Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber’s high-octane Broadway and West End hit School Of Rock – The Musical is coming to Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. The smash-hit musical will play a limited one-week run, April 9 – 14.
School Of Rock – The Musical is based on the hit 2003 film of the same and features music from the movie, as well as an original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, a book by Julian Fellowes, choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter and direction by Laurence Connor.
The full cast of School Of Rock – The Musical national tour stars Merritt David Janes as Dewey, Lexie Dorsett Sharp as Rosalie, Madison Micucci as Patty, Layne Roate as Ned, Gary Trainor as Dewey Alternate, Deidre Lang as Ms. Sheinkopf, Arianna Pereira as Shonelle, Leanne Parks as Katie, Alyssa Emily Marvin as Marcy, Dylann Trueblood as Mason, Camille De La Cruz as Tomika, Cameron Trueblood as Freddy, Mystic Inscho as Zack, Sammy Dell as Billy, Julian Brescia as Lawrence and Sami Bray as Summer. The adult ensemble features John Campione, Matt Caplan, Alison Cusano, Christopher De Angelis, Liam Fennecken, Brian Golub, Lizzie Klemperer, Sinclair Mitchell, Jonathon Timpanelli, JP Qualters and Khalifa White. The kid’s ensemble features Bella Fraker, Eamonn Hubert, Jacob Moran, Blake Ryan, Isabella Rose Sky and Gabriella Uhl.
It was a pleasure to sit down with Gary Trainor, who plays the lead role of Dewey in certain performances for this Hotspots exclusive interview.
At what age did you begin performing and how did it happen?
I started performing when I was about 7 years old in Northern Ireland, and have been hooked ever since.
What was your first professional role?
I went to drama school in London and when I finished that degree at 21 I did a show called the Oxford Passion that I got paid for.
How did you get cast in this Broadway Across America’s production of School of Rock?
I was in the original West End show and I was the Dewey alternate there, and then took over the lead full time. Eventually I took a break, and after resting, I was interested in coming back to School Of Rock and they picked me for the tour.
Other than this role, what has been your favorite to play?
I played Donnie Kirshner in Beautiful in the West End and that was a lot of fun. I also liked Stones in his Pocket on Broadway, which I did in 2011.
What is your fantasy role?
I would have said Dr. Who in the past, but now that roles are diverse I can be Dr. Who’s sidekick. Either that or Mrs. Doubtfire.
How fun is it to work with the talented group of kids in School of Rock?
It’s amazing, as you get to be the big brother or the fun uncle. They are so talented and fun, and the energy they have is infectious. These kids are so professional, it amazes me.
What should our readers expect from this production of School of Rock?
They should expect to be entertained, to laugh, and to be shocked a bit. You are going to see these kids take a journey and you are going to get your face smashed by some amazing rock. The people that come to our show are from the ages 4 to 104. There really is no age limit!
On a personal level, I am having the time of my life on this show and exploring parts of America I thought I would never see. I am looking forward to coming to Florida to get some sun on this pasty Irish skin.
School Of Rock – The Musical opened on Broadway to rave reviews on Sunday, December 6, 2015. This Ben Brantley New York Times ‘Critics’ Pick’ “is an inspiring jolt of energy and mad skillz,” raves Jesse Oxfeld of Entertainment Weekly. And in his four-star Critics’ Pick review, Time Out’s David Cote proclaimed, “School’s IN – forever!” School Of Rock – The Musical was nominated for four 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score (Lloyd Webber and Slater), Best Book (Fellowes), and Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Alex Brightman). School Of Rock – The Musical also won the 2017 Oliver award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.
Based on the hit film, School Of Rock – The Musical is a hilarious new musical that 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 turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. While teaching these pintsized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within.
Tickets to School Of Rock – The Musical start at $34 and are available through the Arsht Center Box Office in person at 1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, by calling 305.949.6722, or online at arshtcenter.org.
For more information go to: ustour.SchoolOfRockTheMusical.com.
