Cast Announced for SCHOOL OF ROCK at Paramount Theatre

Paramount Theatre has announced its roster for School of Rock, the Chicago professional regional premiere of the good-time musical based on the hit Jack Black movie, featuring new music from the genius mind of Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by Trent Stork. Performances are April 12-June 4. Opening Night is Friday, April 21, at 8 p.m. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666.

Nick Druzbanski will play wannabe-rocker-Dewey Finn-turned-substitute teacher-Ned Schneebly. Druzbanski's signature roles at Paramount to date include Franz in Rock of Ages, LeFou in Beauty and the Beast, and ensemble roles in Groundhog Day and Kinky Boots.

Seven amazing lead young actor/singer/musicians have pledged allegiance to the band of Mr. Schneebly: Julia Dale (Katie), Omi Lichtenstein (Summer Hathaway), David Mattle (Freddy Hamilton), Jaxon Mitchell (Billy Sanford), Kayla Norris (Tomika Spencer-Williams), Leighton Tantillo (Lawrence) and Julian Wanderer (Zack Mooneyham). And yes, they will all play their own instruments live in the show.

Factor in four favorite Chicago actors in other adults roles: Jackson Evans (Ned Schneebly), Veronica Garza (Rosalie Mullins), Lucy Godinez (Patti Di Marco) and Mary Robin Roth (Ms. Sheinkopf), and 13 ensemble members: Alex Benoit, Alley Ellis, Andrés Enriquez, Dakota Hughes, Greta Kleckner, Em Modaff, Timothy Michael Quinn, Jason Richards, Andrew Sickel, Allison Sill, Ana Silva, Ryan Stajmiger and Christopher Wayland.

Plus 14 more kids rotating on stage as schoolmates and roadies: Charlie Long and Savannah Lumar (AJ); Lily Martens and Roxy Salzman (Jamie), Gabriel Solis and Eli Vander Griend (Madison), Maya Keane and Clare Wols (Marcy), Elias Totleben and Levi Merlo (Mason), Meena Sood and Genevieve Jane (Shonelle), and Naya Rosalie James and Annabel Finch (Sophie).

And that's a full 39-member cast for Paramount's 11th Broadway Series finale, with a 7-member live band in the orchestra pit.

Enough math. Let's rock!

Previews of School of Rock start April 12. Opening Night is Friday, April 21, at 8 p.m. Performances run through June 4: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (exception: No 1:30 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, April 12). Single tickets are $28 to $79.

Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, melissas@paramountarts.com or (630) 723-2461.

School of Rock is suggested for ages 10 and up for adult language and suggestions of sexual content. Run time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @ParamountAurora on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, @paramountarts on Tik Tok, and on LinkedIn.

Pay What You Can Performances

Paramount will offer two Pay What You Can performances of School of Rock: Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 15 at 3 p.m. Both days, starting at 10 a.m., visit the Paramount box office in-person to request tickets. Limit four per person. Subject to availability. See paramountaurora.com/pay-what-you-can for details.

Access Services

Paramount will offer open and closed captioning on Wednesday, May 24,
at 7 p.m.

The performance on Friday, May 26, at 8 p.m. will be interpreted in American Sign Language.

Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a listening device.

If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com in advance.

Paramount's School of Rock study guide

Wannabe rocker Dewey Finn has just been kicked out of his band. He can't pay rent and his life is falling apart. When Dewey scams his way into a teaching job at a prestigious prep school meant for his roommate, he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. Dewey's love of music and rock soon inspires the kids to pursue what they love.

The 2003 hit movie School of Rock, credited for launching Jack Black's career, was written by Mike White. White also played Dewey's friend Ned Schneebly in the film, and more recently, created HBO's The White Lotus.

The musical debuted on Broadway in 2015, was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for 1,309 performances before closing in 2019. Andrew Lloyd Webber came on board to create new music for the musical version of School of Rock. Webber composed the scores of some of the world's most famous musicals including The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita. Book is by Julian Fellowes and lyrics are by Glenn Slater.

Paramount's School of Rock production team (at press time) is Trent Stork, director; Isaiah Silvia-Chandley, choreographer; Kory Danielson, music director, conductor and music supervisor; Michelle Lilly, scenic designer; Izumi Inaba, costume designer; Greg Hofmann, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer; Mike Tutaj, projection designer; Katie Cordts, wig, hair and makeup designer; Jesse Gaffney, properties designer; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Darren Patin, associate director; TJ Tapp, associate choreographer; Celia Villacres, associate music director and associate conductor; Matthew Silar, stage manager; Lanita VanderSchaaf and Mary Zanger, assistant stage managers; and Bailey O'Neil and Katie Dreher, young performer supervisors.

Trent Stork, Paramount's Associate Artistic Producer and Casting Director, won their first Jeff Award, Director-Musical-Large, for Paramount's Kinky Boots in 2022. Stork's Paramount directorial debut was in 2018 with Legally Blonde (Broadwayworld.com Award - Best Direction of a Musical.) Currently, Stork is busy co-directing Paramount's Into the Woods with Artistic Director Jim Corti, running through March 19.