‘Grease’ comes to CHS stage this weekend

CNA photo by LARRY PETERSON Aubrey Taylor, standing, sings "Freddy My Love" as the character Marty at a pajama party during dress rehearsal of Creston High School's production of the musical, "Grease," to be presented this weekend. First show is 7:30 p.m. today in the CHS Performing Arts Center.

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A popular musical made into a 1978 hit movie featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John will be performed this weekend at the Creston High School Performing Arts Center.

“Grease,” the celebration of 1950s pop culture during the early rock-and-roll music era, will be performed 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. More than 90 students are involved in the show directed by Deb Fischer, CHS vocal music instructor.

There will also be a pit band with this year’s show.

“It’s a very fun, upbeat show,” Fischer said. “It’s a rock-and-roll show with lots of choreography. The kids have been singing and dancing and working hard. The (musical) actually has more songs than the movie.”

The show is similar to the 1972 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey that had a long run on Broadway, and the subsequent 1978 film.

“It’s pretty much the same,” Fischer said, “except the biggest difference is for schools they’ve taken out the teenage pregnancy scene with Rizzo, and a couple songs were changed to be school appropriate.”

“Grease” is the story of a working-class youth subculture known as greasers. It is set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School, based loosely on William Howard Taft High School in Chicago. It follows 10 students as they face the complexities of teenage life.

The sounds of early rock and roll permeate the musical’s score.

Cast in the lead roles are Donovan Richardson as Danny Zuko, and Emily Vandenheuvel as Sandy. The musical showcases the relationship between the cool Zuko, leader of the T-Birds, and the innocent and pure Olsen. The show follows the couple and their friends during their last year at Rydell High through song, dance and humor.

Other leads include Jared Bevins as Kenickie and Vanessa Flaherty as Rizzo.

Doody, who idolizes Danny, is played by Joey Mullin, who is paired with Danielle Price as Frenchy. Other greaser couples include James Kennedy as Roger and Sydney White as Jan; and Payne Horning as Sonny and Aubrey Taylor as Marty.

Other main cast members include Travis Kipp as Johnny Casino, who has a rock band playing for the dance, and Jordan Hayes as Vince Fontaine. Dani Paup is cheerleader Patty and Tyler Sullivan is Eugene. Brandon Bunker plays Teen Angel and Ashley Haines is Cha Cha DiGregorio.

Cast as teacher Miss Lynch is Siouxzee Moore.

Students began working on the show at the start of the school year.

“We introduced the music right away, in preparation for those who wanted to audition for parts,” Fischer said. “We were casting by the third week of school, and then we jumped right into rehearsals.”

Students have been rehearsing the show three nights a week, as well as during choir classes at school.

Parents of vocal music students have organized a sundae bar and root beer floats in the high school commons after the shows tonight and Sunday afternoon.