Lancers Productions Presents: Grease

Lancers+Productions+Presents%3A+Grease

Stephanie Brogna

Lancers Productions Presents: Grease

Stephanie Brogna, Editor-in-Chief/ Photographer

“Grease is the word” during Lancer Productions 2016 portrayal of the hit musical Grease. This year the Lancers put on the show of a lifetime, spending hours learning lines, choreography, songs, and bonding between the cast, crew, and band.

Behind the scenes of Grease, students are running back and forth between wings, changing costumes, and warming up their singing voices. Some are spending time in the Green Room fixing hair and makeup, and others are changing costume and preparing for their next appearance. Stage Crew is waiting in the wings to set up props and decorate the set in new ways for each individual scene. Behind the scenes are full of action, but it is what’s on the stage that the audience sees.

In the classic musical, bad boy Danny Zuko falls head over heels for good girl Sandy Dumbrowski. The story starts when the “new girl”, Sandy, moves to Rydell High School. She, along with Danny, tell their friends about an anonymous, budding summer romance with one another. Without knowing, the duo describes each other and after the long description of their “Summer Nights”, the Pink Ladies discover Sandy was singing about Danny. After their long awaited reunion, the pair grows closer, but finds that their similarities are the differences between them and their friends. A show filled with romance, drama, and music, who couldn’t resist.

The performance opened with T-Birds, Roger and Doody, arguing over their lunches. The audience turns their attention across the stage to meet Pink Ladies; Marty, Jan, Judy, and Debbie. Soon the stage is filled with characters including Rizzo, Kenickie, Frenchy, Sonny, and of course the stars, Danny and Sandy, belting out the words to “Summer Nights”

Danny, played by senior Felipe Diaz, is the guy in school everyone wants to be. “He puts himself out there and he knows he is the best,” says Diaz. This is the first Lancers Production that Diaz has been honored to be a part of. “For anyone who has a dream or a talent go out and do it, because you never know what can occur. Take the chance.” Outside of the musical Felipe plays soccer, writes music, and sings.

Opposite Diaz, junior Olivia Howell, portrayed Sandra “Sandy” Dumbrowski. Sandy is the “outsider” who doesn’t fit into the Pink Ladies, nor does she fit in with the cheerleaders and Patty Simcox, the overly peppy cheer captain. This is not the first show Howell has starred in. Her biggest role for Lancers’ Productions, before Grease, was Sharpay in High School Musical.

The show is filled with laughs thanks to the comic relief of the T-Birds and Pink Ladies. Doody, the most innocent and quirky of the boys, is played by freshman Greyson Riley. Riley has worked with his acting skills prior to this production, but this is his first Lancer’s Production. “I am exactly like Doody. My favorite scene is the ‘fight’ scene when the T Birds start to fight with each other. I love it because I get to be really goofy and funny [just like my true self],” says Riley.

While Danny and Sandy are falling in and out of love, Doody is trying to catch the eye of Frenchy, the high school and later beauty school dropout. Amanda Spina, a seasoned veteran to the Little Theatre, was ecstatic to earn her role as Frenchy. “Frenchy and I are both kind of strange. We both have ideas about what we want in life, but have different ways to go about it. She knows what she wants but doesn’t at the same time, and I am the same way,” says Spina. She continues, “I have been involved in Lancer Productions since my freshman year. Grease was my eight show in the Little Theater. Starting my sophomore year I assisted in the choreography and took over with Jess Ventura this year as head choreographer. I also became student director this year. The Little Theater has been a large part of my high school experience.” When Spina isn’t dancing around the stage of the Little Theatre she is dancing in her studio,choreographing for Lancer Harmonies (SJV’s Show Choir), participating in Junior Statesmen of America, or working with the Cultural Awareness Club.

Characters that only make an appearance once on the Grease stage are Cha-Cha DiGregorio and Teen Angel. Both make the show that much better with their jokes and sarcasm.

Cha-Cha’s character, played by senior Jessica Ventura, is the most ridiculous comic relief in the show. “I’m the best dancer at St. Bernadette’s with the worst reputation. I also like to think of myself as the most ridiculous and annoying character in the entire play. I get invited to a prom by a hunk like Kenickie and I complain about the coconuts the entire time. Like who does that?!” says Ventura.

She also worked as a choreographer during production. Ventura continues, “My favorite scene I got be in was ”Greased Lightning.” There was something about being able to not wear a dress, slick my hair back, and be a guy that was so much fun! I also loved the energy and the choreography, plus it’s a classic!” This is her fifth show with Lancers’ Productions including Annie, High School Musical, Once on this Island, and Getting an Education. Outside of the musical Ventura enjoys dancing and hanging out with friends.

William DeMuria, Teen Angel, says, “My character adds some comic relief to the show. The Teen Angel arrives just as Frenchy is about to just give up again when she decides to drop out of beauty school. He tries his best to convince her to go back to high school and to not give up on her career, though he does it in a slightly insulting way.”

Another romance is causing issues on the Grease stage between Kenickie, played by Nicholas Edinger, and Betty Rizzo, played by Ava Valentino. Rizzo is the “mean girl” who has a sarcastic and witty comeback for everything. “I definitely faced some struggle during this process of becoming her. I had to let go of insecurities, my own persona, and all the thoughts holding me back from portraying the best Rizzo I could be,” says Valentino. This is her sixth production with the Lancers. Kenickie on the other hand, is only trying to “make an honest woman out of [Rizzo]”.

“Kenickie was a very interesting character to play. Not only was he a total jerk but he also showed signs of deep personal attachment to Rizzo,” says Edinger. The two are constantly falling in and out of love causing tension between the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds.

In addition to all the other story lines, there is still one more connection being made between Joseph Castelli, as Roger, and Brigid Minogue, as Jan. Both teens are hardcore food junkies, always volunteering to finish people’s food and asking for more which really helps them connect. To really push the love connection Roger sings about “mooning”, in which the duo harmonizes about the “Mooning King”. “My character is a little inappropriate. He is the ‘anything for a laugh’ stocky type. Roger’s full of mischief, half-baked schemes and ideas. He is a clown who enjoys putting other people on,” says Castelli.

The show used songs from the classic 1978 movie of the same title including, “Beauty School Dropout”, “We Go Together”, “Hopelessly Devoted”, and “Greased Lightning”. The cast also showed off their singing voices through songs only featured in the Broadway versions of the show. Some of the less familiar songs were “Mooning”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Party Queen”, “Freddy, My Love”, and “It’s Raining on Prom Night”.

The group of talented actors and actresses put together an unbelievable performance. They dedicated months into putting together something they were proud to show their friends, family, classmates, and teachers.

The show, performed from March 10 to March 13, was sold out three of the four nights, thanks to the outstanding cast and wonderful direction from Rachel Ryan and Mary-Kate Schmidt.

 

Read the casts final good-byes here

View photos from the performance here