SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
#1SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 11:38am
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-May-Premiere-New-Musical-on-Broadway-Before-West-End-20140515#.U3TfE17jKlI
I'm so excited about this! I hope it actually makes it to the stage. Kate Shindle or Lena Hall for the Sarah Silverman role.
Updated On: 5/15/14 at 11:38 AM
#2SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 11:45amALW has one more hit left in him somewhere. I think putting this on Broadway first will be a good move, since the film this show would be based on is more familiar with American audiences.
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
neonlightsxo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/08
#2SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 11:59amALW does not seem like the right composer for this project.
#3SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 12:00pmThat's a perfect move because this is a really popular movie here in USA.
#4SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 12:06pm
When last this was brought up, wasn't he producer but not composer of the show? I'm hoping that's still the case.
I can't confirm this for sure, but I've heard many times that, much like "High School Musical" was born from an aborted "Grease 3" reboot, and Tina Fey's "30 Rock" was a retooling of her rejected "Bye Bye Birdie" update, "School of Rock" began as a modern reboot of "The Music Man." Note that the plots are almost entirely identical.
#5SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 12:11pmHow is 30 Rock anything like Bye Bye Birdie?
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#6SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 12:42pm
Tina Fey's script, which was never developed, was set in the present day and dealt with a female Albert character, the handler of eccentric loose-cannon rapper Birdie. When an ill-advised stunt led to legal charges, Albert(ine?) is forced to concoct an "average guy" publicity stunt for Birdie to clean up his image and keep the public from turning away from him before his mandatory prison time.
Allegedly, the departures from the original musical were too much for the rights holders to get behind, but the Albert character later combined with Tina Fey's own autobiographical experience to become Liz Lemon of "30 Rock," while the "keep erratic rapper Birdie on the rails" plot became the B-plot of her sitcom, with Birdie becoming Tracey Jordan.
Jonwo
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/16/06
#7SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 1:01pm
School of Rock as a musical has potential although I'm not sure if ALW is the right composer if they go for a completely new score, I think composers like Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, or Tim Minchin would be my choices.
#8SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 1:03pmSo, I guess we're looking at Josh Gad as Dewey?
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Adair Haywind
Leading Actor Joined: 4/2/14
#9SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 2:54pmI'm gonna get hounded for this, but I think Jack Black should make his Broadway debut by reprising his film role as Dewey Finn.
Wilmingtom
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
#10SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 3:01pm^ Absolutely! He has great presence and could easily hold the stage.
Jonwo
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/16/06
#11SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 3:35pmI like Jack Black but I think for School of Rock to succeed, they'd probably should try and not copy the film or Jack Black's Dewey. Maybe they should do something similar to Sister Act and cast Dewey a bit younger.
eperkins
Broadway Star Joined: 5/21/07
#12SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 3:41pm
"When last this was brought up, wasn't he producer but not composer of the show? I'm hoping that's still the case."
In a recent interview on "On Stage" ALW did indeed saying that he was producing, not composing School of Rock. He did allow that he "might" write something for it, if that became necessary.
#13SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 3:42pm
Adam Schlesinger woulda been the guy I'd want to see attached to this, personally. The man has an incredible ear for songcraft and genuine rock/pop without sounding like genre-fraud.
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
Updated On: 5/15/14 at 03:42 PM
#14SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 3:42pm
I think School of Rock could be a great musical, but I echo the thoughts of those think that ALW probably isn't the right composer for this project. Hopefully Webber is involved in more of a producing capacity.
I would love to see Tim Minchin have a go at this.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
#15SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:06pmIf any show were crying out for a pre-existing rock score, it's this one.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
eperkins
Broadway Star Joined: 5/21/07
#16SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:07pmYes, ALW is producing. Not composing.
#17SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:08pmI second Adam Schlesinger and Tim Minchin as options. Sociopolitical differences of opinion aside, I've yet to be disappointed by anything Minchin has done.
#18SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:21pm
Anyone else watching American Idol?... just me? great. Regardless, semifinalist Caleb Johnson would be perfect for the Jack Black role... he even looks like him!
please excuse Jennifer Lopez's gyrating
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#19SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:31pm
"If any show were crying out for a pre-existing rock score, it's this one."
I would agree with you to the extent that some pre-existing material should be worked into the show alongside original stuff. I think you need to be using actual rock music when Dewey is teaching the kids about the history of rock.
I would disagree with whoever it was who said they should have Jack Black recreate his role on stage. In order for the show to succeed, and especially for it to have a life post-Broadway, they need to create a new character. If you cast Jack Black then you pretty much sentence the show to close the second he leaves. If you cast a Jack Black imitator and write it as if it is Jack Black on that stage then you end up with a situation similar to The Wedding Singer where everyone just notices the lack of Jack Black (or Adam Sandler, in the case of The Wedding Singer) that much more strongly and realizes they are seeing a pale imitation and the show ends up closing early anyway.
Webber, and any other producers he may bring on, should really look and learn from the team that put together The Wedding Singer. In a way the two films share a lot of similarity. They both allowed their stars (Sandler and Black respectively) to reach an audience and demographic that they had not really reached before, a more family based one. To put it in perspective, my mom has no desire to see most of the films either of them have done, or probably will do, but she watches and enjoys both The Wedding Singer and School of Rock whenever she comes across them on TV (and I think may even own The Wedding Singer on DVD). She's that audience that most of their other movies don't really reach, and the audience that the producers would need to count on to come in to see the respective stage versions.
#20SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:47pmInteresting that you bring up Wedding Singer as an option... I've never really seen anyone who's said that the musical suffers from a lack of Adam Sandler, because it's written so far away from his schtick. Other than two or three moments of characteristic "Adam Sandler flies off the handle into a growly-stupid rage," it's rather distinct from the character he played on film.
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#21SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:51pmWhen I saw it on Broadway all I could see was Stephen Lynch struggling against being forced to do an Adam Sandler interpretation. I've also heard through friends who worked on the show how unhappy he was because of that. There may have been later revisions, or just more talented actors who've been able to find a way to make it their own, but it's certainly not what I saw in New York.
Jonwo
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/16/06
#22SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 4:58pm
^ I agree, I think they should see what made the character of Dewey work so well and expand it.
I think Edge of Seventeen and the Maths Song will likely make it into the show but I would prefer an original score. The other songs from the film might be too expensive to license.
#23SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 5:25pmI'd love to see James Monroe Iglehart take on the role of Dewey.
#24SCHOOL OF ROCK to hit B'way before the West End
Posted: 5/15/14 at 7:04pmEvery since this was first announced, I've been wanting Mitch Jarvis as Dewey! I think he'd be so perfect!
