COME HIT THE BUSHNELL RAFTERS WITH ROUSING "SCHOOL OF ROCK"

                                      DEWEY FINN GETTING READY TO ROCK

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has done it again, created a super-duper musical that magically rocks the rafters. The Bushnell in Hartford will be nailing down everything that could jump, bump or vibrate as this stimulating and sensational "School of Rock" is let out of its protective wrapper from Tuesday, October 24 to Sunday, October 29.

With music by Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian Fellowes, based on the Jack Black film hit of the same name in 2003, "School of Rock" follows an unemployed rock musician who sings and plays guitar as he tries to make an honest dollar as a substitute teacher.  Forget the fact that he was thrown out of his band and the school gig belongs not to him but to his best friend.

Dewey Finn takes on his new slightly uncomfortable role at a prestigious prep school and instinctively, like a blood hound,  discovers that his new charges have remarkable talents with musical instruments.  Dewey's desire to smash his way to the top of the upcoming Battle of the Bands contest leads him to bring his machinations to transforming his class of fifth graders into rock stars.

Will these studious and straight haired students, who measure success in A's on report cards, let their hair down and follow this rather disreputable leader? Can Dewey perform his magical and maniacal mission without the kids parents or the school authorities discovering his subversive and diabolical plot? How can he get the students to blow their staid exteriors to let loose mind-expanding musical personas?

Before you can say "rock and roll" three times, Dewey has encouraged his class to abandon  gold stars and academic achievement and pledge total and complete allegiance to the band.  Soon school uniforms are gone and his students are blasting out on electric guitars, bass, keyboard and drums and Dewey, the failure and band reject and wannabe rock star, is off and ready to climb "To the Top of Mount Rock."

For tickets ($22.50 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online www.bushnell.org.  Performances are Tuesday to Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Come see if Dewey can perform musical miracles and, at the same time, win the damsel of his dreams.