Danny, Sandy, Rizzo, Kenickie and Frenchy are among the characters on Centennial Secondary’s stage this and next week for the musical theatre production of Grease.
Opening tonight, Feb. 6, the show — directed by students Phoenix and Siryn Cowie and choreographed by Makenna and Tessa Jung, who are also twins — features 32 cast members and 14 musicians under the baton of teacher Marquis Byrd, with sets from a dozen crew.
It is Byrd’s first time leading at Centennial; he previously was at Dr. Charles Best Secondary.
Makenna Jung, Grade 12, who plays Sandy alongside Grade 11 student Ethan McAffer as Danny, said the school picked Grease because of the number of male actors in the Musical Theatre class this year led by drama teacher Nicole Hipditch; as well, she said, many of the female actors have outside training in musical theatre and have triple-threat talents.
“I love Grease,” Makenna Jung said. “I grew up singing the songs and I love the movie with Olivia Newton-John […] I really wanted to be Sandy because she fits me perfectly.”
Jung also starred in last year’s production of Mamma Mia!, portraying Sophie, the daughter.
For McAffer, who took on the role of Bill, a possible father of Sophie in Mamma Mia!, he also auditioned for the lead Grease part last September and won the chance to play Danny.
Two years ago, in Grade 9, McAffer left the school’s football program to enrol in musical theatre after being blown away by its Rock of Ages production. “It changed my life,” he told the Tri-City News on Feb. 5 after the cast put on a show for feeder schools in the area.
McAffer said highlighting the musical theatre talents before a young audience “creates a magic for the middle school students. In many cases, they’ve never seen a musical so we are opening up doors for them when they come to Centennial and to try something new. We hope that we bring a lot of energy to the crowd and they sing along with us to the songs.”
Centennial’s version of Grease includes 22 tunes with the licensing rights; however, the high school did have to pay for three extra standards to be included in the school musical, Byrd and Hipditch said:
- “Grease”
- “Hopelessly Devoted to You”
- “You’re the One That I Want”
Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, the musical Grease follows the T-Birds and Pink Ladies — and the romance between Danny and Sandy — at the fictional Rydell High School in Chicago as they explore themes of peer pressure, politics and core values in the 1950s.
In 1978, Newton-John and John Travolta starred in the feature film adaptation.
For tickets to see Grease at Centennial Secondary School (570 Poirier St.) on Feb. 6, 7, 8, 14 and 15, visit CentMusical.BrownPaperTickets.com. Entry is $19/$15. No tickets will be sold at the door. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. A 1 p.m. matinee performance is on Feb. 8.
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