By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on May 29, 2014 12:19 PM
School of Rock, the 2003 film about a struggling rock musician turned inspirational music teacher, is being adapted to the stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber s London based Really Useful Group.
School of Rock, inspired by the 2003 film, in development for Broadway
The film School of Rock was released in 2003 to impressive critical acclaim and stupendous box office success. Starring Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a struggling rock guitarist who unwittingly becomes an inspiring children’s rock music teacher, School of Rock opened at #1 at the box office, earning $19,622,714 in its first weekend, and it eventually reached a total box office gross of $131,282,949. Directed by Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise trilogy) and produced by Scott Rudin, the film was beloved by a wide demographic audience, earning an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a high rating of “universal acclaim” on Metacritic, which amasses the critical response to films. In addition, the movie spurred a string of small town rock n roll schools to teach music to children that borrowed the name “School of Rock.”Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group Behind the Adaptation
Last year, it was announced that School of Rock has its sights set on the stage. Even more interestingly, the producing mind behind this adaptation is none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of such classic musicals as Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats. In addition to being a musical creative genius, Webber founded a London-based producing entity in 1977 called the Really Useful Group. RUG has since expanded to be concerned with not only stage productions, but also film, television, video, and concert productions. Furthermore, the company owns and operates six theatres in the West End of London: the Adelphi Theatre, the Cambridge Theatre, the New London Theatre, the London Palladium, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and Her Majesty’s Theatre, where The Phantom of the Opera has been playing since 1986.