‘School’ a study in the power of music
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was a fan of the 2003 Jack Black comedy “School of Rock,” and he explained why to his friend Glenn Slater, the awardwinning lyricist.
“Andrew was always attracted to that film because it’s about the transformative power of music in people’s lives — especially young people,” Slater says.
But Lloyd Webber didn’t know that eventually he would bring the movie to Broadway — as a musical.
“I don’t know he thought he was the one to write it,” Slater says with a laugh. But it made perfect sense, when you look at the British composer’s résumé.
“This is Andrew Lloyd Webber, the man who basically invented the rock opera with ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ ” says Slater, a Tony nominee for his work on Broadway’s “The Little Mermaid” and “Sister Act.”
A touring production of “School of Rock,” which has run on Broadway since December 2015, will open Tuesday at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando.
As in the movie, the story follows Dewey Finn, a rock-star wannabe who pretends to be a teacher and inspires a group of elementary-school students to form a band.
Slater, who won a Grammy for “I See the Light” from the Disney movie “Tangled,” previously had worked with Lloyd Webber on the musical “Love Never Dies.” “School of Rock,” written with “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, came together more quickly than their first collaboration.
“We went into a room with nothing and a week later we came out with a quarter of it written,” Slater says. “We were having so much fun with it, the momentum just carried us through. It became compulsive, we just couldn’t stop.”
The show relies heavily on its child actors, who also have to be strong musicians. Slater remembers the first day working with the Broadway performers.
“The energy was like nothing I’ve ever seen,” he says. “It was like these kids had known each other all their lives. We said, ‘There is magic here.’ ”
Slater enjoys watching children attend the show; for many, it’s their first time in a theater. He thinks fans of all ages will find something special in the stage version.
“It has all the comedy and fun of the film, but it also has the heart you can only get from a musical,” he says. “When you have characters sing, you can get a look into their hearts that you can’t get in a film.”