The Catskill Chronicle

Chris Murphy of Sullivan West High School as “Danny Zuko”.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

Dillon Cerullo as “Kenickie”, Christine Lazar as “Betty Rizzo.”

LIBERTY – Return with us to the days of sock hops, burger joints, drive-in movies, hand-jivin’ and the ‘greasers’ of the late 1950s, as “Grease,” the ever-enduring story of teenage angst, romance and rebellion takes to the stage at Liberty High School for two performances on Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m.

It is a production of Liberty Performing Arts and the Liberty High School Music Department, and based upon the classic 1972 musical with the words, music and lyrics of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. It takes place in 1959 at the fictional Rydell High School, and is loosely based on William Howard Taft High School in Chicago.

Melanie Downing as “Teen Angel.”

The show’s original production of 1971 was a known as a gritty musical, or a play with incidental music, and was staged as “Grease Lightning” in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, before taking off to Broadway a year later. By the time the curtain drew to a close in 1980, “Grease” had run for 3,388 performances, and to this day remains Broadway’s 13th longest-running show in history. The title of the musical comes from the name of the 1950s working-class subculture in the United States known as the ‘greasers’. In 1978, John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing and Jeff Conaway starred in the film “Grease” directed by Randal Kleiser.

The main players of Liberty High School’s production: Adrianna Rubio as Miss Lynch, Nikole Snyder as Patty Simcox, Joshua Lieberman as Eugene Florczyk, Sydney Goldstein as Jan, Taylir Lorino as Marty, Christine Lazar as Betty Rizzo, Drew Maier as Doody, Franklin Carcamo as Roger, Dillon Cerullo as Kenickie, Tiago Mastrogiovanni as Sonny, Shaina DiVita as Frenchy, Kirsten Sauer as Sandy Dumbrowski, Christopher Murphy (a senior at Sullivan West) as Danny
Zuko, Chris Lockwood as Vince Fontaine, Gary Siegel (Liberty’s music director) as Johnny Casino, Priti Samant as Cha-Cha DiGregorio/radio voice, and in the sparkling role of Teen Angel Melanie Downing.

Tiago Mastrogiovanni as “Sonny”, Christine Lazar as “Betty Rizzo”, Franklin Carcamo as “Roger.”

The ensemble: Jenna Atkins, Sophia Cohen, Alyssa Corbett, Stefani Davidson, Paige Doria, Kylee Funcheon, Tiffany Keesler, Tori Kleinberger, Danielle Lake, Victoria Norwich, Danielle Strassman and Amber Wallgren.

“Grease” features two stage directors (Emily Ford and Scott Glasser), Timothy Hamblin (musical director), Daniel L. McConnell (pit orchestra director), Michael Diehl (set design and construction), Laurie Burke-Maier (costumes and props), Elizabeth McConnell (sound design) and Ariana Burd (stage manager).

Liberty’s production follows the original as it presented in two acts, and is filled with numerous numbers solos, duets and full company numbers such as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightning,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra
Dee,” “Shakin’ at the High School Hop,” “Born to Hand Jive” and “Alone at
the Drive-In Movie.”

Taylir Lorino as “Marty.”

Christopher Murphy, a senior at Sullivan West High School, appears in the lead male role of “Danny Zuko”.

“We choose it [Grease] because we know the show,” said Emily Ford, co-stage director. While noting this is her first production as Liberty High, she added, “The kids like working together and they really created a tight ensemble.”

“Grease” is Scott Glasser’s third show at Liberty; in his first year he directed a Broadway review and in the next season followed up with a staging of “Charlie Brown”.

“This year we wanted to go a little bit larger and still keep in an upbeat show,” said Glasser, who works alongside Ford as co-stage director. “Grease just called out to me, and the kids are definitely ecstatic, they’ve worked really, really hard.”

To view more photos or to purchase prints from All “Greased” Up at Liberty High visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.