Break out the black leather jackets and poodle skirts — Westfield Summer Stage is presenting the musical, “Grease.” It features a cast and crew of more than 80 students from middle and high schools across the county, including Westfield, Centreville, Chantilly and Fairfax high schools.
“I’m really impressed with the different kinds of talents this cast brings to the process, and I’m pleased with how well they work together,” said Director Rachel Harrington. “A lot of kids auditioned, and I’m thoroughly happy about this group. Things are going great and we’ve got a lot of awesome musical numbers. It’s a revamped, fun, campy and colorful version of ‘Grease.’”
The show will burst upon the Westfield High stage Friday-Saturday, July 22-23, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 24, at 2 p.m.; and Friday-Saturday, July 29-30, at 7:30 p.m. Seating is reserved; tickets are $12 via www.westfieldtheatreboosters.com and with a valid student ID, or $15 at the door.
It’s 1959, and the students at Rydell High are pumped up about the new school year. Cool guy Danny Zuko and new student Sandy Dumbrowski return from a summer romance, but run headlong into high-school peer pressure that derails their budding feelings for each other.
Harrington designed the sets, with the scenes taking place in and around the school, at friends’ homes and at a diner where the teens hang out. There’s even a jukebox with working lights. Calling it a “fun show for the whole family,” she said the song-and-dance numbers are real standouts.
“Laura Walsh conducts a live, 10-piece, pit band, and our choreographers, Nora Winsler and Karin Hoelzl, created high-energy, visually amazing dances which the audience is sure to enjoy,” said Harringon. “In addition, Music Director Melanie Robison and Assistant Music Director Jonathan Blank have worked with the kids to help them hone their vocal skills — and it’s really paid off.”
Harrington, herself, acted at Westfield and is now its new theater director, replacing Susie Pike, who retired July 1. “Westfield Summer Stage was beneficial to me as a teenager, and it’s carried over into my career,” said Harrington. “So it obviously impacts the actors.” As for “Grease,” she said, “The audience is sure to leave the show singing the songs and remembering the characters and all the fun they had.”
Chantilly High rising senior Adam LeKang plays Danny. “He has two personalities,” said LeKang. “With Sandy, he shows compassion and tenderness and really comes out of his shell. But in public, he’s cool. In high school, he fits in with his crowd and tries to keep up the persona of a big, tough, nonchalant guy in front of his friends.”
LeKang’s having fun with his part. “I’ve been in ‘Grease’ before, with Alliance Theatre, so it’s really cool to come back to a show I loved and be able to play an even bigger role,” he said. “Everyone knows Danny, Sandy and ‘Grease,’ and it’s great to play a character I’ve known all my life.”
His favorite number is “Hand Jive” because “it’s challenging choreography, and it’ll excite the crowd because it’s also a dance competition.” Since this show’s comprised of teenagers playing teenagers, said LeKang, “It’ll be believable for the audience. These are real-life scenarios and situations for teens. ‘Grease’ is fun and has the catchy songs and funny characters that everyone knows.”
Fairfax High grad Rachel Cahoon portrays Sandy. “She’s naïve, sweet and romantic and hopelessly in love with Danny,” said Cahoon. “She’s really nice and looks for the good in everyone. The Pink Ladies [girls’ clique] aren’t always nice to her, but she still tries to fit in. And she eventually changes into a more confident person so she can be with Danny.”
Cahoon enjoys “switching between Sandy’s two sides because it happens fast,” she said. “And I like her songs, including ‘Summer Nights,’ which is upbeat, and ‘Hopelessly in Love,’ a ballad. So it’s a fun challenge to sing songs so different from each other, in multiple styles, throughout the show.”
She especially likes “You’re the One that I Want” because “it’s after Sandy changes into someone sexy and confident, so that’s fun for me,” she explained. “And everyone knows that song, so it’s fun to end the show on such a huge, upbeat number.”
Cahoon said the audience will love this musical’s singing and dancing. “Much of the choreography is difficult, but everyone’s working hard to give 110 percent of their energy during the large, group numbers,” she said. “You can feel it coming off the stage. And the songs are really iconic, so everyone will be able to tap their feet or sing along with them. And it’s more fun to see a show when you know the songs.”
Playing Rizzo, the Pink Ladies’ leader, is Westfield rising junior Molly Van Trees. “She’s tough and kind of a bully, used to getting what she wants,” said Van Trees. “She’s fun-loving and does what she wants, no matter what anyone else says. But under the façade, she really does care what people think about her. It bothers her that people don’t like her, but she’s not going to let them know.”
Van Trees likes her part because she’s unlike Rizzo and “it’s cool to play such an iconic role from an iconic show; it’s an honor to try and do it justice.” Her favorite number is “We Go Together” because “It’s high energy and is fun to sing and dance to it. It involves most of the cast and is the big number at the end of act one.”
She said the choreography’s intense, but fun to watch, and the actors love doing it. “Everyone’s giving their all to make this a fun, collaborative show,” said Van Trees. “And I think that’ll translate to the audience and they’ll have as good a time as we are.”
Westfield graduate Morgan Perigard portrays Patty Simcox. “She’s head cheerleader, student council vice president and is in love with Danny,” said Perigard. “She’s energetic and spirited and always knows what’s going on in the school; she’s involved in everyone else’s lives.”
Perigard loves playing Simcox because “she’s loud and different from me, so it’s cool to unlock the annoying side. She’s also in lots of dance numbers and has a cool presence onstage and in the high school.” Perigard especially likes the song, “Summer Nights,” because “it has cute choreography and introduces Danny and Sandy’s relationship. Also, Patty and her posse of cheerleaders and student council members sing and dance in that number.”
Overall, she said, “People will enjoy all the songs they love from both the movie and musical versions of ‘Grease.’ There are fun production-numbers and a big ensemble, and it’s just a real, feel-good musical.”
There’ll be a box in the lobby for canned-food donations to Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM).