Get ready to dance your way on down to the Hippodrome Theater for the smash Broadway and West End hit “School of Rock – The Musical.” The high-octane production “plays” at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre as part of the 2017/2018 CareFirst® BlueCross BlueShield Hippodrome Broadway Series. School of Rock – The musical will electrify the Hippodrome stage March 20, 2018 to March 25, 2018.
“School of Rock – The Musical” is based on the smash hit 2003 film of the same, featuring music from the movie, as well as an original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The hilarious new musical follows “Dewey Finn”, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn some extra money by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.
There, he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress.
Actress and dancer Deidre Lang portrays “Ms. Sheinkopf” in the production.
“Ms. Sheinkopf is the assistant to the principal,” said Lang. “She has a strong personality and is sassy. She feels she should be principal and not the assistant, because she has been around longer. She is hard on the kids, but is really a softy at heart and loves everyone at the school. I am really enjoying this role because I get to be funny and have fun at the same time.”
Lang’s theatrical and television credits also include: Broadway – Ragtime, The Lion King, and Tommy. National tours – The Lion King, Hairspray, Tommy, and Cats. International tours – Ragtime, and Smokey Joe’s Café. Regional – The Lion King, Rock of Ages, and Aida. She also was an original “Fly Girl” on the Fox hit “In Living Color”.
Lang talked about landing the role of “Ms. Sheinkopf”.
Actress and dancer Deidre Lang is portraying “Ms. Sheinkopf” in the production
“I auditioned late June 2017,” recalled Lang. “Three days later, I was offered the role of Ms. Sheinkopf. When I auditioned, I didn’t know what part I would be considered for, but was ecstatic and excited about landing a lead role.”
She added, “I will never forget the day I found out I had landed the role. It was the Fourth of July, and I was outside screaming on my porch.”
When asked what it was like to be a “Fly Girl” on the television show In Living Color, Lang said: “It was so cool. At the time, it was a pilot. Then it was picked up, and we had to audition again. We didn’t know it was going to be the hit it turned out to be, but we knew we had stumbled onto something that was going to be groundbreaking.”
She added, “It was wonderful to work with so many talented people like the Wayans, Jim Carey, and David Allen Grier. The dancers practiced in one room, and we watched them. Everyone was so happy, and we had a great time.”
Lang said talks are in the works about a potential reunion show.
“The Fly Girls are trying to put something together too,” she added.
Lang resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband Keith Bennett, who is touring with Disney’s The Lion King. Bennett is a Baltimore native, and a 1981 graduate of Walbrook High School.
“ School of Rock – The Musical” opened on Broadway to rave reviews on Sunday, December 6, 2015. The show was nominated for four 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won the 2017 Oliver award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.
“I am very excited about coming to Baltimore and performing in School of Rock – The Musical,” said Lang. “I encourage everyone to come out and see this show. It is a great story and has a great message.”
Tickets for School of Rock – The Musical can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, BaltimoreHippodrome.com, by calling 800-982-ARTS, or at the Hippodrome Box Office located at 12 N Eutaw St., and Ticketmaster locations.