4 minute read
Grease is Still the Word
It’s been 40 years since a beloved Broadway show became one of the biggest movie musicals of all time, but Grease is still the word. When Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta transformed into Sandy and Danny on screen they brought the 50s to life for generations to come. The story of summer love turned high school romance, cliques and peer pressure, good girls and bad boys had timeless humor and nostalgia and a catchy soundtrack that won fans in 1978 and continues to attract viewers even today. Paramount Pictures is bringing the movie back to the big screen to celebrate this milestone anniversary and our own Glynn Academy Players are currently in rehearsal to bring their production of Grease to the stage in May.
When Glynn Academy Drama Instructor Josh Sinyard was asked if he selected the play as a May production because of the anniversary, he responded, “I chose it
because I knew I had the kids that could pull off the iconic roles, and YES!!! It’s the 40th Anniversary! I wanted to celebrate the ‘epic-ness’ that is Grease.” Those talented cast members being tapped to play Grease’s iconic characters include Luke Brown (Danny) and Georgia Waters (Marty) who received critical recognition for their roles as Clyde and Blanche Barrow in the Players’ recent production of Bonnie and Clyde. Luke was nominated for Best Actor and Georgia received Honorable Mention as Best Supporting Actress in the Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards/Shuler Awards.
Sinyard himself received a nomination for Best Set Design, so you know his productions are top notch! As to whether the current generation also views the movie as classic, since the 1978 film was well before their time, Josh replied, “ALL the kids knew it and were excited. They came in singing all the songs!” That excitement is palpable during rehearsals and the energy is contagious. “Greased Lighting” is just that!
Approximately 75 kids and 10 adults are involved in this production. It is the largest cast at Glynn Academy in years, says Sinyard. Perhaps the largest ever. Girls are (continues)
Did you know?
The role of Danny was offered to Henry Winkler, but he turned it down because he didn’t want to be typecast after starring as Fonzie on Happy Days?
During the movie’s production, the cast was reported to have chewed 100,000 pieces of bubble gum.
The role of Teen Angel played by Frankie Avalon was offered to Elvis Presley. Oddly, Elvis died on the very date that the scene in which he is mentioned in “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” was filmed.
The film’s creators decided to keep Olivia Newton-John’s Australian accent in order to capitalize on the singer’s popularity.
“Greased Lightning” was supposed to be sung by Jeff Conaway as Kenickie, but John Travolta convinced producers to let him sing it instead.
double cast due to the number of students available for the roles. The main cast includes: Luke Brown as Danny, Caroline Chapman and Olivia Smith as Sandy, David Wheeler as Kenickie, Grace Robertson and Anna Tilghman as Rizzo, Sophie Gordon and Grace Bullard as Jan, Kanijha Lee and Georgia Waters as Marty, Hannah Brown and Isabela Doultshahi as Frenchie, Caleb Kavanaugh as Sonny, Blake Lewis as Roger, Collis Rock as Doody, Lexi Snyder and Sophie Willis as Patty Simcox, Evan Young as Vince Fotaine, Ladd Rector as Eugene and Kobe Mukes as everyone’s favorite Teen Angel. Accompanist Mary Monroe breathes life into the music and is working diligently on the songs with the kids during rehearsal. It’s a treat to watch.
Come out to Glynn Academy’s Memorial Auditorium May 9-12 to see Grease. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Advance tickets are on sale now at gaplayers.com. Your support is vital. The Glynn Academy Players are a fully self-funded program and receive no money from the school or the county. They need people to attend the shows to raise money from ticket sales to be able to produce more shows each year. Let’s keep this vibrant program for our youth alive and going strong. You know that you and community theatre go together like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong!
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