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Students of Royal Theater Academy are set to bring the story of a run-down rock star turned substitute prep school teacher to life this December in a musical production of "School of Rock."
The show's cast, comprised of actors ages 5 years and older, will perform a complex adaptation of the 2003 film starring Jack Black. Youth performers, doubling as musicians, will jam in character to the play by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
RTA invites all ages to see "School of Rock" the musical, set to take place in early December at Livermore High School. Organizers with the family-oriented theater education company said they hope to perform upbeat tunes with high energy, reminiscent of the original film (plus some ad lib hilarity).
"It is pretty similar to the movie, so I honestly think that anyone who loved this movie, will also love the show — to see it from a different media style," said Mary Grace Gomilla, actress in "School of Rock" and volunteer at RTA.
To tell the story of school-aged children learning music from substitute teacher Dewey Finn, the cast has been rehearsing since late August.
On-stage musical performances by RTA students, rather than orchestra accompaniment, make this a particularly notable production. They will sing lyrics by Glenn Slater and play the drums, bass, guitar and keyboard to rock music scored by Webber.
In terms of casting, "School of Rock" fits perfectly into RTA’s vision of an age-inclusive play.
"We have a huge community of extremely talented kids. Because of that, we want to choose shows that have a lot of opportunity for them!” said Trenton Torain, artistic director and owner of RTA, in an email to Livermore Vine.
The production’s mostly double-casted roles have been split into two groups — AC/DC and Blink 182 — that will perform separately.
The story’s underlying message of finding one’s path in life, despite others’ expectations, resonates with the theater company too.
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"It's a little meta how this show relates to the organization," Gomilla said. "Trent is so great at nurturing everyone's talent at every level there is, whether you're really young or old, whether you've done theater before or have not done theater before. And he wants to create a really safe space for people to grow their love of theater and to practice without any judgment.”
Six showings of "School of Rock" are set to run from Dec. 2-10 with varied start times.
Tickets and more information can be found at Eventbrite. Special packages and discounts are available for schools, community organizations and large parties.
