Windham High School brings the 1950s to life with the Grease musical

Windham High School's performance of 'Grease the Musical' 
kicked off their first weekend of performances with a fun, 
high energy show. Set in the 1950s at Rydell High, 
the show explores love, rebellion, and the complexities of 
high school life through the romance of Danny Zuko and 
Sandy Dumbrowski. Upcoming shows are on Nov. 21 and 22 
at 7 PM and Nov. 23 at 2 PM at the Windham Performing 
Arts Center in the auditorium at WHS. 
PHOTO BY Mychelle Koutalakis

 By Masha Yurkevich

As the days get shorter and colder, the Windham High School (WHS) Grease musical will certainly make you feel warm and energetic. Grease the Musical is a vibrant and high-energy show set in the 1950s at Rydell High. The show explores love, rebellion, and the complexities of high school life through the romance of Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski. Upcoming shows are on Nov. 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. at the Windham Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors and students. Tickets are sold only on show dates at the door of Windham High School Performing Arts Center door one hour before show time.

“There are 75 students working on this production, the largest group we have ever had, says Rob Juergens, Director of the show. “Although our stage is pretty big, it proved difficult to stage so large a group with set pieces as well. But we did it! It is amazing to see a stage full of students in larger dance numbers.”
For Juergens, his favorite part of the musical was watching Sandy, Danny, the Burger Boys and the Pink Ladies develop their characters throughout the rehearsal process. 

“They developed unique personalities while also forging a group identity,” says Juergens. 
The show is very fast-paced and high energy, showcasing 50’s style dancing and singing. Each act runs only 50 minutes, which makes for a short show. 

“Set in Rydell High School in the 50’s, the plot involves the complexity of relationships among students, focusing on Danny and Sandy,” says Juergens. “Although the script provided is sparse, several companies offer additional songs from the movie that audiences are familiar with. The characters are wildly entertaining, and the songs and dances provide the audience with a blast of energy that have them leaving the show smiling and humming the tunes.”

Some audience members will be familiar with the story and many of the songs because of the popular film adaptation from 1978, but there are some differences that make this experience fun and engaging. The WHS production of Grease has a cast of 56 students and 15 students working on the technical aspects of the show, so it is one of the largest groups to be involved in a WHS show. Audiences for all three opening weekend shows topped 300 tickets for each show — the back wall had to be opened, and the bleacher seats used to accommodate such large crowds on Saturday and Sunday.

Corey Brackett, a senior at WHS, plays Sandy in the musical. “For me, the hardest part of the show was doing the song ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ because not only is it a beautiful song, but it has been iconically performed by singers like Olivia Newton-John. I really wanted to do that song justice,” says Brackett. 

Brackett also shared that she really enjoys the wigs and costumes from the 1950s, but what is very meaningful to her is the journey of self-confidence that Sandy goes on. 

“Some people will say Sandy changes for a boy. I think she is learning who she is and how to stand up for herself — to Rizzo and to Danny,” says Brackett. “She goes from meek to self-confident.”

Corbin Cote, who is a sophomore, plays Danny. “The music presented unique challenges for me as well with many songs being in a higher register to fit the style of the 1950s,” says Cote. “The songs gave me a chance to really stretch and grow vocally with a lot of focus and practice.” 

That work has paid off and now his favorite part of the show is the duet in ‘You’re the One That I Want’, which is an iconic song for Grease fans.

The show sold out the first weekend, with over 1100 tickets sold. The audiences were cheering and applauding from the opening curtain to the final song. “Comments I heard included ‘the best high school show I’ve ever seen’, and ‘better than Broadway’,” says Juergens. “The atmosphere in the lobby after the show was electric as the cast and crew greeted their fans and families.”

The community is strongly encouraged to attend a show and are promised that they will leave with a smile, humming the catchy tunes. Upcoming shows are on Nov. 21 and 22 at 7:00 p.m. and Nov. 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Windham Performing Arts Center. <