- Knightley blows the whistle on new political thriller
- What the Maclunkey have they done to Star Wars?
School of Rock the Musical opened at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre last night with mega-tonnes of energy and an explosion of young talent that brought the audience to its feet.
Fantastic performances by Brent Hill and Amy Lehpamer (as rock tragic Dewey Finn and prep school principal Rosalie Mullins) set a solid bass rhythm for the cast of kids, who came in with their astonishing skills in song, dance and instrumentation.
Aged around 10 to 12, the kids are so good at their drums, keyboards and guitars that they required no dubbing and played live on stage to the backing of a bigger (adult) band in the orchestra pit.
The kids who don’t sing solo or play instruments in the show give indispensable performances with great back-up vocals and dancing, and the execution of other essential band roles like designer, lighting technician and manager.
School of Rock begins with frenetic, over-enthusiastic rocker Dewey who has been kicked out of his band and owes a backlog of rent to his increasingly frustrated flatmates. When Horace Green Preparatory School needs a substitute teacher, Dewey tricks principal Mullins into believing he’s qualified for the well-paid role.
All this “teaching crapola” turns out to be a huge yawn for Dewey. That is, until he glimpses his class’s musical talents at orchestra practise. Then the dogs of rock are let loose and Dewey inspires the kids to form a brilliant band complete with head banging and fist-pumping.
As rock surges through the kids’ veins, the cookie-cutter future executives express their authentic selves and push back against their “over-scheduled” existences and the rigid expectations of their parents.
The action hits a spine-tingling crescendo at the Battle of the Bands, when Dewey’s real identity is revealed.
It’s huge fun, and along the way you can’t help falling in love with the characters of the kids. Keyboard maestro Laurence finds his inner cool. Zack’s spirit zings on electric guitar in spite of his dad telling him it’s a time-waster. And Freddy unleashes his true joy on the drums.
Of course, everyone ends up happy, even the overly earnest parents (who are absolutely hilarious) and Rosalie Mullins who reconnects with the rock music of her youth. In that role, Lehpamer simply shone, with fabulous vocals and an empathy for the woman who is working so hard to fulfil the expectations of her ambitious parent body that she has forgotten her own needs.
An inventive play of revolving panels enables rapid set changes on stage. The costumes are great (Miss Mullins’ snappy little suits are spot on) and the lighting is dazzling.
It’s great family entertainment, but you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it. Even if you’re a grumpy, overworked middle class parent you will love it. Just like your counterparts on stage, you might just remember how much fun it was to stick it to the man.
* School of Rock the Musical plays the Capitol Theatre until