Principal Rosalie Mullins”,

Spencer Moses (later Steven Booth and Jonathan Gould) as “Ned Schneebly”,

Mamie Parris (later Becky Gulsvig and Lori Eve Marinacci) as “Patty Di Marco”,

And more.

The show was nominated for 4 Tony Awards in 2016 including BEST MUSICAL. However, it lost all the categories.

A year following the success of the Broadway production, SCHOOL OF ROCK would go on to rule London’s West End (where it received a Special Olivier Award for its young kids for OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC), in Australia, several Touring companies both the in US and the UK, and more.

SCHOOL OF ROCK today is available for licensing being performed as both the full length show how it’s mainly done and the School Version (with clean dialogue for those who do NOT want to use the Adult Language). Today, it’s still being performed in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.

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