Programs
'Grease' - One Slick Show
Over an intense three days before Ski Week, the cast and crew of Grease staged four phenomenal performances at the McPherson Playhouse in Victoria, demonstrating boundless talent, imagination, creativity and energy as they took the audience back in time to tell the tale of teenage paramours Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko, the T-Birds and Pink Ladies, and the rest of Rydell High School in 1959.
A stellar cast, with Grade 12s in most of the key roles, rose to the occasion and put on brilliant shows night after night. And it wasn’t just the stars, but the entire cast, who stepped up.
Josef J. and Ariel M. starred as Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski, respectively, returning after taking lead roles in last year’s production of The Addams Family. But they were far from the only standouts in an ensemble cast that also featured outstanding performances from – among others – Georgia G. as Rizzo, Keegan L. as Kenickie (“He killed every night,” said director and co-producer Mr. Salvatore Interlandi), Sharm P. as Marty, Grant N. as Doody, Luke V. as Roger, Emmett N. as Sonny, Clara P. (stepping up in her first and last year at Shawnigan) as Patty, and Grace S. as Frenchy.
“Grease was such an amazing experience; everyone was able to come together to create something so special and it was such an honour to be able to recreate such an iconic musical,” Josef said. “So many students at Shawnigan – seniors especially – either returned from previous years or experienced their first-ever musical show, and I have never been more proud or more astonished by the talent that my fellow cast members showcased. It was an honour to be a member of the T-Birds and take part in a musical that is so community based. There really is no one main character but the entire gang of T-Birds and Pink Ladies as a whole working together to put on a show! It’s a bit sentimental as a senior as this marks not only the end of my time at the school, but also the last of five productions I have been in during my high school career. However, I will cherish my memories with the cast and crew for many years to come.”
The few Grade 11s in key roles were also exceptional: Kate I. as Cha Cha, Gabriel B. as Eugene, and Talia S. as Jan. In all, there were nearly 20 speaking parts, and an overall cast of more than three dozen performers.
Overseeing it all as stage manager was another Grade 11 student, Mattias P. New to the position after Charlotte C. did the job for three years, Mattias did a phenomenal role in a demanding job. “It’s quite the endeavour to do that at that age,” he said.
“I've always known that stage managers do a lot, but until I was sat in that seat, I didn't understand how much they did,” Mattias commented. “It was overwhelming to be tasked with following the show and calling every single fly, lighting change, and sound effect, whilst managing my own crew backstage. Despite the immense challenge, it was exhilarating to create such an amazing production. I accomplished much more than I thought I was capable of, and I'm so grateful Shawnigan has given me the opportunity to discover what I can accomplish with the right support.”
Mr. Interlandi wasn’t the only staff member who helped bring Grease to life. Mrs. Rosalynd Roome ’91 was his co-producer and production designer, and Ms. Annie Marland handled all the choreography — a big effort for a show with so much dancing. Ms. Mandy Bryant led the orchestra – made up mostly professional musicians, with the exception of Mr. Vince Hale on bass guitar and Mike G. on drums. (Mike made his participation in Grease his Soul Seeking project.) The entire show took place in front of a set constructed by Mr. John Bomans and the Stagecraft 360, including an entire car built out of wood.
The hard work put in by the staff members is rewarded when the students mirror that effort, Mr. Interlandi indicated.
“They see how much time we put in,” he said. “We reflect back that hard work and dedication, and they match that. It doesn’t work any other way. It’s about creating an atmosphere for the kids to shine. That’s always my goal for what the musical should be. It brings everyone a lot of joy. It keeps them in the foreground, and that’s great.”
The production team opted not to perform the school edition of the musical, which allowed them to dive into some of the tougher subjects that are tackled in the original version. Mr. Interlandi emphasizes that Grease was originally intended to be a satirical production, something that was lost when it was adapted for film, but which is more apparent in the stage version. He said that his own wife got particularly emotional during the back-to-back big numbers late in the first act: Rizzo’s showstopper, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” and Sandy’s solo reprise of “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee.” Rizzo is asking if she does too much, while Sandy asks if she is doing too little. That confusion — boys can do anything they want, while girls are expected to fit into a mold — hasn’t changed much, Mr. Interlandi points out.
With so many Grade 12s in this year’s cast, there will be a lot of big shoes to fill in next year’s musical (which is yet to be determined), but Mr. Interlandi isn’t worried.
“Next year there will be opportunities,” he said. “We’re hoping some students are inspired up here to say ‘I’d like to do that too’ and step up.”
Even with the musical now in the rear-view mirror, there are still a few more major stage productions to come this year, including the Grade 8 musical, Beauty and the Beast, and the drama production, Clue, both scheduled for June.
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Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
