'School of Rock' musical ready to rock Beijing

The long-awaited musical School of Rock is set to bring waves of rock 'n' roll to Beijing audiences from March 22 to April 14 at Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.

The rock musical, based on the 2003 film of the same name, follows slacker 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 manages to turn a class of straight-A students into an ear-popping, guitar-shredding, bass-slapping and mind-blowing rock band.

With a new score from Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Julian Fellowes and an incredible cast of children shredding guitars, pounding drums and rocking out live, School of Rock is a cultural feast for all ages.

In 2015, the rock musical premiered on Broadway, causing a tremendous response in the industry. And the same reputation has followed its world tour in London, Melbourne and Seoul.

Top-notch team

To anyone who is familiar with Broadway musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber is a legend. He has produced many award-winning works, including Cats, The Phantom Of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar.

This time Webber returns with a combination of rock and romance in the new musical. School of Rock features 14 new songs from him and all the original songs from the movie.

It's worth noting that those little artists in the musical are also highly talented in reality. Many of them can already play a number of musical instruments at a very young age.

According to Brent Hill who stars as Dewey Finn in the musical, more than 500 children signed up for the initial audition, and many were not as tall as the instruments.

"I can say the competition was very fierce at that time, and those who can perform on the stage are lucky yet competent," Hill said.

Answer to generation gap

Andrew Lloyd Webber once said that the film School of Rock was a comedy that focused more on the man Dewey Finn, but the musical has shifted its focus on the relationship between the children and parents.

Laurence Connor, director of the musical, said that those little performers have the power to strike a chord with the audience during their performance, and he believed that is the power of the musical.

"When we rehearse the song If Only You Would Listen, many kids tell me that the lyrics exactly express what they want to say to their parents. And they believe that if their opinion can be respected by their parents, they can be more energetic both in study and life."

Be it in China or other countries, there is often a lack of understanding between parents and children. Children always complain that their parents are out of touch, while parents often don't approve of what their children say and do.

Maybe here is a musical that can offer you some insight.