The Kiwi star of School of
Kiwi born actor Joe Kosky has been entertaining Australian audiences with his starring role in School of Rock ,a musical version of the hit Jack Black film.
But there was a time when he was forced to choose between making his mark on the musical stage or becoming a sports star.
One would assume the macho world of sports would be the natural choice for the Aucklandborn, Australia-raised musician. But he drop-kicked his sporting dreams for his love of theatre.
‘‘I’m a tall guy so I always had pressures from coaches to pursue sport,’’ says Kosky, who excelled in all codes, including tennis, rugby and Australian Rules.
‘‘But I couldn’t deny the fact that I really wanted to explore my passion for theatre, for music and for acting. Once I allowed myself to fall in love with musicals, there was no going back to sport.’’
Suffering from a back injury in his teens made his decision easier. But his new passion didn’t sit well with his peers in rural Victoria, a place his family settled after moving to Australia when Kosky was 7.
‘‘I held off for so long because it’s not something that young boys do, you play footy. If you decide to take singing lessons then kids aren’t familiar with that. They bully you because you’re different.’’
To overcome the bullying and the tall-poppy attitudes, Kosky says he had to fully own his passion.
‘‘When you reek of certainty, when you’re very clear of what you want to do with your life then people cotton on to that and they know they can’t shake you.’’
The gamble has paid off for Kosky. After graduating with a degree in musical theatre at the University of Ballarat Arts Academy, Kosky was cast in the productions of Kinky Boots, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Jersey Boys.
School of Rock will see Kosky
return to his birth country in a role made famous by Jack Black in the 2003 comedy film about a struggling rock guitarist who disguises himself as a substitute teacher at a prep school and forms a rock band with the 10-year-olds in his class.
Kosky says it was important to make the role his own and not try to replicate Black’s performance.
‘‘If you go down the path of trying to impersonate someone like Jack Black then you’re never going to get there and unlock the truth of the character.
‘‘Everyone has their own quirks and their own comedic ability and I had to harness that within the reams of this character.’’
The musical had its debut on Broadway in 2015, with a score written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and a book by Downton
Abbey scribe Julian Fellowes. The Australian production wrapped in Melbourne earlier this month and will head to China before coming to
New Zealand in September.
What makes this show different from most touring musicals is that the cast is dominated by children, who end up playing members of a rock band and who sing, dance and play their instruments live on stage.
The show’s resident director Leah Howard, a former back-up dancer for Kylie Minogue and Cindy Lauper, says they’ve selected a diverse cast of children from different ethnic backgrounds but their commonality is their musical talents.
At one time there are
12 actors on stage between the ages of 9 and 12.
Strict child labour laws in most countries means the production must have three groups of 12 children who perform on different nights.
Managing and caring for
38 children, which includes their schooling during the day, has made the production a slick operation, especially when it tours overseas with eight shows each week.
‘‘We have to organise our schedule within an inch of our lives so the opportunity for any mishaps is very minimal.
‘‘We have an amazing team of about 10 chaperons and the kids know that they are there to do a job, that it’s business as usual,’’ says Howard.
‘‘We are really lucky in a sense that they love being on stage and they love working.’’
‘‘I held off [theatre] for so long because it’s not something that young boys do. You play footy. If you decide to take singing lessons then kids aren’t familiar with that. They bully you because you’re different.’’ Joe Kosky
Pre-sale tickets are available from March 11 at the The School of Rock Waitlist. General tickets are available from Thursday, March 14, at 9am.