Review: ‘School’ rocks out on Segerstrom Center stage

By Tom Titus

July 25, 2018 10:40 AM PT

If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then Rob Colletti does a heck of a lot of flattering as the star of “School of Rock,” now bringing audiences to their feet at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Colletti is virtually a mirror image of Jack Black, who headlined the 2003 movie as a shiftless parasite who cons his way into a substitute teaching gig at a snooty private school and turns his students into a high-voltage rock band.

The show is eye and ear candy for audiences from 8 to 80, bolstered by a terrific chorus of pre-teen performers who, the center assures us, really do play their instruments — and do so quite well.

Colletti’s slovenly character of Dewey, sponging off a buddy’s hospitality, isn’t immediately likable, but he, and the actor, grow on you as he fast-talks his way into a “paying job” and turns it into a mentoring career with an assist from some remarkable kids.

Sparks fly when Dewey and his adversary, a ramrod-stiff, by-the-book school principal, collide. This role was performed beautifully by the understudy, Elysia Jordan, at Tuesday’s opening performance.

Both Matt Bittner and Emily Borromeo, as Dewey’s reluctant hosts, are effective with Borromeo earning bonus points for tenacious nagging. Patrick Clanton scores as a fellow teacher repeatedly misnamed by Dewey.

But the true stars are the kids who sail seamlessly through some demanding musical and choreographic segments. They’re not always audible above the challenging accompaniment but the energy is there in abundance.

These include Iara Nemirovsky as Summer, inflated by her newfound authority as band manager; Vincent Molden as Zack, a super-charged guitarist channeling Chuck Berry, and Grier Burke, a shy lass who finds her voice with a vengeance in an “Amazing Grace” solo that’s truly amazing.

Directed by Laurence Connor, with sprightly choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, “School of Rock” also features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, far from his “Phantom” or “Evita” territory. The story, incidentally, was created by Julian Fellowes, whose credits include TV’s “Downton Abbey.”

The show’s stops are pulled out near the end during the climactic band battle, and some of Natasha Katz’s lighting effects may become an irritant, but the overall experience is a joyful one, as is the entire production.