School of Rock is a 2015 rock musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes. Based on the 2003 film of the same name, written by Mike White, the musical follows Dewey Finn, an out-of-work rock singer and guitarist who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After identifying the musical talent in his students, Dewey forms a band of fifth-graders, in an attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands contest.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Pretty much everyone in Dewey's class:
- Zack is coping with a disinterested workaholic father.
- Freddy doesn't think he's that smart, and the way his Dad talks down to him doesn't help.
- Tomika is having a hard time as the new girl, but her parents are too happy about her enrollment to notice.
- Billy is having a hard time meeting the standards his jock father sets.
- Adaptational Job Change: Near the start, Dewey gets fired from a job that's implied to be in a record store as opposed to being unemployed in the movie.
- Adaptation Name Change:
- Back up singers Alicia and Marta are renamed Shonelle and Marcy.
- Techie Gordon is renamed Mason.
- Security guy Frankie is renamed James.
- Roadies Eleni and Michelle are renamed Sophie and Madison.
- The Alleged Car: Dewey's van.
- All Musicals Are Adaptations: The musical is based on the 2003 movie of the same name.
- Assimilation Academy: Horace Green is implied to be this during the Alma mater song.
- Blithe Spirit: Dewey is this for the students and faculty at Horace Green.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: During the concert at end, the parents will stand watching in the actual theatre audience.
- Dumb and Drummer: Freddy is Book Dumb and plays the drums.
- Hidden Depths: Just like the movie, Rosalie has a hidden passion for rock and roll and misses the carefree self she once was.
- Promoted to Love Interest: Rosalie and Dewey become an Official Couple by the end, whereas the movie only implied Ship Tease.
- Race Lift: Patty is white in the movie, but in the West End production, she's played by Indo-English actress Preeya Kalidas.
- The Stoner: It's implied that Dewey uses pot recreationally, as the staff at a Horace Green can smell something on him.
