Earlham Echo

Earlham Performing Arts
Rocks the house with
School of Rock

November 12, 2024

Adding to a string of hits in the last few years, Earlham Performing Arts launched a mighty home run last weekend with its production of School of Rock. The deep and talented cast took the audience on an emotional journey, delivering funny lines and heartfelt songs and scenes with equal aplomb. But most importantly, they rocked the Earlham School auditorium to its very core.

Based on the hit movie, the musical version of School of Rock, with music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, premiered on Broadway in 2015. Since then, it has since been seen on stages around the world. The story follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There, he teaches his students and their parents the power and majesty of rock-n-roll.

School of Rock isn’t a ‘safe choice’ for a high school theater department to take on—especially for a school of Earlham’s size. The production requires a large cast of kids that can sing and dance—and actually play rock-n-roll. Do you think starting a rock band is easy? Try it sometime. For the group of actors/musicians to get up to speed as a band, while learning lines, a ton of songs, and choreography in a short period of time, was an enormous feat.

While the run time of the show was over 2-1/2 hours, it moved at a brisk pace. Every scene delivered. The musical numbers all featured strong vocal performances and snappy choreography. It’s not easy to get young actors to actually ‘act’ and not just read lines, but this cast performed in a way that made the audience truly believe and embrace every character. The stage crew got the production from scene to scene quickly and seamlessly. The sets were simple, but striking and well-designed.

The production of School of Rock is also challenging because it requires a strong talent to take on the outrageous character of Dewey Finn. Warren Sigwalt was more than up for the task. He carried the show with a heavy load of dialog, singing, and playing guitar, never shying away from the role of ‘star’ of the show. Sigwalt has been good in every school production he’s been in, but this role was his tour de force and should certainly earn him serious consideration come state award time.

Other cast members shone brightly, as well. Lilli Strandberg nailed the part of the uptight school principal Rosalie Mullins. She’s a terrific actress and delivered some of the most memorable vocal performances of the night, as well.

Jamin Hardenbrook was funny as Ned Schneebly, Dewey’s best friend. Ned’s girlfriend, Patty, was played by Kenady Ridout, who filled her scenes with fun energy.

Valerie Meyer played the sassy student Summer Hathaway perfectly. As the School of Rock band members, Kate Doud (Zack), Morgan Mapes (Katie), Emma Hinton (Lawrence), Landon Sheffield (Freddy), and Kim Doud (Tamika) gave solid performances. Kate Doud (guitar) and Mapes (bass) were particularly impressive in the scenes where they played their instruments. Sheffield apparently just learned to play the drums, but he was rock solid in his playing scenes. Tucker Freestone (Billy) didn’t have many lines, be stood out in every scene he was in.

Earlham musicals in the past included recorded music as the score, but a live pit orchestra helped fuel the energy of School of Rock. The ‘all-star’ band was comprised of Director Ashley Maiers (piano), her brother Dave Metzler (guitar), Earlham Band Director Logan TeKolste (drums), and former Earlham Band Director Kelly Weber (bass).

Sigwalt set the tone for the show by singing the rocking When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock. Strandberg had two early scenes with solos (Here at Horace Green and Queen of the Night) and both were excellent. Ridout’s solo, Mount Rock (Reprise) was strong and flawless.

The ensemble song You’re In the Band was one of the many highlights of the evening. The scene featured the student band playing their instruments, Sigwalt on lead vocals, and the rest of the kids singing along on this head banging, fist shaking rocker.

Sigwalt was at his comedic best in the next scene when he sang Dewey’s absurd autobiographical epic, In the End of Time.

The song Stick it to the Man and the Reprise, sung by Sigwalt and the students, was a perfect crescendo for Act 1 and had this rock critic (and a veteran of a few mosh pits in my day) wanting to rush the stage.

Meyer kicked off Act II with a peppy number, Time to Play, where she laid down the law to her classmates in true Summer Hathway fashion. Kim Doud provided another highlight in the next scene with her beautiful, emotive voice on a stunning rendition of Amazing Grace.

After the funny Math is a Wonderful Thing by Sigwalt, the tone of the show shifted when Strandberg sang the poignant, Where Did the Rock Go? All of her songs in the show were great, but this performance was particularly strong and emotional.

A few scenes later, another tearjerker stood out. Kim, Kate, Meyer, Sheffield, Hinton, and Mapes harmonized beautifully on If Only You Would Listen, trying to console a downtrodden Dewey.

The rest of the show hit the audience like a rogue rock-n-roll wave, carrying them to the finale. Sigwalt and the students delivered the goods in the Battle of the Bands scene on the song School of Rock, followed by another rowdy version of Stick it to the Man and two curtain calls. Like in the movie, the story culminated in a happy ending for all the characters.

The large audience left School of Rock energized and entertained, but it was clear from the opening scene to the finale—and then even in the post-show banter—that no one had more fun than the kids on the stage.