What better way to end a season for Amarillo Little Theatre than to rock out with the hilarious, lively rendition of “School of Rock”?
ALT is capping off its 98th season with the musical based on the hilarious 2003 film starring Jack Black, which follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star, played by Carlos Williams, who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.
There, Dewey turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band —sensationally performed live by ALT’s young actors every night with roof-raising energy.
The show opens April 30 and continues over three weekends through May 17 on the Allen Shankles Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle in Amarillo.
With music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (“Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar”), winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music, this talent-packed musical will rock the roof off the ALT Mainstage.
All the students play their own instruments and really get into their characters with zest and energy.
Playing Dewey, the wannabe rocker with rock ‘in his blood’
Williams, who landed the lead, said he really enjoys playing Dewey as a wannabe rocker “who is trying to keep a job, but he just has to rock — it’s in his blood,” Williams said. “It’s in his bones, and he has to be rocking.”
Williams said that there were parts of Dewey he could resonate with. He was a little smarter than Dewey, but felt Dewey was more creative. “He gets the creative juices flowing a lot easier,” Williams admitted.
The artistic actor said he liked doing music gigs around town and was part of a Tenacious D cover band. “When I heard ALT was doing ‘School of Rock,’ I was like, gotta try it, you know?”
Wiliams said it had been a blast getting to know the kids and having his own band of 12- to 17-year-olds. He said that Hannah was the boss, who plays their bassist, and she was a little bossy to him but that everyone else listened.
Although this is his first mainstage production at ALT, he had been in some productions for Amarillo Opera. Williams has his degree in music from Amarillo College and studied voice and guitar with some of the best professors in the Panhandle and was very fortunate.
He is still going to school, majoring in education at WT, and has a day job at Pak-a-Sack as a clerk cashier.
“It’s kind of right up my alley over here getting to teach kids,” he said.
Rosalie, the strict school principal who goes ‘by the book’
Sarai Dinkins-Agalaba is playing Rosalie Mullins, the principal of Horace Green Prep School. “It’s a lot different from who I am as a person,” she said. “She’s very strict and by the book and on top of everything.”
“Not to say I’m not on top of everything, but if I had to be on top of it all, I would fall,” she said with a laugh. She said that she saw the movie when it came out and didn’t realize it was a musical until ALT announced their season and listed it as one.
Dinkins-Agalaba said she knew she had to be in it.
“I love to sing; I’m a soprano,” she added. “I played orchestra for 13 years and viola for 13 years.”
The talented woman said she picked up instruments like languages. Dinkins-Agalaba said that she can play guitar, cello and piano and graduated with a degree in Theater Performance music and would love to do that on Broadway, but is now leaning more toward helping children, such as troubled kids, through music. She graduated back in 2020 and currently works at the Texas unemployment office as a childcare specialist.
She has also performed in such productions as “Jersey Boys” and “Dream Girls.” “It’s hobby and it’s a lot of hard work, but I couldn’t imagine my life any other way,” she said.
Dinkins-Agalaba said she happiest spending her weeks and weekends at ALT with everyone and was really enjoying the talent of the kiddos in an Academy show. “They just blew it out of the water at our first rehearsal,” she said. “One of the kiddos learned his instrument specifically for the show.”
Lee Roberson as Ned Schneebly and Chloe McCutchan as Patti Di Marco also star in the show.
Joining the cast is Alexis Williams as Summer Hathaway, Lane Donathan as Zack Mooneyham, Sabrina Ali as Tomika, Justus Roller as Lawrence Turner, Hannah Moore as Katie Travis, Britain Pennington-Booher as Freddie Hamilton, Mark Kouba as Billy Sanford, Naijah Forester as Marcy, Cielo Mendoza as Shonelle, Braden Wollaston-Neel as Mason Ward, Jaxson Gaitan as James, Emerson Johnston as Sophie and Laken Derington as Madison.
The talented ensemble includes Remy DeLara, Lindsy Donathan, Nataziah Gipson, Kailey Gomez, Jamie Hand, Mitcheal Johnson Jr., Logan Jones, Bobby McCauley, Kelly Melies, Jonathan Mobley, Gary Paul Moore, Preston Moore, Jesse Neel, Treva Oller, Sara Pennington-Booher, Scott Royster, Jo Smith, Jeni Stennis and Charles Thomason.
“School of Rock” is being directed by Callie Hisek, with Jennifer Akins serving as music director, Christeen Bernet as the show’s choreographer and Michael Platt as assistant director.
Show times include 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, April 30 and May 1-2, 7-9 and 14-16, and 2:30 p.m. matinees on Sundays, May 10 and 17.
An ASL-Interpreted performance will be held Sunday, May 10 for the deaf and hard of hearing community.
To join ALT for this high-energy musical adventure celebrating music, individuality and staying true to yourself, tickets can be reserved by emailing lissa@amarillolittletheatre.org or online at amarillolittletheatre.org.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: ‘School of Rock’ blasts onto ALT mainstage as season finale
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
