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[title]School of Rock, The Musical continues to be a smash hit on Calle Corrientes, becoming the top choice for children and teens during winter break. The show runs at the Teatro Gran Rex until July 28 (yes, until the 28th and then it's over, sniff...) with double performances every day. Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Agustín "Soy Rada" Aristarán, and now we talk with Ángela Leiva, Sofía Pachano, and Germán Tripel, who also star in this hit show.
Ángela, you shine in the role of Principal Rosalie Mullins, and this is your debut in a Calle Corrientes musical. How are you experiencing it?
With a lot of excitement and learning. It's all new to me. Fortunately, I have excellent colleagues, not just on stage but also in production, and everyone understands it's my first time. I'm enjoying it immensely. Even though I've had the chance to perform in theater with my shows several times, this is different. It feels like the first time. It's thrilling, it gives me goosebumps!
Sofía, you have a lot of experience in this genre. What is the biggest challenge this musical presents for you?
Working with children! It's a huge responsibility. I'm always concerned about them, making sure they're having a good time. Beyond enjoying being on stage and doing my job, I care a lot about them having a good time.
Germán, you are blessed among all the women. Tell us, how do you feel about working with so many talented children?
There are 39 kids in the musical of different ages, and for me, it's like being reborn. Seeing how much they enjoy it, their eagerness to be here, it infects you with that spirit and makes you relive what art truly is. That's the most beautiful thing about working with kids for me.
Ángela, what do these kids bring to you?
They are wonderful. Having them as colleagues in this project is beautiful because they have something that we adults sometimes lose, right? It's great to look at them and reconnect with the child inside us, with that freshness, that lack of prejudice. It's amazing to see how they interact with each other, how they treat each other, and how professional and talented they are. And how quickly they learn! Most of the kids in the band learned to play instruments for this show in record time. And you think, "Wow, nothing is impossible." Kids are amazing.
"Most of the kids in the band learned to play instruments for this show in record time"
And what do you feel you can offer them as an established artist?
As an adult, I think I can convey to them to enjoy this moment because it is unique and won't happen again. Better moments will come because, as I said before, they are super talented and have amazing careers ahead of them, but this moment is unique and unrepeatable, and I think they are experiencing it that way.
Sofía, this is your first time working with children. How are you experiencing it?
Yes, it's the first time I'm working with children, and I'm very surprised by everything that's happening to me. It's a great joy. As I said before, I'm always thinking about them being okay on stage. My character, Patty (the girlfriend of Dewey Finn's best friend, played by Rada), doesn't interact with them except at the end, but I do behind the scenes. So, I see how they are, I encourage them, I tell them to have fun, to treat it like a game, not to feel anxious or pressured.
Finally, the show is an adaptation of the School of Rock movie, so the characters already have their imprints and profiles. However, what do you bring to the characters? Did you give them a personal touch?
Germán: In my case, for Theo (a sort of antagonist to Dewey Finn), I looked for a bit of a Viking and an Argentine rocker vibe. I also added traits of rock stars like Axl Rose or Mick Jagger, with exaggerated movements to make it funny.
Sofía: Besides the humor Patty has, I added certain nuances. Also, I made her very wicked. She's incredibly bad! She has a different vibe compared to the other characters.
Ángela: What I was able to bring is a bit of that Argentinian essence that our Rosalie Mullins needs, which is super important for us culturally because the show has been done in many countries. Imagine, for example, in Europe, how strict and stern that character was. So, it was about bringing her to that beautiful thing we Argentinians have, being down-to-earth, sharing. You'll be surprised by my version of Mullins.
Where: From Saturday, July 13 to 28, there are double performances every day (at 3 PM and 7 PM) at the Teatro Gran Rex (Avenida Corrientes 857). Tickets are available here.