Actor and one half of the rock duo Tenacious D, Jack Black, has sent a video message to the students of Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School in New Zealand, wishing them well on their staged production of the 2003 hit film School of Rock.
Black was, of course, the star of that movie, in which he plays the part of Dewey Finn, a struggling rocker who masquerades as a teacher who then assembles an all-star group of school-age talent to compete in a battle of the bands.
It’s a charming tale of tribulation and triumph and chock full of rock and heavy metal references, affording Black the space to champion some of his personal favorite artists along the way.
According to a report by New Zealand’s 1 News, a parent of one of the students “had a connection” to the legendary actor and was able to secure a video submission from Black himself. The resulting clip was then shared on the school’s Facebook page and it can be seen in full further down the page.
“Palmerston! North Intermediate Normal! It’s me, Jack Black. I heard you were doing School of Rock,” he says at the top of the video, pausing before rhetorically asking, “Are you doing School of Rock?!”
“That rules,” he continues after a laugh, “Hey, you rule the school and you rock the block. And I just wanted to wish you luck. I wanted to send you good vibes and rock and roll spirit. Go get it! And don’t forget, [sings] ‘There’s no way you can stop the School of Rock!’ Rock ‘n’ roll, much love.”
Principal Hamish Ruawai tells 1 News, “We surprised our students by playing the video of him to them prior to opening night, just before they went in. They were stunned, the adults were stunned and the feedback we’ve had on social media has been amazing.”
“There are some strong messages in the film about following your passion and resilience, which is one of our school’s values and it fits in really nicely,” Ruawai adds about the school’s plans to perform a musical adaptation of the movie, “When we see Palmerston North being mentioned along with a famous actor it makes us feel really wonderful, really blessed.”
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