Andrew Lloyd Webber on Casting SCHOOL OF ROCK for the West End: The British Don't Have Rock & Roll 'in Their DNA'

SCHOOL OF ROCK is currently taking Broadway by storm, but bringing the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to the West End might prove more difficult than initially expected for the creative team and producers.

As previously reported, UK performance regulations insist any show involving children to include three separate casts, and Webber's latest musical also requires that all actors be able to play their own instruments. Due to the demands required of each performer, coupled with the musical and cultural differences between America and Britain, casting for the West End production might prove more difficult than the initial Broadway premiere, Webber has said.

He recently told The Telegraph: "I kind of have a feeling that rock playing among kids in America is more in the DNA than it is in Britain...So I'm a little bit unsure - I'm hoping we can get [SCHOOL OF ROCK] open next year, 2016, but it may be that it will be early 2017 - we've got to get started now on the casting in England and see what we find...I have to admit I don't know what we're going to find in Britain, whether we will find it to the same degree, I doubt it. So it will probably take a little bit longer I think...In America we started casting almost exactly a year ago ... so it will be either cast and ready to go by October or the early part of [2017] it just depends on what we find really."

Though concerned, Webber isn't deterred.

"But we will find them," he said. "Once you start to look it's amazing what you find, I know we will find them."

Stateside, School of Rock is proving to be Webber's latest success, grossing $1,506,236.20 and with houses at 101.8% capacity (105.1% of gross potential) the week ending December 27, breaking the all-time house record at the Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway). School of Rock, which had a regular eight-performance week over the holiday, surpasses the previously held record by Mamma Mia!, set in January 2009 during an eight-performance week.

Per press notes, "Based on the smash hit 2003 film of the same title, School of Rock - The Musical features music from the movie, as well as an original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Glenn Slater, with a book by Julian Fellowes and direction by Laurence Connor.

School of Rock - The Musical is produced on Broadway by Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Really Useful Group, Warner Music Group & Access Industries, The Shubert Organization, and The Nederlander Organization. Nina Lannan and Madeleine Lloyd Webber serve as Executive Producers."