Curtain comes down Saturday on the Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys
FRIDAY'S PERFORMANCE PHOTOS
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REHEARSAL PHOTOS
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"Grease is the word, Grease is the word, is the word that you heard, It's got groove it's got meaning,
Grease is the time, is the place is the motion, Grease is the way we are feeling,
This is the life of illusion, Wrapped up in trouble laced with confusion, What we doing here?"
After three months of rehearsal, the student cast of "Grease" has learned its lines, developed a stage presence and perfected the timing, so when the curtain goes up at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in the Forum Theatre, they will be ready.
The altos, tenors, sopranos, and baritones of the Penn State Players are in fine voice and anxious to open the three-day run of the musical production at Penn State New Kensington. The play is based on the 1971 musical comedy by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey that starred Carole Demas and Barry Bostwick. The 1978 movie version featured Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta.
For the campus version, directed by Bill Mitas, instructor in theatre arts, sophomore Ashley Christenson plays the role of Sandy and Michael Lowe is Danny. The supporting cast includes Juliann Motosicky, Kelly Sieja, Alexia Kabazie, Jimmy Baker, Andrew Lee, Mcquan Harris-Moore, Marc Peters, Tori Hepler, Theresa, Steven Warhola, Jack Wagner, Bob Peters, and Maria Delvecheo.
Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for the general public and are available by calling 724-334-6062.
Dinner Theatre
Held in conjunction with the musical, is a dinner theatre slated for 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 8. The evening's menu is right out of Burger Palace, where the aptly named Burger Palace Boys hung out with their female counterparts, the Pink Ladies. The fare features burgers, hot dogs, milk shakes and fries in the Café 780, and a reserved seat for the play in the Forum Theatre. Members of the cast will be on-hand to perform selected musical numbers from the play.
Highlighting the dinner will be a '50s jam session by Kevin Snider, the campus' guitar-strumming chancellor, and Matt Peterson, a bass guitar-picking student. The talented plank spankers will be trading licks and matching riffs. A possible show down, known as a "head cutting duel" in guitarist lingo, may be in the offing.
"I never played with the chancellor before, but I've heard him play a few times," said Peterson, who is equally proficient with the saxophone, trumpet and bagpipes. "We are going to play some basic '50s blues music. I hope we can get at least one practice in before the performance."
The duo will be breaking new ground. Snider, who keeps his acoustical guitar in the office, is a mostly a solo artist who performs occasionally gigs at various campus functions. Peterson is a member of the campus Jazz Band and the Balmoral Highlanders Bagpipe Band. In addition, he jams with friends from his high school, Franklin Regional, in two other bands.
"I haven't played in a while so it should be interesting," said Snider, who is partial to folk rock music. "Not sure if I'm playing electric or acoustic guitar but I hope to keep up with Matt."
While Snider and Peterson have the musical chops, they won't have to carry the show. A couple of Peterson's "crickets," will back up the intrepid guitarists. Crickets is the name of Buddy Holly's band.
In addition, Tina Sluss, staff assistant in the development office, will be dancing the Jitterbug and leading campus faculty and staff in the Hand Jive. Dinner guests are encouraged to join the fun.
Tickets are $25 and are available at 724-334-6056 or tms57@psu.edu via e-mail.
"We go together like ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong
Remembered forever as shoo-bop sha whada whadda yippidy boom da boom
Chang chang changity chang shoo bop that's the way it should be, Waooo Yeah"
The Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies belt out "Awella, wella, wella, tell me more,
tell me more...ah ha...do,do...ah ha...do,do...ah ha..."
Andrew Lee and Tori Hepler practice the Hand Jive during a break in reheasal.
"The townfolk clapped, I was only five, And I danced 'em all, he's born to hand-jive.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah - everybody, Born to hand-jive, baby, Born to hand-jive, baby - yeah..."
Juliann Motosicky, Jimmy Baker and Alexia Kabazie perform an impromptu
"Go grease lightning, you're burning up the quarter mile...
...Grease lightning, go grease lightning..."
"GREASE" CAST AND CHARACTERS
Danny - Michael Lowe
Sandy - Ashley Christenson
The Pink Ladies
Rizzo - Juliann Motosicky
Frenchy- Kelly Sieja
Marty- Alexia Kabazie
Jan - Jillian Snoznik
The Burger Palace Boys
Kenickie - Jimmy Baker
Doody - Andrew Lee
Roger - Mcquan Harris-Moore
Sonny - Marc Peters
Patty – Tori Hepler
Cha Cha - Theresa Gibson
Eugene – Steven Warhola
Vince Fontaine - Jack Wagner
Johnny Casino -Bob Peters
Teen Angel - Bob Peters
Miss Lynch - Maria Delvecheo