(L to R) Isaiah Salley (James), Jonathan Walpole (Lawrence-partially hidden, Naya Gilliam (Shonelle), Nesu Chizengeni (Tomika), Mila Weir (Marcy), June Tuss (Sophie), Brooks Moretti (Zach Mooneyham), Jarod Glou (Dewey Finn), Joey Pond (Billy Sandford), Cecilia Garbaliauskas (Freddie Hamilton), Riley Byrd (Katie), Adrianna Weir (Summer Hathaway), and Benjamin Gorini (Mason). Photo by Matt Liptak.
At Little Theatre of Alexandria, “you’re in the band” once you score a ticket to their winter musical, “School of Rock.” Based on the beloved, 2003 comedy film of the same name starring Jack Black, the musical opened on Broadway in 2015, featuring a book by Julian Fellowes, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and and new music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It follows the eccentric, but endearing, rock singer and guitarist, Dewey Finn, as he gets kicked out of his band, impersonates a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school to earn some cash, and subsequently involves his middle school students in forming a rock and roll band to compete in the upcoming Battle of the Bands. The musical is extraordinarily fast-paced, involves a myriad of moving pieces from scene changes to practical, musical instrument coordination, and requires an enormous amount of stamina and energy from its cast. Director Kristina Friedgen, the production team, and the cast are up to the task and bring spirit, joy, and a surprising amount of youthful hopefulness to their rock and roll romp.
Director Kristina Friedgen, the production team, and the cast…bring spirit, joy, and a surprising amount of youthful hopefulness to their rock and roll romp.
“School of Rock” rocks the hardest thanks to its incredibly dedicated and talented ensemble of performers. Jarod Glou’s intentional performance as the rock god himself, Dewey Finn, never ceased to amaze onstage. His sheer energy, stamina, and dedication to the character and the production as a whole was thoroughly engaging and vibrant, enhanced only by his animated dynamic with the cast of children performers playing his students.
Glou starts off the production with a bang, demonstrating his impressive vocal talent in “When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock,” with the piercing, high notes of a true rock singer. His students were equally as fired up. They showcased sizable talent of their own, even for ones so small, most notably with the practical musician skills from Lucas Pellerito as guitarist Zack Mooneyhamv, Alexandra Blinde as bassist Katie, Penelope Porter as keyboardist Lawrence, and Jasper Bischoff as drummer Freddie (at the February 8th performance). Two of the best numbers of the production were “You’re in the Band” and “Stick it to the Man” when Glou and the children displayed infectious and joyful rock and roll anarchy. Samantha Regan as Summer Hathaway and Nisa McColgan as Tomika Williams-Spencer also added strong characters and sweet voices to the production, especially in “Time to Play” and “If Only You Would Listen.” Jillian Law as Principal Rosalie Mullins, also shined in her solo ballad “Where Did the Rock Go?” Her tenderness and vulnerability captivated through the whole number and also allowed Glou to show some of the softer side to his character.
Choice design and technical elements also excelled while others yielded intermittent results. The lighting design by Ken and Patti Crawley matched the rock vibe perfectly, specifically during the rock concert scenes. The lighting was colorful and dynamic with some excellent, practical concert stage lights that made the audience feel as if they were at a real rock concert, punctuated by a couple fog cannons framing the stage. With an ensemble of adult actors who are constantly moving and playing multiple characters, the costume changes (design by Mia Glatter-Droll) appeared seamless and tight (shoutout to the Wardrobe Coordinators, under Alisa Beyninson, for their hard work). Natalie Turkevich’s hair and makeup design complimented the costumes. The set was designed effectively (Vincent Worthington) given the many settings across the show, but lost some of its luster when it came to dressings and paintings. The look and feel of the set didn’t seem to match the vibrancy of the performers. At this performance, the mics were very hit-or-miss and, unfortunately, some comedic moments were lost because the children’s lines couldn’t be heard. In these instances, Glou’s leadership onstage was superb, keeping the comedy and acting moving along.
Finally, where would a rock musical be without its dedicated team of musicians? The orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Aimee Faulkner, next to Glou, were probably the hardest working ensemble members onstage. Faulkner did an incredibly commendable job of keeping tempos as consistent as possible, especially when some of the students, playing their instruments live, joined in. The three guitarists (Jefferson Hirshman, Kyle Rice, and Jake Gunter) guaranteed guitar riffs were on point and drummer, Nathan Weisbrod, kept the rock beat thumping. There is no “School of Rock” without the band and this orchestra worked hard to ensure that rock sound was present throughout the production.
Ultimately, the production succeeds through the devotion of its cast and crew. It is refreshingly hopeful to see a production with such talented youth come together to collaborate with the adult community, in a time that, at the moment, feels so hopeless. As Friedgen writes herself, “In that shared exchange, leadership is reimagined, community is strengthened, and new possibilities emerge—shaped together.” “School of Rock” shapes an evening of fun, collaboration, and rock and roll in a time of uncertainty. One thing is for certain, at Little Theatre of Alexandria, “there’s no way you can stop the School of Rock!”
Running time: Approximately three hours with one 15-minute intermission.
“School of Rock” runs through February 28, 2026 at Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 703-683-0496, Monday-Friday, 12 – 5pm (with extended hours on performance days), or go online.
