`SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK' SPAWNS LIVE MUSICAL : EDUCATIONAL SHOW'S FANS AUDITION FOR SIMI DEBUT.Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer When Bob Cochrane was in grade school, he got some special help learning grammar from ``School House Rock.'' Growing up in the '70s, he anxiously waited for the short, animated educational jingles to appear in commercial spots between Saturday morning cartoons Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming which was typically scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the 1990s. . With catchy songs like ``Verb: That's What's Happening'' and ``Conjunction Junction,'' Cochrane aced his way through tests by simply remembering the tunes. ``I would hum the music in my head during class - it was a great way to remember things,'' said Cochrane, 26. `` `School House Rock' was educational, even though I didn't know it at the time.'' A dedicated ``School House Rock'' follower since the series ended in 1985, the aspiring actor grabbed a golden opportunity when auditions opened Saturday for ``School House Rock Live!'' - a musical to debut in May at the Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. Cultural Arts Center. ``It's the chance of a lifetime,'' said Cochrane of Playa playa or pan or flat or dry lake Flat-bottomed depression that is periodically covered by water. Playas occur in interior desert basins and adjacent to coasts in arid and semiarid regions. Del Rey Del Rey may refer to:
Cochrane was among a handful of men, women and teens who auditioned for five roles. The musical will feature 21 songs from the Emmy-winning television series including ``I'm Just a Bill "I'm Just a Bill" is a classic Schoolhouse Rock! segment which first aired in 1975. It is sung by Jack Sheldon (the voice of the bill) and his son (the boy learning the process). It is about how a bill becomes a law, how it must go through Congress, and how it can be vetoed, etc. ,'' ``Conjunction Junction,'' ``Three is a Magic Number,'' ``Interplanet Janet,'' and ``Suffrin' Till Suffrage suffrage: see ballot; election; franchise; voting; woman suffrage. .'' Creator David McCall came up with the idea for ``School House Rock'' in the '60s, when his son Davey was having trouble memorizing multiplication tables in grade school. Though multiplication was a challenge, Davey easily remembered lyrics to rock songs by The Rolling Stones Rolling Stones, English rock music group that rose to prominence in the mid-1960s and continues to exert great influence. Members have included singer Mick Jagger (Michael Phillip Jagger), 1943–; guitarists Brian Jones and Jimi Hendrix Noun 1. Jimi Hendrix - United States guitarist whose innovative style with electric guitars influenced the development of rock music (1942-1970) Hendrix, James Marshall Hendrix . So McCall figured his son would find learning easier if he had a catchy tune to go with his time tables. Years later, more than 40 three-minute ``edutainment'' clips aired repeatedly between 1973 and 1985, teaching kids lessons in subjects from math to science, history to grammar. Megan Pryor, 15, never imagined the musical cartoons she watched as a kid would guide her through honors U.S. history this year. By remembering the lyrics to ``Shot Heard 'Round the World The shot heard "The shot heard 'round the world" is a well known phrase that has come to represent several historical incidents throughout world history. The line is originally from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Concord Hymn ,'' the high school sophomore easily recalled facts about the revolution. ``The songs were such an easy way to learn hard things,'' said Pryor of Simi Valley, who auditioned Saturday for the coming musical. ``I never thought I'd be using them now.'' Executive Producer Gabriel Vega believes the high-energy musical will please all ages. ``It's good entertainment, good music and basic educational fundamentals all merged together,'' Vega said. ``It will give everyone something to sing about.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Megan Pryor, 15, auditions for a role in the musical ``School House Rock Live.'' Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News |
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