Eric Petersen to play Dewey Finn in School of Rock

Broadway alum Eric Petersen will officially takes over the role of Dewey Finn from Tony nominee Alex Brightman in the Tony-nominated production of School of Rock - The Musical at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre from 7 November 2016. Mr. Brightman will play his final performance in the role on 6 November.

Eric Petersen has previously appeared on the Great White Way in 'Shrek The Musical' and 'Peter and the Starcatcher.' He also played the title role in 'Shrek The Musical,' as well as the lead role of Buddy in 'Elf' on their respective National Tours. He is also known for his TV role as Arlo Barth on "Kristie."

In addition, the musical will welcome a host of new (predominantly young) cast members as it enters it's second year on Broadway. From 7 November 2016, the principal cast of School of Rock - The Musical will feature Eric Petersen (Dewey Finn), Jenn Gambatese (Rosalie Mullins), Steven Booth (Ned), Becky Gulsvig (Patty), Rachel Katzke (Katie), Annabelle Wachtel (Marcy), Terrance Bell, Jr. (Mason), Bobbie MacKenzie (Tomika), Raghav Mehrotra (Freddy), Brandon Niederauer (Zack), Luca Padovan (Billy), Walden Sullivan (Lawrence), Olivia Chun (Summer) and Chloe Bryan (Madison).

School of Rock - The Musical officially opened to positive reviews at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre on 6 December 2015, following previews from 9 November, and it is currently booking through to 28 May 2017.

Based on the 2003 film of the same name and directed by Laurence Connor, School of Rock - The Musical features songs from the film as well as new music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes.

Synopsis: "In School of Rock - The Musical, down-on-his-luck wannabe rock star Dewey Finn poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school to make ends meet. When he discovers his students' musical talents, he enlists his fifth-graders to form a rock group and conquer the Battle of the Bands."

The production features choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, scenic and costume design by Anna Louizos, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Mick Potter, and music supervision by Ethan Popp. It is produced on Broadway by Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Really Useful Group, Warner Music Group & Access Industries, The Shubert Organization, and The Nederlander Organization.

A West End production is scheduled to open at the New London Theatre on 14 November 2016, following previews from 24 October.

- by Tom Millward