OLD TOWN — The star of Lollapalooza 2024 could be born this summer at a brand new collaboration involving the Second City Training Center.
For decades, Second City has been the premier training ground for the country’s actors, but this summer the comedy group will join forces with School of Rock Chicago.
The two organizations are launching “Rock City Camp: An Opera of Rock,” which will combine both musical performance with theater.
At the end of the two-week camp, the teenage participants will perform rock classics and original songs during a two-night performance at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
“School of Rock Chicago joining forces with the legacy and stage prowess of our new pals at The Second City is like having Jackie Chan, David Lee Roth, Freddie Mercury and John Belushi as your spirit animals,” said Adam Mackintosh, regional manager for School of Rock Chicago.
The summer stage-writing performance camp is for teens ages 14 to 19 and will involve creating an original storyline, learning rock music and developing original music to produce an original show.
“This might be the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Mackintosh said
The two-week, all-day camp will cost campers $1,200, but need-based scholarships are available.
The camp is open to drummers, guitarists, keyboardists, improvisers, actors, writers, vocalists and anyone else who is eager to take the stage.
“This one-of-a-kind program with School of Rock is a fantastic blend of two organizations with similar ideals: expanding the education opportunities and styles for our youth students, while keeping the ideas of teamwork of creativity at the forefront of their experience,” said Andrew Alexander, Second City’s CEO and executive producer.
