School of Rock Sets Broadway Closing Date

A Melbourne production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical will launch in the fall.

After three years of Broadway headbanging, School of Rock will ends its run at the Winter Garden Theatre. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical will close January 20, 2019, having played 31 previews and 1,307 regular performances.

The show, featuring a score by Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and a book by Julian Fellowes, is also currently playing a national tour and an engagement in London's West End. An Australian sit-down production will kick off October 31 at Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre before embarking on an Asian tour.

Based on the 2003 film of the same name, School of Rock follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star who poses as a substitute teacher at an elite prep school. Soon after meeting his straight-laced pupils, Dewey dedicates his time in the gig to transforming them into a rock band.

The current cast includes Justin Collette as Dewey (with Conner John Gillooly playing select performances), Analisa Leaming as Rosalie (with Katherine McLaughlin stepping in beginning July 30), Jonathan Gould as Ned, and Lori Eve Marinacci as Patty, as well as a company of young rockers as the students at Horace Green, who play their own instruments live at each performance.

Read: KATHERINE McLAUGHLIN, HUDSON LOVERRO, MORE WILL JOIN SCHOOL OF ROCK

The Laurence Connor-helmed musical opened on Broadway in December 2015 and went on to earn four Tony nominations: Best Musical, Best Score for Lloyd Webber and Slater, Best Book for Fellowes, and Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Alex Brightman.

Before the musical officially opened on Broadway, the musical became available for licensing to youth performance groups and schools, marking an unprecedented partnership with R&H Theatricals.

School of Rock features choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, scenic and costume design by Anna Louizos, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Mick Potter, and music supervision by Ethan Popp.

