Fall Musical

Grease is hands down one of the most popular musicals to ever exist; in fact in the process of making the show we learned that it is, in fact, the most-produced musical in the world. A lot of this can probably be credited to the iconic movie and the rest to the relentlessly-catchy music. Even if you’re not a regular theater goer, you’ve probably heard a slightly off-key but enthusiastic “Summer Nights” at karaoke or watched your third cousin pull a muscle dancing to “Greased Lightning” at a wedding.

Despite its popularity and formative role in my own childhood, I had my doubts about selecting Grease as our musical. At first glance, I didn’t love the “change yourself for a man” moral that has received (fair) criticism across the internet in the past 10 years. However, after a bit more digging and some discovery about the original show (did you know it was a musical before it was a movie?!) I started to see Grease in a different light. To be clear, I still don’t think you should change yourself for a man, or for anyone for that matter, but at its core, this quintessentially teenage show is about so much more. 

Grease is a story about being true to who you are. I think it’s easy to see Sandy as a stereotypical All-American, 1950s teenager corrupted by Danny, Rizzo and the gang. But with a slightly closer look at the cultural and societal norms of 1959, it’s clear that when we meet Sandy she is a product of these external forces. Between prescribed gender roles, age discrimination, and culture war, Sandy enters into adulthood with a narrative that’s already been written for her. The Greasers don’t require her to change: they give her permission to be who she is, something that’s still not easy to do, 60 years later. 

This crew of misfits, rough around the edges but loyal to the core reminds us that growing up is messy. They’re imperfect but we love them for it. And Grease is like that too. There certainly are moments in the show that don’t align with our current social values; however, not everything we put onstage is meant to be a model for behavior. Instead, it gives us an opportunity to look at our past with clear eyes and see it for what it was — the good, the bad, and the in between. 

This process has been an adventure in every way, but well worth it to be making theater again. It’s been so long since we’ve all been able to gather and we are so glad to see you under the stars for a “Summer Night” you’ll surely remember.

–Kajsa Jones, artistic director

The spring musical, Grease, needs technicians in order to make the production look and sound its best. If you’re interested in lighting, sound, video production, costuming, or set design and construction, join us Friday, March 26th at 3pm via Zoom for an informational meeting. You’ll learn about the production and the many different ways you can participate.

Zoom Meeting Link

Thank you to each and every one of you who auditioned for Grease. We so admire your bravery and hard work; you made this a difficult task for us all! Cast members will meet via Zoom at 4:00pm tomorrow for an informational meeting and preliminary sing through. Please check your email for important information. If you were not cast and are interested in helping the production on the technical crew, please attend the tech crew informational meeting on Friday at 3:00pm via Zoom.

Danny Zuko Carter Bannwarth
Sandy Dumbrowski Victoria Pommalath
Betty Rizzo Lauren Nelson
Frenchy Natalie Engh
Marty Allison Benjamin (understudy Sandy)
Jan Olivia Voerster
Doody Benjamin Sayers
Kenickie Ethan Kalafatich
Sonny Latierri Luke Pfluger
Roger Erik Haering (understudy Danny)
Vince Fontaine Connor Hestwood (understudy Kenickie & dance captain)
Cha-Cha Alexa Grace LaFontaine Larson (& ensemble)
Eugene Florczyk Alex Doran
Johnny Casino/Teen Angel Adam Garrity (understudy Doody)
Miss Lynch Alexa Sandberg (understudy Frenchy)
Patty Simcox Aubrie Owen
Ensemble Andrew Sayers
Anna Avent (understudy Rizzo)
Ava Bartel
Ava Hattenberger
Boon Yang
Brooklin Giddings
Chandler Schmitz
Enya Brett (understudy Miss Lynch)
Erik Rasmussen (understudy Vince Fontaine)
Grace Smith
Haleigh Smith (understudy Patty)
Henry North
Hunter Fizel (understudy Eugene)
Jason Chang (understudy Roger)
Kianna Yasis
Lawson Sharrer (understudy Sonny)
Lindsey Seif
Maren VanDeest (understudy Jan)
Marie Finch-Koinuma
Olivia Vue
Reed Williams (understudy Johnny Casino/Teen Angel)
Savannah John
Sydney Baxter
Sydney Bramel (understudy Marty)

Thank you for your interest in our spring production of Grease! Per district COVID guidelines, we were limited in the number of actors we could call back. If you don’t see your name on the list, please check the website again either late Monday night or early Tuesday morning as there is still a chance you will be on the final cast list.

The following students should plan to be in the theatre by 3pm on Monday, unless a virtual callback was indicated. We saw what we needed dance-wise from the initial auditions, so come prepare to sing and act. Please check your emails ASAP for important audition details.

Adam Garrity
Alexa Sandberg
Allison Benjamin
Anna Avent
Aubrie Owen
Benjamin Sayers
Carter Bannwarth
Chandler Schmitz
Connor Hestwood
Erik Haering
Erik Rasmussen
Ethan Kalafatich
Haleigh Smith
Henry North
Jason Chang
Kianna Yasis
Lauren Nelson
Luke Pfluger
Maren VanDeest
Marie Finch-Koinuma
Natalie Engh
Olivia Voerster
Reed Williams
Sydney Baxter
Sydney Bramel
Victoria Pommalath

For those of you that were unable to join us for the Musical information meeting, you can watch a recording below:

Musical Information Meeting Recording

If you would like to review the presentation, you can find that here:

Musical Information Meeting Presentation

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