Licensing Company: Origin Theatrical
School of Rock (RUG)
Based on the cult film and with a rocking new score from Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock follows slacker Dewey Finn as he turns a class of straight – A students into an ear-popping, riff-scorching, all-conquering rock band! As they prepare for the Battle of the Bands, can Dewey make them embrace the empowering message of rock?
School of Rock (RUG)
PROGRAMMED INSTRUMENTS
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
$212.50
Based on the cult film and with a rocking new score from Andrew Lloyd Webber, School of Rock follows slacker Dewey Finn as he turns a class of straight – A students into an ear-popping, riff-scorching, all-conquering rock band! As they prepare for the Battle of the Bands, can Dewey make them embrace the empowering message of rock?
PROGRAMMING NOTES
This licensed version is based on the 2015 Broadway production. However, in an unprecedented move, before the Broadway production even opened, Lloyd Webber granted North American schools and youth groups the opportunity to apply for the rights to perform the show although is is now also available to all groups in North America, including professional theaters.
This show is orchestrated to be stick conducted from the podium. There are essentially two different “bands” which includes the all kids “on stage” band as well as the “pit band”. Per your performance license, the on stage band band must be comprised of kids and teens while there is no distinction for the musicians in the pit band. The pit band has 2 keyboard parts both of which have keyboard programming essential to the show. There is no programming for the onstage keyboardist. KeyboardTEK has worked with both Concord Theatricals and RUG (Really Useful Group) to recreate the original patches from the original production.
Keyboard 1 is the primary piano book but in addition to the various acoustic piano patches many of the other sounds include a mix of orchestral instruments such as woodwinds, strings, and orchestral mallet percussion, and more modern sounds such as basses, guitars, B3 organ, and various analog synth elements. There are over 70 individual patches in the Key 1 part. This book can easily be played by an advanced high school player and is not as technically difficult as many other modern musical scores.
Keyboard 2 has over 50 unique patches and sounds which include synth elements such as basses, synth brass, and pads but also covers the orchestral palette as well with piccolo, horns, strings, and percussion. You will also find piano, various guitars, and both B3 and Pipe organs throughout.
KEYBOARD PROGRAMMER
Keyboard Programmer: Kevin Roland
ORIGINAL MUSIC TEAM
Book by: Julian Fellowes
Music by: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by: Glenn Slater
Based on the Paramount movie written by: Mike White
Musical Director: Darren Ledbetter
Music orchestrated by: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Featuring songs by: Jack Black, Warren Fitzgerald, Sammy James, Jr., Mike White, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and John Newton
ORIGINAL 2015 BROADWAY ORCHESTRA
Conducted by: Darren Ledbetter
Associate Conductor: Brandon Ethridge
Assistant Conductor: Zachary Dietz
Keyboards: Brandon Ethridge and Zachary Dietz
Guitar: Jeffrey Lee Campbell, Brian Koonin and Tim Quick
Bass: Pete Donovan
Drums/ Percussion: Gary Seligson
Original Keyboard Programmer: Stuart Andrews
Music Supervision by: Ethan Popp
SHOW DESCRIPTION
Rock got no reason, rock got no rhyme…You better get me to school on time! Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock – The Musical is a two-hour, two-act show (plus intermission), based on the hit movie. The tuner follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn an extra bit of cash by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight–A pupils into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. But can he get them to the Battle of the Bands without their parents and the school’s headmistress finding out?
Lloyd Webber produced the stage musical on Broadway and in the West End, penning 14 new numbers for the show, which additionally features all of the original songs from the movie. The composer’s tracks “You’re in the Band” and “Stick it to the Man” are well on their way to becoming rock solid standards, while the finale with “Teacher’s Pet” brings audiences to their feet, eight shows a week.
School of Rock – The Musical, with its sensational live kids’ rock band, is a loving testimony to the transforming power of music.