‘School of Rock’ a crowd-pleasing, upbeat musical

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s NY stage show is drawing mixed reviews from critics following its opening at the Winter Garden theatre on Sunday night (06Dec15), but the theatre mogul is pressing on with plans to move to the West End next autumn.

Traffic along Broadway came to a halt as an eclectic, star-studded crowd turned out in force last night to welcomeSchool of Rock to NY, including Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Sting, the stars of “Downton Abbey,”Miranda Cosgrove and the “kids” from the School of Rock film, Graydon Carter, Harvey Weinstein, David Geffen, and many more. Loved it” Miranda wrote on Instagram”.

Completely disinterested in academic work, Dewey decides to create his own curriculum, turning his class into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band.

“I am thrilled to announce that we are confirming a West End production of School Of Rock – The Musical”, a press release from Webber reads.

As you surely know, this is the story of Dewey Finn (Alex Brightman, Matilda, Wicked), freeloading would-be rock god who is on the verge of being thrown out of the apartment he shares with ex-bandmate Ned (Spencer Moses) and his had-it-up-to-here fiancée Patty (Mamie Parris), for lack of paying rent and general squalidness. And for all his Jack Black-isms, Brightman is nothing if not an endearing Dewey.

The production, directed by Laurence Connor (the current “Les Miserables”), is as slick and sure of itself as if it had been running at the Winter Garden Theatre since Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” closed 15 years ago. It is an absolute treat to hear them. Brightman appears to be a pretty cool guitarist but what a protege Dewey gets in the Zack of Brandon Niederauer, a prodigy who’s already sat in with house bands around TV land. In quick, affecting strokes, these actors establish the emotional stakes of their characters (particular props to Bobbi MacKenzie, as the cowed-into-silence Tomika, and Luca Padovan, as fashion designer-in-the-making Billy). Even in his very good old days, including the 1970 breakthrough of “Jesus Christ Superstar”, the structures were pop operatic and the intentions epic.

And in the musical’s two best numbers – the audition sequence “You’re in the Band”, and the anthemic “Stick it to the Man” – the youngsters really do give us a sense of the liberating, formative power of rock music on the pre-adolescent brain.