Community Theater Auditions for School of Rock in Schenectady, NY

School of Rock auditions in Upstate New York (Albany area)

Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star facing financial struggles, resorts to posing as a substitute teacher at an esteemed prep school. Surprised to find his students are clueless about rock music, Dewey takes it upon himself to educate them and discover their hidden musical talents.

Rock got no reason, rock got no rhyme…You better get me to school on time! School of Rock follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn an extra bit of cash by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight–A pupils into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. But can he get them to the Battle of the Bands without their parents and the school’s headmistress finding out? This high-octane smash features 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber

Auditions:

Wednesday, May 29, 2024, and Thursday May 30, 2024
Sign-in begins at 6:30 pm. Auditions begin at 7:00 pm.

You only need to attend one of these sessions.
You may complete our audition form and bring it with you or fill it out when you arrive.
Callbacks will be by invite only and will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 1:00 pm.
Persons under the age of 18 will need a parent/guardian in attendance through the audition process.
Parents/Guardians will be asked to help with supervision of children during rehearsals/performances.

What to Prepare:

Please prepare 16 to 32 bars of music in the style of the show (up-tempo/rock songs)
Please wear comfortable clothing/shoes for a possible dance call (CHILDREN & DEWEY ONLY)
Children should come prepared to sing “Amazing Grace” a cappella as well as their selected audition song.

INSTRUMENTALISTS (Dewey, Ned, Zack, Lawrence, Freddy, and Katie) are asked to submit a 1–2-minute video of themselves playing PRIOR to auditions to SOR@sloctheater.org
There is some flexibility with kids NOT needing to be proficient instrumentalists already… if they are willing and able to LEARN it
School of Rock ‘Stick it to the Man’ instrument lessons:

Guitar – https://youtu.be/LUn2aN1LDL0
Bass – https://youtu.be/uE6oZrXuXuA
Drums – https://youtu.be/5o3wT4sim6M
Keys – https://youtu.be/ZfQnDEYaDaI

Audition Location:
SLOC Musical Theater, Education Building
418 Liberty St., Schenectady, NY 12305

Free parking is available in the city owned lot across the street.

Please enter through the left front door facing Liberty Street.
Performance Dates:

September 13-15, 2024, and September 19-22, 2024
(Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm)
SLOC Mainstage, 427 Franklin Street, Schenectady, NY 12305

Rehearsals:

Rehearsals will be held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, from 7:00 pm-10:00 pm, and on Sunday afternoons 1:00 pm-4:00 pm. This is subject to change based on cast/crew availability.
Rehearsals will begin with the read-thru on Monday, July 8, 2024
There will be a photo shoot day TBD based on cast/crew availability.
Attendance is mandatory for Theater Clean-Up Day (morning of Saturday, September 7, 2024, and Tech Week (September 8-12, 2024) as well as all performances.

Roles:

Dewey Finn Rock Tenor, Range B2-A5
A wannabe rock star with big dreams. Great comic chops with improv ability. Rock Tenor. Must have some guitar skills or be ready to learn.

Rosalie Mullins Soprano, Range A3-D6
Proper and a bit uptight, Rosalie is the headmistress of Horace Green School. She has a secret love of rock music and yearns to recapture the carefree spirit of her youth. Mezzo sop

Ned Schneebly Baritone, Range C3-F#4
Old friend of Dewey’s and former band mate. Still passionate about music but does anything Patty tells him. Rock voice. Must have some guitar skills or be ready to learn.

Patty DeMarco Mezzo-Soprano, Range B3-E5
Ned’s domineering girlfriend and she calls the shots. She doesn’t want Dewey in her life or Ned’s. Strong belt.

Theo Range D3-D5
Lead singer of Dewey’s Band “No Vacancy” – Too cool for school rocker. Strong rock voice. May play other roles in ensemble.

Adult Ensemble:
All actors play multiple speaking/solo singing roles including the parents of the band, teachers at Horace Green, and more. Strong singing and character acting ability.

Kid Characters (need to be able to portray a 5th grader):

Summer (Manager) Range: A3-D5

Summer is a high-achieving girl who hates nonsense. She is one of the brightest students at Horace Green and is appointed band manager. She is convinced that winning the “Battle of the Bands” will look good on her college application.

Tomika (Vocals) Range: A3-G5
Tomika transfers to Horace Green; she is shy and doesn’t speak to anyone at school and feels as though she’s not as intelligent as the other students. However, it turns out that she is a highly gifted singer.

Zack (Guitar) Range: A3-D5
Zack is the son of an uptight businessman with no time for his children. Because of that, Zack keeps a great deal bottled inside and has issues with being too stiff with his guitar playing at first. However, Dewey discovers that Zack is actually a musical prodigy.

Lawrence (Keyboard) Range: A3-D#5
Lawrence is an unconfident boy who initially believes that he isn’t cool enough to be a part of the band. He’s a very imaginative keyboard player, and talented at improvising.

Freddy (Drum) Range: A3-D5
Freddy is a rambunctious boy, who is constantly told he isn’t intelligent, but Freddy and Dewey both think that he’s intelligent in a different way, and that Freddy’s father just doesn’t see that.

Katie (Bass) Range: A3-D#5
Katie is a quiet, serious girl who keeps mostly to herself. She plays the cello at school but is quick to pick up the bass at Dewey’s encouragement.

Shonelle and Marcy (Backup Vocals) Range: A3-G5
Shonelle and Marcy are quieter girls who tend to blend into the background. They are School of Rock’s backup singers, and talented dancers.

Billy (Stylist) Range: A3-D5
Billy is a flamboyant boy with a love of style and fashion magazines. He comes from a long line of football players, and his father wants him to be one as well, but Billy has absolutely no interest

Mason Ward (Tech) Range: A3-D5
Mason is a super-smart, nerdy, tech-savvy boy who designs all the lighting and special effects for the band using his laptop.

James (Security)
James is a gruff and tough boy who becomes the band’s security guard during rehearsals,

Sophie and Madison (Roadies) Range: A3-D5
Sophie and Madison are School of Rock’s roadies, but, since the band doesn’t go on tour, they are essentially backup dancers. Each girl is a talented dancer, and they can often be found together.

“SCHOOL OF ROCK”
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Really Useful Group. For more information, visit www.concordtheatricals.com.

Director: Kayla Toney
Music Director: Jonathan Granger
Choreographer: Jillian Granger
Producers: Rose Biggerstaff & Michaela Torres
Stage Manager: Hollie L. Miller

If you have any questions, please contact the Producers, Michaela Torres and Rose Biggerstaff at SOR@sloctheater.org.