City Circle Theatre Company's “School of Rock: The Musical" at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- July 18 through 27.
Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 27
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
Delivering what The Hollywood Reporter described as “a joyous blast of defiant analog vitality in a manufactured digital world,” the City Circle Theatre Company brings School of Rock: The Musical to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts July 18 through 27, this stage sensation based on the beloved Jack Black comedy hailed by Broadway World as “a big, beautiful blast of musical comedy from start to finish.”
With its Tony nominations including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (for Gosford Park Oscar winner and Downton Abbey Emmy winner Julian Fellowes), and Best Original Score (for Glenn Slater and the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber), School of Rock follows Dewey Finn, a failed wannabe rock star who is down on his luck. After Dewey is kicked out of his band and threatened with eviction, his fortunes take a turn for the better when he intercepts a phone call meant for his flatmate Ned Schneebly. He quickly decides to make a bit of cash and pose as Ned to take up a supply teaching post at Horace Green, a prestigious prep school.
Dewey, though, is horrified to discover that his straight-laced and straight-A students haven’t a clue about rock and roll, and he makes it his mission to educate them. Realizing they are a talented bunch, Dewey decides to mold the youths into a rock outfit and enter the upcoming Battle of the Bands competition, even if he needs to do all of this away from the prying eyes of the school’s principal Rosalie Mullins. Along the way, Dewey finds romance, self-worth, and a proper job – yet most importantly, he teaches the children and their parents the beauty of rock in this exhilarating stage treat that inspired Time Out New York to rave, "School of Rock has absorbed the diverse lessons of Rent, Spring Awakening, and Matilda and passes them on to a new generation."
Directing and scenic designing City Circle Theatre Company's latest production is Elizabeth Tracey, whose recent musicals for the organization have included Anastasia, Mary Poppins, and Spring Awakening. Tracey's music director is Eriq Wolfe, with additional members of the School of Rock creative team including: choreographer Shelby Zukin; stage manager Roxy Running; lighting designer Hans Hinrichsen; and sound designer Darin Ulmer.
Portraying the excitable and inexhaustible Dewey is Christian Drollinger, a castmate in year's City Circle presentation of Catch Me If You Can, with additional members of cast including Andrew Bryant (Ned), Paige Kennedy (Rosalie), and Sasha Tyler (Patty). Featured among the musical's adult ensemble are: Emmett Adamson; Eric Burchett; Avery Cassell; CC Chisolm; Bryant Duffy; Steven Jepson; Laura Kome; Angela McConville; Allan Mebus; Ben Nelson; Nicholas Richardson; Emma Valcourt; and Stephanie Zimmerman. And more than a dozen young talents compose Dewey's rockin' schoolkids: Braden Anderson; Samuel Banaszek; James Beard; Kleo Burkum; Stella Daly; Lily Doobay; Comet Gordon; Joey Langdon; Viola McConville; Miles Richardson; Ellie Silbernagel; Justice Tran; and Miranda Zimmerman.
School of Rock: The Musical runs at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts July 18 through 27, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $23.10-38.50, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9370 and visiting CoralvilleArts.org.
